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Buff bod, same lovely face
Jaguar XKR droptop reshapes all but its looks
By Michael Bettencourt
Thursday, August 14, 2003
In this country, which offers as many days of convertible-worthy weather as full-disclosure pot-smoking politicians, ever wonder what possesses anyone to drop big bucks on an impractical droptop? Even if you look at the least expensive ragtop that the most parsimonious consumer can afford, it's still an automotive toy. These are cars bought more for emotional than geographical motivation.
When you're talking over six figures for one of these baubles, there needs to be a pretty serious yank at the heartstrings. These are, by and large, consumers that are reasonably proficient at managing money.
Yet it's not very difficult to see the reasons why otherwise sane people would plunk down over $125,000 for Jaguar's XKR convertible.
Firstly, it's gorgeous. The XKR coupe and convertible first hit the market in 2000, as a performance oriented version of the lovely XK8 line of 2-doors that proved to be a smash hit for Jaguar. This means that this same body shape has been on the road since 1996, which in the accelerated world of automotive styling, is just after the Mesozoic period.
Yet somehow this shape, which evokes whispers of the classic Jaguar XK-E without pandering to the craze of near identical 'retro' cars, has pulverized the odds and stayed fresh with mere detail touch-ups (wheel designs and colour choices mainly).
Secondly, it's gorgeous. The XK and XKR were both designed under the late Geoff Lawson, who died in 2000, but whose legendary status was quickly recognized - and furthered - when Jaguar named its advanced styling studio in his honour that same year. Its exterior styling has held up so well that even though the 2003 XKR boasts some major mid-cycle upgrades, bumping up horsepower to 390 and adding Brembo brakes and standard Xenon headlights, those svelte body curves have been left untouched.
Also new on the XKR's options list is a broad range of electronic goodies that get it closer to the megabyte count of high-tech competitors like the Mercedes SL. For example, adaptive cruise control works like sci-fi tractor beams that pull galactic cruisers toward the mother ship, but in reverse. When the cruise is engaged, the system automatically eases up on the throttle as it senses a car ahead at a predetermined distance, allowing the busy Jag driver to stay safely out of danger's range (and out of the clutches of the evil insurance hike empire).
These same sensors are also used in Jag's forward alert system, which is more annoying than anything else for the driver. It's supposed to beep at you to warn of approaching obstacles, but we found it beeping at strange times on the highway.
Thirdly, it's gorgeous. This includes the car's insides, especially with the cranberry inserts of the two-tone leather interior and the huge 20-inch Montreal wheels. Those rims alone tacked $5,000 onto the $117,000 base price of our XKR droptop tester, the latter officially making it the most expensive car in Jaguar's lineup. Add in the navigation system and this particular model came to a heart stopping $125,900, outside of taxes and delivery fees. This price does include plenty of safety equipment, including anti-lock brakes that sense which wheels need the most brake force, automatic stability control with an off-button if you're feeling adventurous and side airbags that sense whether there's a passenger that needs protecting. From a safety and security perspective, the power soft top seems a touch chintzy when some competitors are offering more sophisticated folding hardtops for similar or less money. If you don't cover it all up with the snap on tonneau cover, the stacked top flaps on the highway, which doesn't exactly impart the high quality feel imparted by the rest of the car. Plus, the folded top and its associated metal ribs look somewhat ungainly when not covered.
Fourthly, it's still gorgeous. The XKR convertible is a big car, perhaps a touch too big for a 2-door vehicle, with nicely curvy but large front and rear overhangs - and a big boot(y). Its size also makes it a heavy one, at a portly 1832 kg (4,028 lb). Yet the supercharged V8 engine provides plenty of eye-widening acceleration, with the zero to 100 km/h dash taking only 5.3 seconds.
This year's increase in oomph comes largely from increasing the size of the engine from 4.0- to 4.2-litres, although the new 6-speed automatic transmission also delivers it better. This new tranny is the same unit first offered on the S-Type sedan, and one of a very few 6-speed autos on the road. In cruise mode there's sometimes a delay after punching the throttle for a quick pass, but otherwise the system is wonderfully unobtrusive.
The car's weight makes itself known in aggressively charged corners, where the wide tires grip unmercifully but the body leans over a touch more than one might expect. This is where the XKR's luxury cruiser roots become evident, as it still leans more than competitors like the Porsche 911. The XKR coupe offers an optional handling package for buyers who crave handling over comfort, but it's not available on the droptop. The structure also does not feel as solid as super luxury hardtops like the Lexus SC 430, but it's not limp by any means.
Lastly, when all is said and done about the XKR's foibles, and what likely matters most to the majority of its customers, is that it really is gorgeous.
Immediate competition:
Acura NSX,
Lexus SC 430,
Mercedes-Benz SL,
Porsche 911 Carrera Cabriolet
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