JAGUAR

CHARGE OF THE LIGHT BRIGADE For too long, British sports coupes have come with a list of caveats as long as your arm. Here’s one that needs no excuses – Jaguar’s XKR. By Andy Enright

Let’s kick this off with a benchmark figure. Call it 1,840kg. Focus on that number because that’s what the benchmark model in the luxury coupe sector weighs. The 310bhp Mercedes SL500 is undoubtedly a fine car and it sells well but it’s had an easy ride for too long. Not any more. Let’s imagine a vehicle with 100bhp more to power it, which is newer, better looking, quicker, around £8,000 more affordable, with a greater sense of occasion, a more special interior and which, crucially, weighs a full 175kg less so is also more agile. You’d have to say that if such a car existed, it would put a crushing move on the Mercedes. Imagine no longer. The Jaguar XKR is a production reality and is a great technical showcase for British manufacturing.

As much fun as the old MK1 XKR was, it was a hugely inefficient car. Rarely had so little space on the inside been offered by something so big on the outside. It was almost like a reverse TARDIS. The same length as a seven seater Ford Galaxy, the XKR struggled to seat two decently sized adults. The latest car gives you a lot more practicality and a bigger serving of on-road capability as well. Let’s start with the engine. It’s still a supercharged eight-cylinder powerplant as before, but this time it’s good for 420 rather than 370bhp. The Coupe model loses 70kg of weight and the Convertible sheds 100kg compared to its progenitor, so it’s not hard to imagine the concussive punch the XKR can wield. Jaguar quotes a sprint to 60mph in just 4.7 seconds with the 50-70mph increment dispatched in a vanishing 2.5 seconds. An electronic limiter intervenes softly at 155mph, fast enough for most of us. Without the limiter, Jaguar insiders reckon that over three miles a minute are possible given the car’s slippery aerodynamics and leggy gearing.

"The XKR is more of a sports car than its predecessor. More of a car - period – come to think of it"

It would be tempting to think of this car as an evolution of the old XKR. Tempting but wrong. This latest generation model is built from entirely different stuff. The advanced aluminium construction and massively superior technology embodied in the latest XKR raise its game enormously. Let’s take a closer look at the engine. With fully 120bhp more than the normally aspirated XK and good for a fulsome 560Nm of torque, the XKR has the firepower to make good on its aggressive styling. This is no crude old V8 with a blower bolted on. Designed to comply with the strictest emission laws, this unit features four valves per cylinder, variable valve timing and an electronic return-less fuel system. A Variable Inlet Camshaft Timing system helps boost torque at low revs while the engine’s breathing is helped by twin air inlets. Drivers will notice that the ‘four milk floats of the apocalypse’ sound of the old XKR’s supercharger under full acceleration has been muted to allow more of the engine note to dominate. This is a good thing as at higher revs, the 4.2-litre unit has an almost Aston-like aural signature. A paddle-operated six-speed Jaguar Sequential Shift automatic transmission handles the gear changing duties. There’s also a welcome injection of practicality to the XKR. The high hipline remains, but Jaguar has worked at making the interior feel a good deal airier, with a low scuttle and clever use of colour combinations. The wheelbase has increased by 162mm, and rear occupants will notice the difference immediately. Up front, there’s way more room around the pedal box and beneath the steering wheel. Gone is the rather mean boot of its predecessor – unforgivable in a car with Grand Touring pretensions – and in its place is a more versatile hatchback arrangement. Unlike many premium convertibles, the XKR drop top model relies on a fabric roof rather than the voguish folding hard top, but there are valid engineering reasons for doing so. Folding tin tops require a whole host of heavy electric motors to operate and the ethos of the latest XKR is clever design and light weight. It may be a mere 1.5cm longer than the old car, but thanks to that advanced aluminium construction, its weight has plummeted to 1,635kg. The ‘body in white’, the car’s metalwork before being painted, tips the scales at a mere 287kg – fully 20 per cent lighter than the old XK8 Convertible. What’s more, that weight loss doesn’t come at the expense of body rigidity, the latest car being 50 per cent stiffer than its predecessor. The hood does its stuff in a fraction less than 18 seconds, stowing neatly beneath an aluminium tonneau, so you should be able to go from open to closed or vice versa in the time it takes for a set of traffic lights to change. XKR-specific bits include a revised front bumper with colour keyed finish that incorporates fog lamp housings, an aluminium trimmed side power vent, old-school bonnet louvres and an aluminium trim on the mesh grilles. There’s additional aluminium brightwork on the rear and Senta 20-inch alloys as standard along with Jaguar Premium Surround Sound, alloy pedals and a heated windscreen. Blake brake callipers with an ‘R’ logo are fitted as is a quad exhaust system and a unique lower bumper design. It’s tough to argue with the XKR as a value proposition. Its power to weight ratio is 34 per cent better than the normally aspirated XK for a 12.5 per cent price rise. At £70,097, the Coupe model undercuts cars like the Mercedes SL500 and the Porsche 911 Carrera 4S but the BMW 650i is a little cheaper, albeit far less exciting. The Jaguar has them all trumped when it comes to sense of occasion. It’s tough to see how the company could have improved it.

