For Jaguar enthusiasts, the pairing of the letters ‘X’ and
‘K’ has long heralded excitement. Although the mainstay of the British sporting
marque’s business is rooted in saloons, it's sports cars and coupés that have
put Jags on people’s most-wanted lists for decades. And today is no different:
the XK remains one of the most beautiful, desirable and dynamically impressive
sports coupes available anywhere in the world.
More than 60 years ago, Jaguar redefined sports cars with
the 1948 XK, clothing a big engine and big performance in bodywork that was
svelte to the point of sensuality. The firm has been offering much the
same XK formula ever since, if with the occasional change of emphasis. The
original XK was succeeded by the legendary E-type, known as the XKE in America.
Jaguar’s most famous car, it was a sensational looker and a monolithic landmark
in the development of the sports car - the first production car that Autocar
ever tested to exceed 150mph.
Gradually, through the XJS and XK8, the XK concept has
evolved away from being an out-and-out sports car and more towards being a
refined grand tourer. The XK now has to fill dual roles as a cosseting grand
tourer at one end of the model range, and a full-blown hardcore sports car on
the other – that role admirably taken by the unhinged XKR-S model, the most
powerful car in the company’s long history.
The launch 4.2-litre V8 XK, though, is no more, replaced in
2009 by a more up-to-date 5.0-litre V8 running in normally aspirated guise in
the base XK and supercharged form in the XKR and 2011 XKR-S.
Even before the current XK arrived on our roads back in 2006
it attracted controversy as a design. We shouldn’t be surprised: a cornerstone
of a Jaguar’s appeal has always been its sensuous styling, and image is more
important than ever in these design-savvy times.
The XK has presence. From some angles it is strikingly
handsome, but it isn’t quite the gorgeous vision in aluminium that Jaguar’s
marketing suits would have us believe.
The XK remains a conservative design, even after facelifts
in 2009 and 2011. Its classical coupé proportions mix with strong Jaguar
hallmarks such as the ovoid intake ‘mouth’. But perhaps the biggest change is
that the fuselage shape of the XK8’s lower body has been traded for a
Coke-bottle form that heightens the XK’s muscularity, as do shorter overhangs
and a wider track.
It is the larger details that split opinions most: the bluff
nose, the slightly shapeless headlamps and the round tail lights provoking most
debate. Some believe the overall design should have been more adventurous.
The same cannot be said of the XKR-S model, which is about
as in-your-face as a sports design can be. XKR-Ss get heavily sculpted
front-ends for increased cooling and greater distinction. It’s a design that’s
very un-Jaguar, but diversification away from what one believes a traditional
Jaguar should be is a constant aim for design chief Ian Callum and his
team.
Many will gaze at the XK’s bodywork without realising that
the metal itself is what sets this new Jaguar apart. Like the XJ, it uses
Jaguar’s epoxy-bonded and riveted aluminium monocoque construction. Not only
does this make the XK 30 per cent stiffer than the old XK8, it is also around
100kg lighter.
Jaguar has constructed the XK’s interior from fine-quality
materials for the most part and furnished with a choice of wood or titanium
decor that really broadens its appeal. Only some humdrum plastic cheapens the
effect.
The upright dashboard of the XK8 has been replaced by a
gently sloping fascia, and it is the better for it. Taller drivers can now get
comfortable behind the wheel: there’s a good range of wheel and pedal
adjustment, and acceptable head and legroom. It feels spacious enough, but
remains cocooning, like a good GT should.
Cocooned to the point of entrapment is how you’ll feel in
the rear – assuming you can get in at all. Even kids will moan, and
justifiably. Jaguar defends this with research indicating that’s its customers
are happy, but that surely doesn’t excuse the mediocre 330-litre boot, even if
the hatchback makes loading it easy. These things impact seriously on the XK's
touring ability.
