Old Dog, New Tricks.
Like Infiniti before it, Jaguar also fell victim to the quest for the younger demographic. They started making smarter, smaller cars, outside of the old-fashioned, big sedans and coupes they made once before. However, while they smartened up their business outlook, Jaguar kept this air of "pompous Brit" about them, with gorgeous good looks and old-fashioned luxury abound. The trick did seem to work somewhat, as Jaguars are selling stronger than ever...giving them the means to go crazy sometimes...crazy, like this XKR-S.
The formula for the R-S was simple. Take the already popular and gorgeous XKR and turn it up to 11. This meant drastic efforts in lightening and firming up the old dowager, and stuffing some extra power...now up to 542 bhp over the standard XKR's 503. Not a huge upgrade, but it's decent, nevertheless. The idea was to make the XKR a track-ready supercar...and while the jury's still out on whether it worked, I did get to throw my thoughts in the ring. Let's see what we've got.
First Thoughts
When approaching the XKR-S, you get a cold feeling of fear that runs down your spine. Your brain begs you to bend and bow to this outrageous cat's will. But when you get over that and really put your eyes on the machine you get a sense of...pleasure...and familiarity. There is beauty here, graceful curves make up the most of the body, with wide, birthing hips, and gorgeous attention to detail. But as you look closer, the R-S's additions start to stick out. A wide spoiler more befitting of a Subaru WRX, vents that seem better at home on a Corvette. Some people could call it sacrilege, others would find it beautiful. I'm somewhere in the middle.
Inside, it's about much of the same, really. Familiar, yet with little touches to show you that this is no regular XK. For instance, where wood trimming would be abound on the base model, you now have pano black veneer, waiting for you to leave your DNA imprint on it, and in front of the passenger seat, a large, "R-S," logo to remind you of all the money you've spent. But, it's all quite tasteful, really. Quite...elegant.
But beauty's only one thing, right? What Jaguar really wanted to know is whether or not this thing could drive well. So, let's pack up, and move it to the track.
The Test
First and foremost, allow me to say that the supercharged, eight cylinder behemoth under the long, slender hood of this machine really does it some good. In fact, it's the most outstanding piece of it. Step on the throttle, and a nice throaty sound will push you to 60 immediately, and it'll keep on going to an estimated 185 mph. Jaguar has always had a thing for making mind-boggling, jawdropping engines, whether unreliable or not, and this V8 really shows that that spirit is still alive and well. This power surged me onto the first banking corner of the track, where the Jaguar sat comfortably as it climbed to speed.
Cornering is quite different, however. This Jaguar, honestly, I don't think it knows what it wants to do as it approaches a turn. One way will send you into the dirt, as the heaviness of the car makes it understeer worse than the Queen Mary II. Another way will send you into a tail slide that could make a Tofu delivery boy jealous, as the immense power and torque send the rear wheels into a tizzy. You really have to be gentile and know what you're doing to get this thing through a corner without going one way or the other.
Honestly, it's kinda hit and miss with this thing and driving. You have to be really gentile in the corners to make sure it doesn't kill you, but then you can be free on the straights like a madman with no business at all. It builds up your expectations and then dashes them completely. The only thing I could even remotely compare this car to is a Viper, or maybe the old Aston Martin Vantage from the 90s. Crazy, but with class.
The Verdict
You know, I'm honestly torn on this thing. I like Jags, through and through. They're gorgeous, powerful, and classy, and this is no exception. But it's just too two-faced. I will say one thing though, it shines, absolutely gleams on straights and big, broad corners, like the bankings on my track. So, if you want an Autobahn-storming coupe, this is the car for you...but I can't quite say it's the track-monster that Jaguar wanted it to be. I'm going to give it a
Neutral and I may come back to it at a future time.
But honestly, if you wanted a straight-line speed machine that's British, why not just forgo the "S" designation and buy a regular XKR, or dip into the used market...that's what I did.
Also, Happy New Year, my friends! I may or may not have been intoxicated while writing this. You decide.