When a product is made for a niche or a specific group of people who are expected to appreciate it, the way the product is promoted and talked about changes. When it's not aimed at the masses and when you need to go that extra mile to get it, its value increases. Not monetarily, but as in the pride regarding its ownership. This is quite true in the case of premium cars.
The fact still remains that mass-market cars, when they reach a certain level of performance, are not in the same league as cars that are classed in the premium category. They rarely hold the face value or the symbolic pride associated with premium brands. Do these normal yet high-performing machines truly bring out the sense of pride that premium brands are able to? Not really.
I have yet to meet a modern-day performance car enthusiast who wants to hold on to his car for the next few decades other than for economic reasons. But I have met a person who has spent a couple of years' wages on an Aston Martin Classic.
There's no doubting that what moves the classic car lover to buy one isn't what moves the performance car enthusiast, because real car enthusiasts are proud about the history and heritage of the cars they use.
Being outnumbered by mass market brands is something premium car makers have to face, especially in economic downturns, when the focus shifts entirely to reliability, no-hassle maintenance and value for money.
In times like these, premium car makers need to keep their customers hugely happy and that is exactly what the 2009 Jaguar XKR intends to do. It takes no shortcuts to keep its position as a remarkable coupe that caters to the aristocratic individual.
This car has something that most others lack. There is an overwhelming sense of appreciation it generates in the driver from the moment the engine is switched on. When cruising around in this well-crafted convertible, you're not really thinking about how fast you're going or if you're faster than the supercar next to you; you're thinking about how good a life you're living. You are enjoying the road presence, the power-filled ride and the heads turning as you cruise along. A sense of pride – that's what this car fills you with. It's not the kind of pride you may experience when you're absolutely ahead of the pack… this one is different.
It's true that a car built for track times and lap records would not feel the same driving as one built just for a great driving experience. It's probably this factor that limits the sprinting capabilities of cars such as the XKR. These car companies would love to get you the best technology in terms of speed and cornering, but not necessarily at the cost of driving pleasure. And the XKR buyer probably knows this.
So what you get is a sprinting capability which is well within the segment and driving pleasure which the lower segments just can't match. The XKR does 0–100 km/h in 5.2 seconds and can reach an electronically limited top speed of 280 km/h. It's not slow by any standards and is the fastest production Jaguar since the XJ220 supercar. It comes with a supercharged 4.2-litre engine that produces 420 bhp @ 6,250 rpm and 560 Nm of torque @ 4,000 rpm.
The XKR braking system has been tried, tested and developed at the Nürburgring circuit in Germany by British brake specialists 'Alcon'. The braking system called 'Alcon R' features 400-mm diameter discs on the front and 350-mm discs at the rear and uses lightweight monobloc six-piston calipers at the front and four-piston calipers at the rear with each caliper finished in red and carrying the 'R' logo.
Fine handling
The XKR's sequential transmission with paddle shifters enables really quick gear shifts and complements the amount of power the engine has
to offer. Handling on this car is beefy and distinct. The all-aluminium body structure helps keep the ride sporty yet smooth and refined enough to be called a true Jaguar. The all-wishbone suspension mated with the finely tuned Computer Aided Technology Suspension (CATS) give the XKR its unique feel when cornering at higher speeds.
The fast ratio steering rack helps the car react quickly and provides that overall feel which is rich and yet different from cars in this segment. The steering is quick, but not tight to the point that you feel totally connected to the road; instead, it's quite a perfect blend of staying a little disconnected yet totally in control.
Straight line acceleration is impressive with the tyres trying their best to retain the grip on the road while being fed with enormous amounts of power. The Dynamic Stability Control, a necessity these days in most cars, kicks in whenever required and keeps this 1,665-kg beast under control unless you want to turn it off and really have some fun!
Another interesting feature of the XKR is the active exhaust system and this works quite well.
It's designed to stay pretty quiet with a refined hum at high speeds and gnarls like a real Jaguar under hard acceleration. In fact, when parked, it even resembles the stance of the big cat!
The Alpine sound system (the test car didn't have the advertised Bowers & Wilkins system which I would have loved to listen to) is well balanced and controlled by the touch-sensitive centre console which also controls your phone, the climate controls and navigation. Saying that the build quality of the interiors is good would be an understatement considering the price tag. The wheels are 20" Vortex forged light weight aluminium with bespoke tyres, the rear ones with a massive 295-mm width.
The rear design of the XKR is appealing and unique and most of the frontal design has striking similarities with the Aston Martin Vantage. The Convertible roof takes around 17 seconds to retract and close.
The Bi-Xenon headlamps are auto levelling and come with integrated cornering lamps.On the whole and not considering the standard features available like on most cars, the XKR stands out and caters to the niche of refined fun lovers by being more of a lifestyle accessory that meets modern-day expectations in addition to bearing the characteristics of a performance car.
Philip Shane is a Dubai-based motoring enthusiast
