2007 Jaguar XK Series Review

Specifications

The realm of the grand touring car is a world guided by unwritten rules. GTsmust be effortless and deft to pilot, but skip on the heavy-handed brutality of muscle cars and supercars. They must come equipped with the latest technology while representing time honored tradition, a tip of the hat to a respected bloodline without shunning contemporary luxury that owners demand. Of course these vehicles must also be beautiful to look at, with head-turning style and sophistication that makes those who drive them feel a sense of occasion even if they’re just out doing errands. Look around at today’s grand touring sector and you won’t find a single car that doesn’t abide by these rules, be it a $70,000 entry-level machine or a half-million dollar drop top. Above all, a true grand tourer must reign supreme in driver appeal, the ability to effortlessly cruise for hours on end yet still entertain when called upon. Some have said that the ultimate test is whether or not you’d rather take the vehicle in question on a long journey or a first class plane ticket, or perhaps even your own private jet. Despite being born in troubled times, Jaguar’s new supercharged XKR looks to be up to the task of trumping air travel, unless that private jet is ex-military.

Beauty, like sound or comfort is a subjective factor. Not everyone thinks the latest Bimmer is Michelangelo’s David on wheels, but I couldn’t find a person who thought the XKR to be anything less than stunning. This is an astonishingly beautiful car, with links to Jaguar’s past up front, and a muscular yet balanced tail end with truly feline-like haunches. Clever detail work has helped the XKR become somehow even prettier, its ovoid grille and lower intakes filled with chromed mesh and a jutting and slightly pouty chin spoiler accentuating its sharp jaw line. And while it would seem the kind of car an automaker could build a brand identity on, people seem to have forgotten about the Jaguar brand entirely. The most common response from those ogling was whether or not this was “that new Aston Martin”, which is odd given the rather dull exterior color. Last year’s test of a Radiance (metallic red) XK Convertible garnered half the looks as this Coupe, which, granted did not have the embossed vents, brushed aluminum-look power vents and four exhaust pipes. In many ways, the XKR manages to out-Aston Astons in the visual department, except for that tacky retractable antenna.

Open the door to the XK and you will not find the usual ye old English gentleman’s club on wheels that’s been essential to the Jaguar experience for, well, ever. The XK possesses the most modern and least Jaguar-like interior we’ve ever seen, especially in this color and trim combo. In place of wood, there’s a woven aluminum veneer, which provides visual and haptic contrast to the rich, smooth leather that pads the dash, console and door trims. Instead of the standard radio and climate control knobs, the techno theme continues with a 7-inch LCD display that coordinates the stereo, navigation system and other key features. It’s fairly easy to use, garnering few complaints, but I found the interface to be one of the weaker areas of the car, with the system feeling delayed and sluggish in operation. Also questionable is how I’d describe some of the finer details, such as the door handles, which tuck in when they’re locked, making us wonder at first if they were broken. These are minor complaints, though. Then again, if it were up to me, my first choice for the interior color scheme would be that tweedily British color scheme of tan hides and dark grainedwalnut. But since Jaguar is trying its darndest to be all modern, their effort gets our nod of approval. In true Jaguar tradition, mind you, don’t try and put anyone in the back seats, as they’re for decoration only.

Just about the only thing to be carried over from the previous XKR is the engine. The 4.2-liter AJV8 is, in naturally aspirated form, perfectly suited to the athletic but cool personality of the XK, but with the Eaton supercharger bolted on the performance transcends into true effortlessness. Jaguar has tuned the belts and pulleys to extract an extra 20 horsepower and 5 lb-ft of torque from the engine when compared to the previous model, and has made the supercharger a little quieter. Supercharger whine is a good thing, letting you and the world around know that this car means business, though it’s not a tremendous loss given the musical growl of the V8. The fact that this isn’t the most cutting edge of powerplants, however, shouldn’t detract from anyone considering this car,as the motor is still technologically up to date, with variable valve timing and lightweight construction. It even manages to produce its peak power at higher revs than the naturally aspirated version, which is uncanny given the friction issues that usually exist with superchargers. With perfect acoustics and relentless power delivery, it is a real surprise that the engine is covered under a rather cheap looking black plastic cover. We removed the flimsy fairing and caught a glimpse of the decent looking metalwork stamped with “V8 Supercharged” on top, plus some black insulation zip-tied inside (the stuff that reduced the noise to the blower, no doubt).

