Jaguar's XKR sports coupé has been around in one guise or another for a number of years, but it still comes as a surprise to learn that those years stretch all the way back to 1996. However, it has evolved considerably in the decade and a half since launch, and today's iteration is, at least in XKR-S form, the fastest road car Jaguar has ever produced, with the exception of the extraordinary XJ-220 supercar.
So what of this version, the XKR ‘Special Edition', launched at the most recent Geneva show? Is it just a marketing ploy - adding more bells and whistles, or deleting one option and including a new one? Or is it something fundamentally more important, a unique expression of this superlative car, a version that reveals new talents and facets to reward owners and enthusiastic drivers alike?
In simple terms, it is pretty much a regular XKR (as if there could ever be such a thing!) with the addition of two upgrade options installed in combination, specifically the Speed Pack and the Black Pack. These are also available individually, allowing owners who wish to further personalise their vehicles more choice.
Regular XKRs are electronically restricted to the European standard 155mph (250kmph). In the Special Edition, this limit is raised, allowing the car to run on to a much more significant 280kph. But it's not quite as simple as tweaking the software. Both engine and transmission software are uniquely calibrated for the Speed Pack, and work in conjunction with the computerised Active Differential Control to reduce steering sensitivity at very high speeds, for better stability and greater driver control. There are also revisions to the aerodynamics of the car - a new front splitter and enlarged rear spoiler provide better balance and a reduction in overall lift.
Speed Pack also offers customers the opportunity to choose from a palette of colours designed to reflect the performance of the car - Ultimate Black, Polaris White, Salsa Red, Liquid Silver, Lunar Grey, Kyanite Blue and Spectrum Blue. Our test car came in Polaris White, and looked subtly cleaner and brighter than the standard car. The special colours are also uniquely applied to side sills and the (normally grey) rear diffuser. A chrome finish is applied to the window surrounds, upper and lower mesh grilles, side Power Vents and boot lid finisher. Red brake calipers with a Jaguar ‘R' logo peer through 20-inch alloy wheels.
The ‘Black Pack' is a styling package designed to underline the performance potential of the car by creating a sense of drama. Only available in Black, Red or White, the pack adds gloss black finishing to the window surrounds, front grilles and side Power Vents. Body-coloured front and rear spoilers and boot lid finisher and gloss black Kalimnos design wheels complete the package. The ‘XKR' graphic is optional.
Inside, Black Pack has charcoal leather with a choice of stitching colours, and Dark Oak, Dark Aluminium or our car's Piano Black trim and veneers. The steering wheel is leather-wrapped, and there are unique headlining and carpets.
A grand opening scene
So, it looks and feels very special, but what's it like to drive?
Once you're in the car, there is a splendid little piece of theatre waiting for you. The XKR, like many modern performance cars, has a keyless entry system. Once inside, there's no slot for the key, you just drop it into a cup holder to rattle around.
You start the engine by pressing a button; in Jaguar's case, an illuminated button. There, on the centre tunnel, it flashes ‘Stop Start' at you in red, but not just any old flash; this button pulses like a heartbeat. Nice touch. Once you succumb to temptation, the drama begins. The gear selector rises dramatically from its parked position, and the seven-inch touch-screen display in the centre of the console replaces the ‘R' logo with an information display.
The real performance, however, happens under the bonnet - a third-generation version of the superb AJ-V8, here in five-litre supercharged form, producing 510bhp and a thumping 625Nm of torque. The choice of a supercharger is interesting - forced induction engines offer substantial benefits in terms of additional torque and power, and in the case of a turbocharger driven by the exhaust gases, no appreciable drag on the engine.
Turbos, however, don't work well at low engines speeds, and can take time to spool up.
Aspirated engines, on the other hand, usually provide instant response to the throttle, but not the boost in power. Superchargers are a third option - a combination of boosted performance and instant response that brings together the best of both worlds. In the XKR, that means instant response to the throttle. Always. It is the defining characteristic of the car. No matter what speed you're doing - pootling around the car park or making good progress across country - a simple flex of the ankle has the car pouncing forward with immediate conviction.
Actually, there is so much torque available throughout the rev range that the aforementioned pootling needs to be done with a degree of circumspection, lest you rather quickly get yourself into a situation you didn't expect. I wouldn't have it any other way.
Aiding this instantaneous responsiveness is the fact that the XKR is very largely made of aluminium, and whilst it still tips the scales at 1,762 kilos, it is significantly lighter than many other cars in its class. Lighter weight translates into better handling, faster responses and lower fuel consumption, a win-win situation in any book.
A joy to drive
On the move, the XKR makes you comfortable immediately, its responses calibrated to your own to an uncanny degree. Few cars feel as instantly familiar and useable, and it is a joy to drive. Not just on open roads, but through challenging turns and sweeping bends. Nothing deflects the car from your chosen line, and the grip from the tyres is prodigious.
There is a superb Bowers & Wilkins stereo fitted as standard, but to be honest, I rarely used it, preferring instead the sound of the engine and exhausts.
Only later did I discover that I have been subject to another little bit of theatre - there is a valve in the exhaust system that opens up at higher speeds, and the sound is deliberately routed to the cabin through an acoustic filter to ‘heighten the sense of drama' when pressing on.
The same goes for the engine, where special attention has been paid to ensure that you can hear the characteristic V8 roar, normally muted by the installation of a supercharger.
The Jaguar XKR Special Edition really does achieve what it sets out to do - to add a sense of drama and occasion to an enhanced driving experience. In that sense, it is pretty much the ultimate expression of what a Jaguar sports car stands for, a thrilling and engaging drive, and a visual statement without equal on the road.
An improvement over the standard model? Far, far more than the apparent simplicity of the upgrades might suggest.
If you only ever drive one Jaguar, do try to make sure it is this one.
Specs & ratings
- Engine: 5 litre V8, 32V, supercharged
- Power: 510bhp
- Torque: 625 Nm from 2500 RPM
- Transmission: 6-speed automatic, wheel-mounted paddles
- Performance: 0-100 km/h 4.8 seconds
- Max speed: 280 km/h (limited)
