2002 Jaguar XKR Convertible - Art in Rapid Motion!
Every now and again I book a test car that has me waiting by the window in agitated anticipation for its arrival. Such was the case with Jaguar's sensational XKR Convertible. Really? What gasoline-blooded enthusiast wouldn't be? A 370-hp, drop-top, luxury missile capable of 0 - 60 mph blasts of 5.3 seconds! Performance aside, the new XK series was designed in the spirit of the original XKE (E-Type), an automotive icon critically acclaimed as the most beautiful car ever.
Is the XKR that beautiful? I won't be so bold as to say yes for fear of a monumental backlash from E-Type loyalists, but suffice it to say that the XK has no bad angles - it's bloody gorgeous. While the "base" XK8 Convertible is handsome enough, the XKR adds a chrome mesh grille, twin louvers on a uniquely styled hood, body side mouldings and a trunk lid spoiler. While racy, there is no mistaking its cultured heritage and distinctive good taste.
Once inside, the first thing to do is lower the top. It's a no fuss electric unit that only requires the push of a console-mounted button to fully retract. Once down, it's best to fasten the tonneau cover, which keeps dirt and debris from mucking up the hydraulic mechanism. It's simple to install, only requiring a couple of tucks and snaps, plus making sure its "dongles" hang into the trunk area to clamp it in place when shut. While a convertible with an automatic tonneau cover is easier to live with, Jaguar's design allows for more space in the trunk when the top is down. That said when the top is up, the cover itself is large and bulky taking up the majority of the trunk. Alas, the terrible troubles of a life of luxury.
Every now and again I book a test car that has me waiting by the window in agitated anticipation for its arrival. Such was the case with Jaguar's sensational XKR Convertible. Really? What gasoline-blooded enthusiast wouldn't be? A 370-hp, drop-top, luxury missile capable of 0 - 60 mph blasts of 5.3 seconds! Performance aside, the new XK series was designed in the spirit of the original XKE (E-Type), an automotive icon critically acclaimed as the most beautiful car ever.
Is the XKR that beautiful? I won't be so bold as to say yes for fear of a monumental backlash from E-Type loyalists, but suffice it to say that the XK has no bad angles - it's bloody gorgeous. While the "base" XK8 Convertible is handsome enough, the XKR adds a chrome mesh grille, twin louvers on a uniquely styled hood, body side mouldings and a trunk lid spoiler. While racy, there is no mistaking its cultured heritage and distinctive good taste.
Once inside, the first thing to do is lower the top. It's a no fuss electric unit that only requires the push of a console-mounted button to fully retract. Once down, it's best to fasten the tonneau cover, which keeps dirt and debris from mucking up the hydraulic mechanism. It's simple to install, only requiring a couple of tucks and snaps, plus making sure its "dongles" hang into the trunk area to clamp it in place when shut. While a convertible with an automatic tonneau cover is easier to live with, Jaguar's design allows for more space in the trunk when the top is down. That said when the top is up, the cover itself is large and bulky taking up the majority of the trunk. Alas, the terrible troubles of a life of luxury.