Driver Review
I’ve always thought of a Jag as an old-man’s car, certainly not a car for a man in the prime of his mid-life crisis! But out of all the Jags out there, the XKR has always been the one that I thought “hmm, that might be worth a try” … I think ever since I saw ex-F1 driver Johnny Herbert wheel-spinning his way up the drive at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in one. So the prospect of driving a brand new new-model XKR with a 510-horsepower 5 litre V8 engine was interesting.
First impressions are that this is a neat looking car, especially with the roof down, with some interesting details such as the word “Supercharged” embossed into the wheels. It’s sort of Aston Martin-shaped, particularly from the front and side, but for me just doesn’t evoke the same passion as the Vantage or the DBS.
It has one of these new-fangled keyless lock and ignition systems, so you just walk up to the car and it magically unlocks. Once inside, you find yourself surrounded by buttons, plus a touch-screen which is the nerve-centre for all the essentials for a modern Jag-man - electrically-ventilated seats, heated steering wheel, steerable headlights, adjustable hugginess of the seats etc etc. No gadget has been forgotten. Hit the start button, and the engine thunders into life - more of a woof than a bark - and the motorised gear selector emerges. The roof folds away very neatly with one button, letting you get the full experience of this car’s soundtrack.
Pulling away reveals the power of the engine - masses of torque, a lot of rumble and a steady ride. What you’d expect from a Jaguar. But press the “dynamic” button, and things change - the whole tone of the engine sound changes to something more aggressive, and the response of the car tightens up. Whilst accelerating and cornering, this does not feel like 2 tonnes of vehicle … but when it’s time to hit the brakes, suddenly it reminds you that there are a lot of atoms here moving with significant momentum. Slowing down is actually more scary than speeding up!
Flipping the drive into “sports” mode gives this car another boost of athleticism, and there’s even a “bit lairy” button which lessens the traction control significantly, allowing just enough back-end slide on corners to be satisfying - a bit like the “permanently skittish” state of the Aston Martin DBS, but actually easier to handle. I’m amazed actually how well this car handles - apart from the braking, it feels like a real sports car, even though it weighs twice as much as most!
Using the paddles to shift the gears adds to the enjoyment - dropping down a couple of notches results in all sorts of fireworks noises from the rear - fizzing and popping and grumbling as you accelerate away again at warp factor 10. But because this is a Jag, if you forget to change gear in “manual” mode, it will do it for you. It’s saying “after you, Sir, but if you would rather I go first…” I think this might be the first car that is impossible to stall! By the way, 1st gear is pointless - there is so much torque, you’re better off starting in 2nd!
So, in conclusion, this is a very luxurious car, very easy to drive if you want it to be, nice darting in and out of country lanes, and VERY fast if you find yourself on the Autobahn. But for me there was no emotional connection - it does feel a bit American with all that luxury and grunt and rumbling, and for the same price I could get a very British, very elegant but very cool Aston Martin. Or a 10-year old Ferrari F355 and a new Porsche Cayman. Hmm…
Paul Williams
DRIVER RATINGS: Exterior: 7/10 Interior: 7/10 Cool Factor: 5/10 Driveability: 8/10 Fear Factor: 4/10 TOTAL: 23 (Fear Factor Scores are subtracted)
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Passenger Review
I don’t really like this car. Yes, it has an Aston Martin style shape and a nice interior and an enormous engine but it isn’t really the sort of car I’d buy. When you start it the noise isn’t exactly other-worldly and when you rev it the car literally turns to jelly and your body is wobbled in the seat. The noise on the road as well is not really one you’d expect from a British supercar. It sounds like a beefy American muscle car i.e. a Dodge Charger and I do not particularly like deep undertones of crackling and popping when I’m riding in a supercar. In short then, the XKR is a well made car but is not one of my ultimate cars.
Ryan Williams
PASSENGER RATINGS: Exterior: 8/10 Interior: 9/10 Cool Factor: 7/10 Passenger Experience: 6/10 Fear Factor: 2/10 TOTAL: 28 (Fear Factor Scores are subtracted)
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