This new cat will make you purrrrrr…

By David Schmidt

One nice thing about a Jaguar XKR coupe is that nobody doubts this is an extraordinary car. Its class and beauty is right up front where no one can miss it. That beauty is also evident from behind, from the side, and probably from above, if you cared to hover over it.

The Jaguar XKR is also well powered. There’s no compromise here. It costs $86,700, and for that amount of money, choosing it over its competitors should only be a matter of taste.

This car also sounds powerful. I guess if you name a car after a large feline predator, it better sound aggressive. The noise and power comes from Jaguar’s 4.2-liter, 32-valve, 4-cam aluminum V8.

But what makes the XKR earn its position at the top of Jaguar’s performance standard is an Eaton supercharger. This gets the horsepower up to 420, which Jaguar says will allow the car to accelerate from 0-60 mph in 4.9 seconds. The powertrain uses a modern 6-speed ZF sequential-shift transmission.

Paddles on the steering wheel allow you to play with the gearbox. And it’s fun to do so, changing this coupe’s nature from a looker to a doer. Although many performance-oriented drivers consider Jaguar to be a lovely and luxurious cruiser, the level of performance is impressive. You can throw it around and hammer it, having as much fun as you dare, and the Jaguar feels ready for more.

One reason for this: the very good aluminum suspension system is tightened up for better handling. Compared to the standard XK, the XKR’s front spring rate is increased by 38% and the rear by 24%. While this makes the ride somewhat stiffer, it doesn’t result in harshness. Technology in the tires and suspension pieces have made it possible for high-end suspension systems to get closer to being all things to all people.

The car’s lesser weight—just over 3600 lbs—is due to a completely aluminum alloy body shell. It’s rivet-bonded, rather than welded, which means increased stiffness, less weight, and therefore, more handling capability.

Electronics evaluate what’s going on relative to the road and where you’re pointing the car, adjusting for good balance of ride and control.  This means you’re functioning as a better driver than you would be without it, no matter what level of driver you are.  It lets you go faster, should you be on a racetrack, and otherwise helps you drive more safely.

Compared to the XK, larger ventilated brake discs at the front ensure higher braking performance for the XKR.  The front brake disc diameter has increased from 12.8 to 14 inches, and the thickness from 1.2 to 1.3 inches.

This means the large, 4-wheel ventilated disk brakes are as good at slowing you down as the powertrain is at speeding you up.  They showed no diminishing of ability no matter how hard I pushed, even on a closed track.  Associated electronics helped with driving and stopping.

The exterior design is beautiful.  The XKR gets a shark-fin addition to the side, which doesn’t add anything to me, but which does point out that you’ve spent more money for the performance model.

Get inside and you know you’re literally in the lap of luxury.  Seats are beautifully covered in leather and you’re cosseted with only the finest of materials wherever you look or touch.

I like the classic instrument panel.  It’s easy to read, something important to those in the age group that can afford this car.  But being classic doesn’t mean there aren’t plenty of things to play with.  There are lots of electronic controls and indicators, as well as a nicely usable navigation system.  One of the reasons I like it so much may be that I’m big on that surrounded-by-the-cockpit feel.

Everything’s good looking, and I was pleased with the quality. There’s little doubt sitting in the car that this is definitely a luxury car.  The ignition can be controlled by a keyless process if you want—you can keep the key in your pocket and use the ain’t-I-cool push-to-start button on the dashboard.

The stereo is good, as you’d expect.  You have a choice between high-and even higher audio systems.  The standard 6-speaker will play regular CDs as well as disks full of MP3 digital files, and the single dash-mounted CD slot is actually a 6-disc changer.  The premium system, made by Alpine, has eight speakers, a remote 6-channel amplifier, 520-watt output and Dolby ProLogic II SurroundSound. It adds $1875 to the price.

Both systems produce very good sound.  But that’s not as easy as it sounds (pardon the pun) in a cabin this small.

The philosophy behind this car is that it should do everything well, and look graceful and charming while doing it. That’s a hard standard, especially in today’s crowded luxury car market.  More than that, though, the car must have a distinct personality, one that says its British, by gosh, and a Jaguar.

This car’s stable, quiet and elegant—just what a Jaguar should be.  But that’s not all.  Drive this car aggressively and its purr becomes a growl as it leaps to the challenge.