The 155mph feline. Be afraid... be very afraid.
Eric Barton presses the pedal to the metal in Jaguars newest thrill provider... the supercharged XKR
Re-creating a ‘dream of a drive’ is never easy. The achievements of the past are no guarantee of future success. However, Jaguar has done just that with their latest heart- stopping offer, the XKR.
The new XKR has been given a facelift. It’s now wearing new headlights and tail-lamps. Other changes include a re-designed front bumper which is nicely enhanced by some swift looking outboard grilles. This new package is beginning to supply the menace and sleekness that was promised. It also gets the XF’s brilliant, cylindrical gear selector. Balance this with the air vents gently angling themselves out and you have a mesmerising start to any journey. There are also other numerous interior detail changes, especially to the materials used, all of which add up to the cabin feeling and looking far more luxurious.
Looks aren’t everything though. What’s it like to drive? Is this going to be a ’whimpering moggy,’ or is it going to look me in the eye and have me running for the exit, trampling children as I go? The XKR has enough top -end power to leave Earths gravitational pull. The new supercharged V8 has also transformed what was an extremely good GT into an excellent one. And a terrifyingly fast one. A lack of poke certainly wasn’t a glaring deficiency of the old XKR, but the new engine means that it rockets from 0-60mph in just 4.6sec. The real assassin though, is that the new XKR now launches itself from 50-70mph in a 1.9 second blink. The old XKR took 2.5 seconds. Hardly sloth-like, but you’ll notice it right away. That may not seem much, but trust me, behind the wheel you’ll be on the edge of your seat and contemplating a toilet visit.
On the road this mid -range acceleration is the difference between annihilating not just one overtaking victim, but a whole pack of them... caravans included. More impressive still is the sheer relentlessness of the acceleration. Like some old droning politician, it just goes on and on. The XKR is caring and gentle when you want it to be and demonically quick when you bury the accelerator. This 503bhp ‘Beast of Coventry’ snarls to a top speed of 155mph. The more frugal amongst might want to watch that though, as the mpg will plummet if you get too carried away. It’s a real credit to Jaguars’ engineering that they have finally managed to produce a car that in my mind does really rival the Aston Martin in both looks and performance.
Jaguar made this car in the same factory that made the Spitfire... and that folks saved this country in the dark days of WW2. So those of you feeling a bit jingoistic take note.
The handling in any performance car which cloaks itself as a GT Grand Tourer is always worthy of inspection. I say Grand Tourer, because the XKR has got two rear seats obviously intended for very small people or body bending circus performers. The boot space is more than ample, so you could always put the circus lot in there.
The XKR does make a bold attempt at getting the equilibrium between ride and handling correct. There’s no doubt that in the new Dynamics mode you’ll get more aggressive throttle and gear response. You’ll easily be able push harder into corners and as you would expect though, you’ll have to trade off some of the comfort to enable this. Mind you, who wants to drive like Miss Daisy all the time? I think the new XKR does line up its prey in terms of the competition. And probably the weakest of the herd to be slain by this new Jaguar is the BMW 6 series. Having said that the Porsche 911 and Mercedes Benz SL would do well to run for cover lest they get chewed- up as well.
I don’t scare easily, but I was almost howling with terror at the amount of power this new XKR provides... and seemingly with little or no effort.
So, if you don’t have a weak heart and want to be thrilled beyond fear without having to queue up at some god- forsaken theme park, then buy the new supercharged Jaguar XKR. Prices are around £80,000 for the ride of your life.
Copyright Eric Barton 2009
