Solid, planted ride and handling
Handling and braking back up the power. Massive brakes clamp down with authority from first touch and offer decent feel, while the XKR’s heavy frame and long wheelbase add a sense of high-speed stability and plantedness for cornering. Steering feels nicely matched for the machine’s size and chassis, and XKR should entertain track-going owners for hours with predictable behaviour and a lenient and fully-dismissible stability control system.
Luxurious, too
Of course, the XKR is a Jaguar as much as a fire-breathing rocket-coupe, so it’s also surprisingly comfortable, solid and smooth on virtually any surface. The highway ride is quiet and peaceful, and in its more comfortable setting, the suspension soaks up virtually anything the road throws its way with minimal fuss.
The buttery heaviness and sport-injected comfort call the BMW 5-Series to mind in the ride department-- and that’s not a bad thing at all. Ultimately, there’s no need to skip the XKR if your travel plans for the day include stops at the grocery store, mall or park. It’s got a serious punch-- but it’s also effortlessly comfortable enough for everyday use.
Posh, too. The cabin is lined almost entirely in hide, fitted with a powerful Bower and Wilkins stereo system, and smells like a leather store. It’s a heck of a place to spend some time on the open road, and as the miles tick away on the odometer, it may be easy to forget that the XKR isn’t actually a luxury sedan from the driver’s seat. This split personality is quite a feat for a machine with such a voracious appetite for pavement.
Coupe Complaints
Standard coupe complaints apply-- including virtually useless rear seats and limited rearward visibility. End of the day though, the XKR wraps an angry split personality up in one of the most beautiful bodies on the road. It’s elegant, aggressive, beautiful, fearsome and very, very fast, all at the same time.
Though the tested XKR’s price will prove astrological to most, it doesn’t even open the bidding for the models from Aston Martin, Ferrari or Maserati that unfamiliar passersby often mistake it for. Compared to a 500-plus horsepower machine from any of the latter-listed manufacturers, the $115,000 as-tested price is actually a seriously good deal.
Just make sure you say yes to encore.
Handling and braking back up the power. Massive brakes clamp down with authority from first touch and offer decent feel, while the XKR’s heavy frame and long wheelbase add a sense of high-speed stability and plantedness for cornering. Steering feels nicely matched for the machine’s size and chassis, and XKR should entertain track-going owners for hours with predictable behaviour and a lenient and fully-dismissible stability control system.
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| Steering feels nicely matched for the machine’s size and chassis. (Photo: Justin Pritchard/Auto123.com) |
Luxurious, too
Of course, the XKR is a Jaguar as much as a fire-breathing rocket-coupe, so it’s also surprisingly comfortable, solid and smooth on virtually any surface. The highway ride is quiet and peaceful, and in its more comfortable setting, the suspension soaks up virtually anything the road throws its way with minimal fuss.
The buttery heaviness and sport-injected comfort call the BMW 5-Series to mind in the ride department-- and that’s not a bad thing at all. Ultimately, there’s no need to skip the XKR if your travel plans for the day include stops at the grocery store, mall or park. It’s got a serious punch-- but it’s also effortlessly comfortable enough for everyday use.
Posh, too. The cabin is lined almost entirely in hide, fitted with a powerful Bower and Wilkins stereo system, and smells like a leather store. It’s a heck of a place to spend some time on the open road, and as the miles tick away on the odometer, it may be easy to forget that the XKR isn’t actually a luxury sedan from the driver’s seat. This split personality is quite a feat for a machine with such a voracious appetite for pavement.
Coupe Complaints
Standard coupe complaints apply-- including virtually useless rear seats and limited rearward visibility. End of the day though, the XKR wraps an angry split personality up in one of the most beautiful bodies on the road. It’s elegant, aggressive, beautiful, fearsome and very, very fast, all at the same time.
Though the tested XKR’s price will prove astrological to most, it doesn’t even open the bidding for the models from Aston Martin, Ferrari or Maserati that unfamiliar passersby often mistake it for. Compared to a 500-plus horsepower machine from any of the latter-listed manufacturers, the $115,000 as-tested price is actually a seriously good deal.
Just make sure you say yes to encore.
 |
| The XKR wraps an angry split personality up in one of the most beautiful bodies on the road. (Photo: Justin Pritchard/Auto123.com) |
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