Speaking of luxury, Jaguar has a heritage of lavish interiors and the XKR is no exception. If you have ever wondered where the term "dashboard" comes from, check out the XK. A literal plank of walnut stretches from door to door. Classic gauges add function to form, while chrome and perforated leather accents adorn every nook and cranny. While the plastic trim and switchgear might not be quite up to the standard of some of its contemporaries, it's a big improvement over previous models. There is plenty of leg and elbowroom for driver and front passenger, but rear accommodation is best suited for a gym bag and briefcase. While a back seat would normally be handy when transporting a small child, wedging in my eight year old required moving the front passenger seat so far forward it was rendered useless.
Truthfully, most XKR buyers aren't concerned over the rear seats. What matters more are the creature comforts, exhilarating performance and absolute respect it commands. Here I am cruising around Kitsilano with the top down, and all of a sudden I'm the most eligible bachelor in town (er, sorry honey, lost myself in the moment). Women look at me longingly and men stare with a covetous disdain. No worries, both sneering gents and alluring temptresses are mere memories with a little dab at the accelerator. The XKR's supercharged 4-litre V8 powers forward so effortlessly it's almost anticlimactic. Within seconds I'm well beyond legal speeds and approaching handcuffs and a jail cell. To describe the XKR as fast would be doing it an injustice - this wicked vixen doth corrupt my soul.
Hedonism of another sort also comes standard in the XKR. Voice activated audio and climate controls are available by the push of a button on the leather and wood steering wheel. Cruise control and audio controls are also placed on the steering wheel, making it easy to adjust the volume and choose radio stations on its 320-watt Alpine Audiophile sound system with Digital Signal Processing and six-disc CD changer. Also standard are heated front seats, rain sensing wipers and all the expected power options. Safety features include superb anti-lock brakes, air bags, full-speed traction control and Jaguar's Reverse Park Control obstacle detection system.
Truthfully, most XKR buyers aren't concerned over the rear seats. What matters more are the creature comforts, exhilarating performance and absolute respect it commands. Here I am cruising around Kitsilano with the top down, and all of a sudden I'm the most eligible bachelor in town (er, sorry honey, lost myself in the moment). Women look at me longingly and men stare with a covetous disdain. No worries, both sneering gents and alluring temptresses are mere memories with a little dab at the accelerator. The XKR's supercharged 4-litre V8 powers forward so effortlessly it's almost anticlimactic. Within seconds I'm well beyond legal speeds and approaching handcuffs and a jail cell. To describe the XKR as fast would be doing it an injustice - this wicked vixen doth corrupt my soul.
Hedonism of another sort also comes standard in the XKR. Voice activated audio and climate controls are available by the push of a button on the leather and wood steering wheel. Cruise control and audio controls are also placed on the steering wheel, making it easy to adjust the volume and choose radio stations on its 320-watt Alpine Audiophile sound system with Digital Signal Processing and six-disc CD changer. Also standard are heated front seats, rain sensing wipers and all the expected power options. Safety features include superb anti-lock brakes, air bags, full-speed traction control and Jaguar's Reverse Park Control obstacle detection system.