Editor's Rating: 
The Good: Outstanding design, surprisingly supple ride, gobs of power,excellent transmission
The Bad: No side curtain airbags, ugly whip antenna, awkward shift lever, minor visibility issues
The Bottom Line: A car that draws stares ordinarily reserved for more exotic vehicles
Reader ReviewsI am not a fan of celebrity gossip magazines. These publications are full of pretentious and speculative paparazzi-snapped pictures that shamefully pry into peoples' lives and support aspirations of a supremely materialistic existence. That said, my high and mighty moral stance quickly went out the window once I slipped behind the leather-wrapped steering wheel of the 2007 Jaguar XKR.
The XKR exudes socialite status with pedigree to spare. Parked on Manhattan's posh Fifth Avenue, the sleek cat draws more envious stares than a supermodel passing by a Weight Watchers meeting. From old or young, tourist or local, the XKR solicits neck-snapping, jaw-dropping, finger-pointing attention that the driver simply cannot escape. Go ahead and call me a hypocrite, but it feels good to be in the limelight.
XK-Series cars can trace their roots back to iconic Jaguar models like the XK120, XKSS and E-Type. The new-for-2007 XKR is a performance variant of the XK (formally known as the XK8), a rear-wheel-drive car introduced as a second-generation model in late 2005. As with XK, the XKR is available in coupe and convertible. Much like BMW's M-badged vehicles (M stands for Motorsport), the R in XKR stands for racing.
The XKR's closest rivals in terms of vehicle dimensions, price, market positioning, and performance attributes are the BMW M6 ($99,100), Cadillac XLR-V ($97,460), Mercedes SL55 AMG ($129,575), and, to a lesser extent, the Porsche 911 Carrera S ($82,600). Jaguar has not released projected sales targets, but says the XKR model mix in the U.S. is running at 30% to 35% of total XK-Series production. According to the Automotive News Data Center, Jaguar sold 745 XK-Series models in the first two months of 2007?a 186.5% jump from the same period in 2006.
Now that Ford (F) has sold Aston Martin (Jaguar is a Ford-owned marque), Jaguar has become one of the crown jewels of the company's Premier Automotive Group (PAG). Ford still owns Land Rover and Volvo, but while Ford had Aston Martin, industry analysts often wondered if Jaguar models had to intentionally hold back so as not to encroach on their sister company's niche market. With Aston Martin no longer part of Ford, Ian Callum, Jaguar design chief says, "I like to think it takes that glass ceiling away. We're already talking about taking the brand slightly higher in terms of performance stakes."
The XKR Coupe offers loads of meaningful differences when compared with the XK. Along with subtle yet effective aesthetic changes, the performance ante has been raised substantially. This is thanks, in large part, to the addition of a supercharger to the XK's 4.2-liter V-8 engine. XKR also offers a recalibrated suspension system for enhanced ride and handling.
Like its XK sibling, the XKR uses a new bonded and riveted aluminum structure. The aluminum skin has replaced the steel body used on previous-generation XK/XKR models. This all-aluminum construction is not only supremely stiff, but light, too. At 3,814 lb., the XKR Coupe is only 143 lb. heavier than the XK Coupe and only slightly heavier (29 lb.) than the previous generation XKR.
The 420-horsepower (413 lb-ft of torque) XKR offers staggering power, with a zero-to-60 mph time that is a full second faster than the 300-hp XK at 4.9 seconds. I could attest to this awesome and immediate passing power during my day of driving on long stretches of New York's Westchester County highways. Power is on tap, always. The stability-control program can be turned off partially or completely, which allows for the aspiring drifters among us to easily swing out the car's tail during handling maneuvers.
The XKR attacks corners with aplomb and feels quite nimble for a car of its size. Steering, which is electronically assisted, offers a little less road feel than I would have liked, but the car is quite tossable at speed. Top speed is electronically limited to 155 mph. I had to take Jaguar's word for that last one.
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