On sale: now
0-60mph: 4.9seconds; top speed 155mph
Average fuel: 22.9mpg
Standard equipment: Leather trim, cruise control, power front seats, keyless entry and ignition, traction control, six-speed automatic transmission with steering-wheel paddles, parking radar and a CD stereo.
Tiscali verdict: 7/10 Everything a sporting Jaguar Grand-tourer should be.
The ultimate XK follows the same theme as the previous-generation cars. The Jaguar XKR is the supercharged version of Jaguar's coupe and convertible range. It's almost like the new car has been for a workout at the gym. The old XKR was always an excellent crusier but with the lightweight construction can it aspire to its sporty role?
The name might be the same, but everything else has changed. Perhaps the most significant change is the aluminium body (as with the standard XK and XJ ranges) which makes it lighter on its feet. Acceleration is quicker with reduced fuel consumption, the XKR handles better and brakes harder.
After a cool car for peanuts? Check out 10 budget exotics
It's worth mentioning that the XKR looks so much better in the metal and on the road than it does in static images. I can remember feeling slightly underwhelmed when I saw the XKR last year, but after spending a week with the sporty model, I am happy to say that you won't get a better-looking sporting coupe for this money. Worthy of particular mention are the R model's tweaks to the bonnet, with the cooling cut-outs for the supercharger - they're subtle and you couldn't mistake the car for lesser XK versions. Other design highlights from the front include the XKR's take on the corporate family grille which is well-integrated with the revised front bumper and air-dam. At the back, there's a subtle rear spoiler and two sets of twin exhausts as a statement of intent. The muscular shoulders of the XKR flatter most colours, but the test car was finished in silver which looked particularly good.
Inside the XKR manages to feel equally special. The sports seats are multi-adjustable, supportive and great on the long journeys the XKR is designed for. The dashboard architecture is attractive, but I felt there was little to differentiate it from lesser XK models. The rear seats are really only for children - and very small children at that! Boot space is not as practical as the hatchback design might have you believe; it's big enough but is a bit shallow.
The XKR is a great drive. The 420bhp, supercharged, 4.2 litre engine makes a glorious noise even at low revs, so much so, that for the first couple of days I drove this car I spent more time listening to the engine than the excellent Alpine sound system. The XKR is very quick, but because of it's light-weight build and the uprated active suspension (which adapts to the road surface and how the car is being driven and it adapts to suit those conditions), it's very easy to drive fast.