Facts At A Glance CAR: Jaguar XKR range PRICES: £70,097 - £76,097 – on the road INSURANCE GROUP: 20 CO2 EMISSIONS: 294g/km PERFORMANCE: Max Speed 155mph / 0-60mph 4.7s FUEL CONSUMPTION: (combined) 23mpg STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front & side airbags / ABS / EBD / TRACS stability and traction control WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Height 4791/2070/1322mm

POSH POWER Jaguar have upped the XKR’s game on a variety of fronts with the Portfolio special edition. Steve Walker reports…

Some people will happily sell the family silver and mortgage the cat if it means they can just squeak into the entry-level version of the car they most desire. The fact that the model in question often comes stripped down, with the best bits shelved in order to achieve the eye-catching sticker price is less important than the prestige of the badge on the bonnet. Then there are those who will only operate at the very pinnacle of the range. They want the car at its best, fully-loaded with all the bells, whistles and kitchen sinks the options list can throw at it. There’s something to be said for both approaches but if you fall into the latter category, the Portfolio special edition is the Jaguar XJR for you.

At this end of the automotive hierarchy, even the entry level model won’t leave you feeling short-changed in the way that an £8,000 supermini can. It’ll still look jaw-droppingly plush to the casual observer but buyers of £75,000 sportscars tend to be accustomed to such things. It takes more to impress them and the XKR Portfolio definitely goes that extra mile. Externally, the car is differentiated from the standard XKR by its polished aluminium side vents and 20-inch Cremona five spoke alloys. Behind huge rims that have the capacity to dominate your view of this elegantly-styled car from almost every angle sit the components of a unique braking system designed by Jaguar in conjunction with Alcon. Six piston callipers picked out in red operate 400mm discs on the front which are 45mm larger than those on the standard XKR. On the back, four pot callipers press down on 350mm items for dramatic stopping power. The interior of the Portfolio model takes the studied refinement of the standard XKR and adds to it. A high quality Engine-Spun aluminium veneer is used that’s a far cry from the traditional Jag woodwork but is more in keeping with the XKR’s high-tech, high-performance credentials. A special alloy and leather gearshifter also features, as do leather-edged mats with the Jaguar logo and Portfolio branded scuff plates on the door sills. The leather trim is finished with contrasting stitching to complete the effect. Music lovers will be in their element in the Portfolio edition, with Jaguar having employed the services of world-renowned British speaker manufacturers Bowers and Wilkins to develop its sound system. The 525w Premium Audio stereo with Dolby Pro Logic II drives a set of high-end speakers with the trademark B&W yellow and black finish.

"All in all, the XJR Portfolio looks and feels pretty special"

The XJR Portfolio gives you a lot more practicality than the previous generation XKR and a bigger serving of on-road capability as well. Let’s start with the engine. It’s still a supercharged eight-cylinder powerplant as before, but this time it’s good for 420 rather than 370bhp. The Coupe model loses 70kg of weight and the Convertible sheds 100kg compared to its progenitor, so it’s not hard to imagine the concussive punch the XKR can wield. Jaguar quotes a sprint to 60mph in just 4.7 seconds with the 50-70mph increment dispatched in a vanishing 2.5 seconds. An electronic limiter intervenes softly at 155mph, fast enough for most of us. Without the limiter, Jaguar insiders reckon that over three miles a minute are possible given the car’s slippery aerodynamics and leggy gearing. It would be tempting to think of this car as an evolution of the old XKR. Tempting but wrong. This latest generation model is built from entirely different stuff. The advanced aluminium construction and massively superior technology embodied in the latest XKR raise its game enormously. Let’s take a closer look at the engine. With fully 120bhp more than the normally aspirated XK and good for a fulsome 560Nm of torque, the XKR has the firepower to make good on its aggressive styling. This is no crude old V8 with a blower bolted on. Designed to comply with the strictest emission laws, this unit features four valves per cylinder, variable valve timing and an electronic return-less fuel system. A Variable Inlet Camshaft Timing system helps boost torque at low revs while the engine’s breathing is helped by twin air inlets. Drivers will notice that the ‘four milk floats of the apocalypse’ sound of the old XKR’s supercharger under full acceleration has been muted to allow more of the engine note to dominate. This is a good thing as at higher revs, the 4.2-litre unit has an almost Aston-like aural signature. A paddle-operated six-speed Jaguar Sequential Shift automatic transmission handles the gear changing duties. There’s also a welcome injection of practicality to the XKR. The high hipline remains, but Jaguar has worked at making the interior feel a good deal airier, with a low scuttle and clever use of colour combinations. The wheelbase has increased by 162mm, and rear occupants will notice the difference immediately. Up front, there’s way more room around the pedal box and beneath the steering wheel. Gone is the rather mean boot of its predecessor – unforgivable in a car with Grand Touring pretensions – and in its place is a more versatile hatchback arrangement. All in all, the XJR Portfolio looks and feels pretty special, targeted firmly at those who appreciate the finer things in life and are willing to pay for them. At £75,597 for the coupe and £6,000 more for the convertible, it doesn’t come cheap but even more crucially, it also narrows the gap between the XK and its Aston Martin Vantage sister vehicle. Some buyers in this bracket will find that they’re seduced by the added prestige of that Aston Martin badge and others will be drawn to the ultimate XKR. The rest of us can dream about one day being faced with a similar dilemma.

Facts At A Glance CAR: Jaguar XKR Potfolio PRICES: £75,597– on the road INSURANCE GROUP: 20 CO2 EMISSIONS: 304g/km PERFORMANCE: Max Speed 155mph / 0-60mph 4.7s FUEL CONSUMPTION: (combined) 23mpg STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front & side airbags / ABS / EBD / TRACS stability and traction control WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Height 4791/2070/1322mm