The XK’s interior is certainly the most hi-tech yet for a
Jaguar coupé or cabriolet. In 2009, it improved further with a revised centre
console, which houses the rotary gear selector from the XF. It’s a nice system
that feels tactile and looks classy.
Jaguar's new 5.0-litre V8 that sits at the heart of all XKs
is a revelation. It’s smooth and eager to rev, and it emits a glorious burble
that switches to a snarl at the top of the rev range. Going down the ’box in
manual mode, the exhaust even pops and crackles. Brilliant.
In-gear acceleration is sharp. The normally aspirated XK
takes 2.5secs to get from 50mph to 70mph. But the linear nature of the power
delivery never makes it feel that quick – the old supercharged 4.2-litre V8 XK
suddenly unleashed a great gob of acceleration, while the new naturally
aspirated XK piles on the speed with less drama.
Opt for the XKR and the supercharged V8 turns what is an
extremely good GT into both an excellent and extremely fast one. The engine
means that it shoots from 0-60mph in just 4.6sec, but the killer blow is that
the XKR fires from 50-70mph in 1.9sec.
If this doesn’t look so impressive on paper, on the road
it’s the difference between picking off one overtaking victim and a whole swarm
of them. More impressive still is the sheer relentlessness of the acceleration.
Maximum torque of 461lb ft is on tap from 2500rpm to 5500rpm, making it hugely
tractable. Like the same-engined XF saloon, the XKR is benign and unimposing
when you want it to be and demonically quick when you plant your right foot.
The standard XKR is hardly lacking propulsion, but the XKR-S
is noticeably quicker again and freer revving at the top end. Partly this is
because the S feels like it has a more aggressive throttle map – despite
Jaguar's claims to have softened it across all XKs for the 2012 model year.
Either way, this is a car where you find yourself backing out of the throttle
halfway down a straight in an effort to keep speeds broadly moral
The XK's steering, with speed-sensitive power assistance, is
finger-light a low speed, the general refinement excellent, and the ride – for
the most part – very accommodating. That said, the 20-inch wheels many Jaguar
buyers will go for produce a stiff-legged reaction to potholes that the
intermediate 19-inch rims largely avoid.
But the soothing nature of the XK is what characterises it.
Even at a high-speed cruise it remains admirably quiet, and only an exaggerated
roar on rough surfaces and some question marks over high-speed stability in
crosswinds disturb the calm. Rolling refinement really is this car's USP
Pick up the pace and the XK subtly responds. It’s not a car
to pummel the road into submission in order to maintain body control. Instead,
the low-speed suppleness persists, even on the generally firmer and more
sporting models.
The standard XK proceeds as you hoped it might: gracefully
and with a pleasingly feline athleticism over challenging roads. The sensation
is less raw and less aggressive than you’ll feel aboard many of the XK’s
rivals, but that far from restricts its pace.
The slightly vague ‘sneeze factor’ remains in the light
steering around the straight ahead, but resistance builds consistently once
you’ve turned through that phase and the wheel’s general weighting and
precision are good on lock.
But on a hard drive you’ll wish the rack communicated a
little more and that a few layers of numbing assistance would peel away so you
felt more connected. This is a car that enjoys rapid but measured progress,
rather than being grabbed by the scruff of the neck and driven hard.
The downside in the R is that outright comfort takes a
backwards step. Its ride is supremely composed but you detect a little more
thump in the cabin over potholes and expansion joints. It’s probably a price
worth paying for the extra agility, if sporting thrills are your be-all and
end-all.
The dynamic changes of the S bring an improved steering
response (more weight and less hesitation), making it easier and more
satisfying to commit to a corner. The convertible XKR-S maintains a good
balance between slightly bonkers performance and touring ability. Despite the
outlandish exterior, it still possesses some traditional Jaguar refinement.
Overall, the step-up in precision, composure and involvement over the standard
R is probably in the region of 20 per cent.
source: http://www.autocar.co.uk/car-review/jaguar/xk/ridehttp://www.boscheuropean.com
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