Jaguar Introduces New XKR Coupe & Convertible
Jaguar has just announced that it will be bringing something special to this year’s British International Motor Show (BIMS). Since this is Jaguar’s home turf, it’s coming out with guns a-blazing; presenting what will become the brand’s most powerful and sporting production car. That car is really two distinct models, the long-awaited XKR Coupe and Convertible, the new range of ultimate performance and grand-touring Jaguars.
The XKR is built off of the new XK, which features a lightweight but super-strong aluminum monocoque chassis and aluminum bodywork. The switch to lighter building materials allows this sports car to tip the scales at 1,665 kg (3,670 lbs), which is 70 kg (155 lbs) lighter than the vehicle it replaces, while being 30-percent more rigid. The convertible is slightly heavier at 1,715 kg (3,780 lbs), but is 100 kg (220 lbs) lighter than the old XKR convertible and 40-percent stronger to boot. The XKR’s skin has been modified to show its performance potential, which includes a new front bumper with additional lower valance intake, quad-pipe exhaust tips, silver mesh grilles, a pair of louver vents on its hood, and the choice of 19- or 20-inch alloy wheels.
As with the previous generation XKR, the new model makes use of the same 4.2-litre AJ-8 engine, but it has been tweaked for extra power. The Eaton supercharger helps to distance the R model from the standard XK by 120 horsepower, for a grand total of 420 hp. Torque is also improved at 413 lb-ft. That’s a gain of 20 hp from the previous XKR. The engine is mated to Jaguar’s Sequential Shift automatic gearbox, which provides silky smooth gearchanges that take place in a matter of 0.6 seconds, which is some 400 ms quicker than in standard automatic mode. To ensure that the Grand Touring aspect of the car remains intact, Jaguar has tuned the supercharger to be 5 dB quieter than the previous model, and the car also features an Active Exhaust system which directs airflow through the rear mufflers to keep things quiet when cruising, yet allow a more purposeful note to be delivered under brisk acceleration.
The result of the power hike is a dramatic improvement in performance. The XKR Coupe can sprint to 100 km/h in just over five seconds and is electronically limited to 250 km/h. The slightly heavier convertible is just 0.1 seconds slower to 100 km/h and has the same top speed. This can be compared to the naturally-aspirated XK, which takes over six seconds to reach the same speed. The use of a supercharger enhances the XK’s relaxed and stress-free approach to performance, which is visible through the 80 km/h through 112 km/h (50-70 mph) ‘passing’ performance test, dispatched in just 2.5 seconds! The issue of slowing and stopping in the XKR is addressed by upgraded front disc brakes, which have been boosted in size from 326 mm to 355 mm, aided by ABS and brake assist.
Though pricing has not been established for the North American market, it has for its home market, where the XKR Coupe will command a premium of £67,495 (the equivalent of about $138,000 CAD; $124,200 USD), or a 12.5-percent increase over the XK Coupe. Translated into North American MSRPs, expect to pay somewhere around $116,000 Canadian or $85,000 U.S. dollars for the XKR Coupe, and about $10K ($8K) more for the convertible model respectively. Deliveries of the first XKRs are expected to take place this autumn.