First Impression: Jaguar XKR

Ian Callum, a car designer currently working for Jaguar, has made works of art out of cars. He designed the Aston Martin DB7, Aston Martin DB9, and the current range of Jaguar. He designed the Jaguar XK series. The XK series has been around since 1996, and there have been two generations of the XK series. The first generation, XK 100, resembled the Aston Martin DB7. The second generation of the XK, XK 150, is one of the most beautiful cars on the road, and resembles an Aston Martin DB9. The XKR is a supercharged version of the XK. The XKR has a different hood and body kit that makes it look more aggressive than the standard Jaguar XK. The XKR is a grand tourer that is available as a two-door coupe or two-door convertible.

I recently saw a Jaguar XKR at the August 2011 edition of Houston Cars and Coffee. I also see these cars on the Houston roads. This car has incredible styling. Normally, I would normally pick an Aston Martin over a Jaguar, but the XKR is just as beautiful as an Aston Martin Vantage and almost as beautiful an Aston Martin DB9.

The Jaguar XKR is powered by a supercharged 5.0L V8, paired with a six-speed automatic transmission, that produces 510 hp and 461 lb-ft of torque. It goes from 0 to 60 mph in 4.6 seconds and has a top speed of 155 mph. Prices for the XKR start at $96,125 for the coupe and $102,125 for the convertible. That is not a bad price for a car that has good performance and incredible styling.

The Jaguar XKR has been featured on Top Gear Series 9, Episode 1 where it was compared to an Aston Martin Vantage. Motorweek did a review of the 2007 Jaguar XKR. The XKR is playable in Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit, Shift 2: Unleashed, Race Driver: Grid, GT Racing: Motor Academy, Gran Turismo 5, Test Drive Unlimited 2, Car Town, Forza Motorsport 3, Real Racing 2, and Driver: San Francisco.

Final Thoughts: This is a beautiful car. I just love the styling of the car. There are faster and quicker cars than the XKR and for around the same price, but they do not have the styling or luxury that one gets from the XKR. The XKR is still quick. I would actually take the XKR over an Aston Martin V8 Vantage, as the Jaguar is cheaper than the Aston Martin. This is a sports car that you can use for everyday driving.

CarJunkie
Photo taken from a camera phone