This 2014 Jaguar XKR-S GT is a great track-day car. That is the attitude you have to have when you drive it. Don't expect it to do so well off the track. Just take it to a track and wail on it because it is a lousy daily driver. Anyone you put in the back seat should be legally allowed to report you to the United Nations High Commission on Human Rights Abuses.
During the couple days I had this, the general public adored it. People went out of their way to walk over and compliment the car. You can be a real hero for your $174,895, if that's why you buy these things. But take it to a track, that's why you should buy this. A Jaguar track car, how long since there has been one of those? The C-Type?
While I'm sure the aero package was carefully thought out and is surely effective at speed, I must say that at times I (very cynically) doubted whether that aero package was anything more than pimped-out Internet parts catalog stuff dreamed up by adolescent fan boys and bought using their parents' credit card. Really, just look under the back end. Those diffusers stop about 8 inches in, they're just cut off. They can't possibly do anything, can they? The wing is held in place by an exposed nut and bolt on each side. And that front splitter, maybe it does something but it is so low and so far out there that it'll scrape anything higher than a road-killed, sun-dried squirrel carcass. I asked Jaguar whether the aero kit was ever tested in a wind tunnel or even on a computer and a spokesguy said yes, it was developed at MIRA. I asked if it increases downforce and if so, it must reduce top speed, right? I have not heard back yet. But whether it works or not, people liked looking at it a lot.
I'm ashamed to say I actually put a human being in the back seat. I regretted it immediately. As is the case with many 2+2 configurations, those back seats are for luggage only. Soft luggage. This is not just a Jaguar problem, though; it is manufacturers trying to get their buyers a better deal on insurance. For practicality purposes, under the rear hatch there's plenty of room for stuff.
Jaguar went through the suspension and added a wider front track, increased camber, revised bushings and faster steering. On track that's exactly what you want, but off track, on normal roads, the XKR-S GT bounces a lot. Trying to keep the splitter scrape- and ding-free was a major effort. I think it is the lowest splitter on anything I've ever driven. As it was, I scraped it about 10 times in two days, despite going sideways over everything that even looked like a road welp.
Then, on the last day, I took it up a particular mountain road. I didn't go to a racetrack, where it would have really shone. But this road was in many ways better. It offered a wider variety of curves. I twisted the shifter (band name, twisted shifter) over to S and immediately felt the increase in throttle response. I started using the steering wheel-mounted aluminum paddles to shift the six-speed automatic. I leaned hard on the gas pedal to dip into those 550 hp and 502 lb-ft of torque from the supercharged 5.0-liter V8. Finally, the car made sense. Complaining about all that other stuff was missing the point. Here it was its in element. So much power available so quickly. The steering reacted remarkably fast for something this big and heavy. The car rocketed up the mountain.
The length of the beast was its biggest problem on the relatively tight mountain road. The length alone made it feel like a GT instead of a sports car, even though the car reacted with sports car-like quickness. If it was only smaller, but with this same power-to-weight ratio, it would be perfect (I guess that's what the F-Type is). Torque was so broad that shifting really wasn't necessary most of the time. Just pick a gear -- say third -- and stay with it all the way up the mountain. The engine was widely powerful and well and perfectly suited to the car.
At the top of this particular road was an enormous paved parking area, devoid of cars since this was the middle of the week. In the middle of the lot was a single tree. With traction and stability off, I traced a circle around it in full doriftu mode. This would be an ideal car for drifting (though more expensive than a Toyota AE86 if you made a mistake). All that power meant it was remarkably easy to control. I did only one circle, these not being my tires. But if Jaguar wants to reach a younger demographic, enter an XKR-S GT in Formula D. I'll drive.
The 2014 Jaguar XKR-S GT comes in at a base price of $174,895.
