Over the past few months Jaguar has been quietly working on a high-performance version of their XF Sportbrake estate, probably in preparation for a 2014 Geneva Motor Show debut. Now a leaked picture brings to light their efforts and reveals the bold specs of this hotted-up estate that challenges the likes of Audi RS4 and Mercedes E63 AMG.

Basically a wagon version of the XFR-S, the Jaguar XFR-S Sportbrake features the same supercharged 5.0-litre V8 engine with 550 horsepower and over 50 pound-feet of torque, whose power is fed to the rear wheels via a ZF 8-speed automatic transmission and a trick differential.

The performance that this engine results in is simply mind-boggling for an estate: 0 to 60 mpg in 4.6 seconds, and a top speed that is limited to 180 mph, which means the big Jag will outrun its German rivals, as they are all limited to 155 mph.

The only issue with the Jaguar XFR-S Sportbrake is the list price, which is said to be over £80K. That is considerably more than the benchmark of this class, the Mercedes E63 AMG.

Via Autocar