Bartek Sikorski

The original XK was beautiful, comfortable and fast, but as far as driving appeal was concerned the Jaguar coupe left a lot to be desired. With the latest model, developers at the British marque focused more on improving the chassis and dynamics rather than boosting the engine alone. In this way they have emphasized the sporty character of the car without distorting the basic formula of a big British GT. This is immediately apparent after driving just a few miles. The direct feel of the steering, faster gearshifts of the automatic transmission, improved sensitivity of the brakes and the more tractable engine all come together to form one sensational package.

Styling and Interior
Designers have gone a little overboard with the aesthetic characterization of the performance ‘R’ theme, to the point that some of the car’s elements are too audacious for the marque. Though we’re sure many readers would disagree, we found, for example, that the quad tailpipe arrangement was a tad too much as was the garish mesh used for the front grille and intakes. A shame really, because the basic XK is one sexy beast. Graceful and muscular from most angles, the new design ticks all the right boxes and is very difficult to fault.
More elegant instead is the interior, whose performance theme is emphasized by sporty bucket seats embossed with the ‘R’ logo on the headrests and the same labeling used on the tacho, gear-knob and steering wheel. Brushed aluminum panels are used to highlight much of the cabin, covering most of the center console and transmission tunnel but this can be replaced with wood trim for those with more conservative tastes. The rest of the surfaces are covered in rich leather including most of the door panels and the fully adjustable electronic seats.
Designers couldn’t avoid using some plastics for the interior. The choice of material for the switchgear and the rear parcel shelf doesn’t match the quality you’d expect for a car in this price range, and calling this GT a genuine 2+2 is a bit wishful. Don’t for a second think you’ll fit anyone taller than a small child in the back because the rear pews are better suited to carrying groceries rather than holding passengers’ backsides.


Technical
The new XKR has grown slightly in size compared with its predecessor but has managed to shed roughly 70kg thanks to its aluminum construction. The lightweight chassis construction was first utilized for the larger XJ, and subsequently the XK coupe shares 30% of its body with the saloon. According to officials, the design is superior in that it integrates the entire body structure (panels and frame) to improve rigidity instead of relying on a separate spaceframe and individual body panels.
The supercharged XKR gets more rigid springs and dampers than the base XK, with 38% stiffer shocks up front and 24% stiffer units at the rear. This is matched with new calibration of the hydraulic power steering, making it quicker and more accurate. Other enhancements include the addition of a rear-shock tower strut brace and an upgrade of the car’s electronic management for the suspension and stability control. This provides the XKR with greater efficiency in getting its power to the ground and new engine mounts mean there’s very little vibration reverting back into the cabin.
While the standard AJ-V8 engine in the XK range is now feeling a little underdone with only 300hp in base models, the addition of an Eaton supercharger and twin air intakes for the XKR injects plenty of spirit into the Jag coupe. Final output stands at a very healthy 420hp (313kW) at 6,250rpm and 560Nm (413lb-ft.) of torque at 4,000rpm. The XKR also benefits from variable camshaft timing, making the engine much more tractable throughout the rev range. The end result is a 0-100km (0-62mph) time in just over five seconds and an electronically governed top speed of 250km/h (155mph).


On the Road
The performance compared with the previous XKR is definitely a major improvement, but what really hits home is the car’s new handling. This is mostly due to the more rigid suspension, but also because of the more precise steering that owners of the previous car could only dream of. Then of course there’s the extra grunt from the force-fed motor. Accelerating a 1,700kg coupe is no small feat and the pace of the new XKR is scintillating with barely a hint of the sluggishness that plagued the old model.
The new ZF-sourced six-speed auto is also a major leap over the unit used in the previous car. Gear changes lack the sweet shifting motion of the old box but occur much quicker and happily allow the engine to rev to the tacho’s red-zone when sports mode is activated. In standard mode, the transmission switches gears roughly 1,000rpm before the engine reaches the ends of the tacho. In full automatic, the car’s programming makes the gears shift much too frequently and tends to miss out on the excellent midrange torque of the supercharged V8. Fortunately, the engine is strong and punchy in any gear and provides plenty of thrust throughout most of the rev range. You’ll want to do all the gear changing yourself, just to hear the song of the V8 at its peak for those brief moments of a second.
Despite the remarkable performance available, the British coupe always remains thoroughly comfortable as evidenced by the low noise levels in the cabin while traveling at 130km/h (80mph). Then there’s the excellent suspension set-up, which remains supple on the roughest terrain but rigid enough when things get a little spirited.
Final Verdict
It’s hard to imagine that given its financial troubles, Jaguar could develop a GT as superb as the new XKR. The sporty two-door excels in the styling and performance departments and shows a level of quality for material, fit, and finish that’s light years ahead of the outgoing model, making it a genuine contender against the likes of BMW’s M6, the Mercedes SL and its Aston Martin V8 Vantage cousin.

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Mr. M

In black the interior looks much better.