The XKR’s engine might be the same but the car that it’s attached to is completely new, and for the better. Using the same style of bonded and riveted aluminum monocoque chassis as the flagship XJ sedan, the XKR manages to stave off unwanted weight. Line up the old car and the newone and the new car tips the scales at 176.4 pounds less and as you know there’s never a downside to having less weight, especially if it’s accompanied by more power. At 420 horsepower, the XKR still manages to fit in between the $70,000 grand touring car norm and their performance derivatives. It trails the M6 by 80 horsepower and the AMG-powered SL by even more, but when you compare the XKR to vehicles in the same price bracket the tables turn in favor for the Jag. It’s got more grunt than the Aston, the base Bimmer 650i, and Maserati’s new Grand Turismo, not to mention the regular fare Merc. As with almost all the XKR’s competitors, the car uses a six-speed automatic and it’s got paddles for controlling the manual mode. ZF’s programming gives the car quick but ultra-smooth shifts, and it’s also quick at learning a driver’s moods and habits, holding on to each gear longer when it picks up on more aggressive driving. Pull back on the paddles and you’ll be greeted with even quicker upshifts, and perfectly-matched downshifts that make you sound like a heel-toe master.

With R being such an important letter to Jaguar, it’s a good thing that the XK variant comes equipped with a nicely tuned suspension layout. Up front, the springs are now 38-percent stiffer and the ones in the rear have been firmed up by 26-percent, while the adaptive dampers are firmer by some 25 percent as well. It’s a well balanced upgrade that improves the car’s composure during spirited driving, but not at the cost of comfort. Along with the ride, the steering is also quicker, giving turn-ins a crisper, more reactive quality, which is nothing short of delightful. Since the XKR Coupe’s body is really a hatchback, Jaguar went the extra mile by adding an extra brace to the already rigid chassis, reducing the car’s desires for flex to nil. As such, the XKR flows even better between the corners, with improved balance and poise than the standard car. Neutrality is the name of the game as the R aggressively claws its way through corners. Actually, this cat is actually easily persuaded to tail wagging, all 413 lb-ft of torque fighting at every instance to break the traction of those 285 sectionrear Dunlops.

Almost every GT is able of putting a big smile on your face, but the XKR’s hole in one is that it’s capable of delivering comfort and serenity. With a ride designed to eat mile after mile of British moor, it’s perfectly comfortable at home on frost-heaved American surface streets as it is on freshly repaved tarmac. Most of the XKR’s rivals were tuned on the Nurburgring or the Autobahn, and so they’re set up for conditions that are unfortunately selective to Germany. As such, you won’t find a more comfortable high-performance GT car to cruise in, especially not one with 20-inch wheels and a ride as flat as this.

The XKR Coupe is a phenomenal automobile, and by far the best Jaguar I’ve ever driven. What few complaints I have regarding it have been remedied or will be corrected in the near future. The antenna that makes it look like a gigantic remote controlled car is gone as of summer production, replaced by one hidden in the rear glass. And moreover, Jaguar is supposed to be curing a problem which I don’t think most customers minded, namely power. The British marque is reportedly developing a brand spanking new 5.0-liter supercharged V8 engine, which will no doubt find its way nestled under the hood in future years of XKR, and inflate the car’s power levels to somewhere in the 500 horsepower range. What’s more is that it will be combined with the advanced JaguarDrive gear selector (see the Concept C-XF for more), which besides looking cool, does away with an old Jaguar tradition, the J-Gate automatic. Mmmm… can’t wait for those ones to arrive!

There is one thing that I’m having a difficult time wrapping my head around, however, and that has to do with the price. There’s somewhat of a dissonance with a luxury brand and the word “value” or “deal”, but it’s true, the XKR is a bargain. Starting at $86,500 for the Coupe and $92,500 for the Convertible, no one’s going to call it cheap, but you’re certainly not getting any less of a car by selecting one branded with a leaper than with a blue and white roundel or a three-pointed star. And even when all the options like the adaptive cruise control and bigger wheels have been added to the tally, you’ll look at the bill and go, “That’s all?” Equally equipped, rivals cost thousands, if not tens of thousands more, and surely none look as good. I still haven’t figured out if this is a good thing or a bad thing.

Specifications (XKR Coupe):