Not to be outdone by other carmakers releasing special edition versions of their models, Jaguar has crafted its own bespoke variants of the XK Coupe and Convertible, and XKR named Artisan SE, which will be offered in several markets around the world but not in North America.

The new special edition gets its name from the Artisan interior that introduces the use of a textured 'scraffito' finished leather to the front seats, instrument binnacle, door and rear quarter panels.

In the 1980s supercar battle, Ferrari had the raw F40, Porsche the highly sophisticated 959 and Jaguar had, well, nothing. That is, until its chief engineer, Jim Randle, decided to begin work on an unsanctioned project on a mid-engine, all-wheel drive Jag supercar.

The XJ220 concept, named after its 220 mph (350 km/h) claimed top speed, was unveiled at the 1988 British Motor Show. It sported a 6.2-liter version of Jaguar’s classic V12 engine with a quad-cam system developed for testing in the Le Mans XJR-9 racer and, as Randle envisioned, all-wheel drive.

Billed by Jaguar as the most powerful and fastest open-top GT model in the brand's history, the new XKR-S Convertible will make its world premiere today at the 2011 LA Auto Show.

Packing 550HP and 680Nm (501 lb-ft) of torque from its supercharged 5.0-liter V8 that was borrowed from XKR-S coupe, the convertible model accelerates from standstill to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 4.2 seconds and can reach an electronically limited top speed of 300 km/h (186 mph).

Visitors attending next week's 2011 Los Angeles International Automobile Show (November 16 to 28) will have the opportunity to witness the latest offerings from Jaguar and Land Rover, one of which will make its world premiere.

The new XKR-S Convertible is the model that will make its first-ever public outing – at least in production form, as we’ve already scooped prototypes doing the rounds at the Nürburgring Nordschleife.

Confirming earlier rumors that Jaguar is readying an open-top version of its spiciest XK model to date, our spy shooters snagged pictures of a prototype version of the upcoming XKR-S Convertible put through its paces on the Nürburgring race track.

The XKR-S Coupe was revealed at the 2011 Geneva Salon this past March. Predictably, the convertible model will sport the same styling modifications and performance upgrades as the coupe.