ASSOCIATE WEST COAST EDITOR BLAKE Z. RONG: There are a lot of
sounds associated with this car. There's the bark of the engine as you let off the gas. There's the contented little burble of overrun, reminiscent of the screaming F-Type. There's the banshee shriek of the engine above 4,000 rpm like a stack of phone books being thrown into a wood chipper. There's the 525-watt Bowers and Wilkins audio system with 14 speakers and Dolby Pro Logic II Surround Sound that plays '80s New Wave with gusto. And most importantly, there's the heart-wrenching scrrrrriirrrrrrrrrrr from up front -- a nails-on-chalkboard sound that instills a sinking dread in the driver's heart as the carbon-fiber front splitter sheds its precious vitals while making contact with ramps and inclines.
I myself drive a lowered car and therefore the Fear of God strikes me whenever I'm faced with, say, the parking lot entrance to a grocery store. Thing is, the plastic piece that lies between me and insanity costs $100. I can't imagine how expensive this carbon fiber must be to replace, even if it is “shatterproof.”
But there I go again, being practical-minded about a 550-hp, limited-edition Jaguar! How silly of me. There's no way to be rational about this mind-melting near-supercar, of which a mere 30 will exist as a celebratory send-off to a grand tourer that's been with us since 2007 (three of which are still available for sale). The F-Type is the new standard in Jaguar sporty-type cars, and the XK must evolve with it. Hence, the aptly named GT, which snorts and rips and coddles in Alcantara in an attempt to fool the potential owner into thinking it's a real race car, a fact underscored every time he looks through the rearview mirror.
The Jaguar XKR-S GT summons speeds with ease and a firm throttle, building up power with the utmost of ease -- let off and it's never temperamental, only composed. Despite the XK's relative age, the transmission still shifts quickly by today's standards; its metal paddle shifters belong in the F-Type instead of those rubber things (which makes an appearance across the interior on all parts that aren't suede or piano black plastic). Its steering is both weighty and slightly numb, which is large-car unsurprising. Dynamic mode opens up both the exhaust and the throttle response and is good for scaring the passengers, at any given instant, with a groundswell of torque. The chassis is excellent. The suspension imparts no roll whatsoever. Despite possessing a hellion's snarl it manages to maintain its comfort and composure. Single-minded enthusiasts looking to get their $174,895 could even possibly daily drive it -- as soon as they get used to going into parking lots at 20-degree angles.
The XK was always a pretty car. The Jaguar XKR-S GT's polymer bonanza, however, adds canards and splitters until the front end resembles a robotic catfish. That silly rear wing will impress 4-year olds with the sophistication of a Mitsubishi Eclipse from Hot Import Nights. The black, 20-inch, five-spoke wheels resemble throwing stars, which do look cool. But we'd have to take Jaguar's word as to whether the crude knife slashes on the hood do indeed help with cooling. Mark Vaughn pointed out that the rear diffuser, to be effective, needs to extend out by 2 more feet -- wider and taller. (Of course, the wing and canards would be effective at speeds above 100 mph, a point lost on me as I trundle down the 405.) Even the name “XKR-S GT” sounds like an Estonian tax form you have to fill out in triplicate.
This limited edition GT is brutally rare, eye-wateringly expensive, and a ridiculous exercise in pretend racerdom. Better get the more prolific XKR-S; both are celebrations to a still-competent grand tourer that can still run like a sports car. And on that bombshell, the Jaguar XK departs us in a flurry of carbon fiber and alphanumerics. Designer Ian Callum once maintained that the XK was inspired by the curves on Kate Winslet. We wonder who will inspire the next XK. My vote is for Imogen Poots.
As-Tested Price: $174,895
Drivetrain: 550-hp, 502 lb-ft, 5.0-liter supercharged V8; RWD, six-speed automatic
Curb Weight: 3,865 lb
Fuel Economy (EPA City/Highway/Combined): 15/22/18 mpg
AW Observed Fuel Economy: 20.7 mpg
Options: None
source: autoweek.com
During the couple days I had this, the general public adored it. People went out of their way to walk over and compliment the car. You can be a real hero for your $174,895, if that's why you buy these things. But take it to a track, that's why you should buy this. A Jaguar track car, how long since there has been one of those? The C-Type?
While I'm sure the aero package was carefully thought out and is surely effective at speed, I must say that at times I (very cynically) doubted whether that aero package was anything more than pimped-out Internet parts catalog stuff dreamed up by adolescent fan boys and bought using their parents' credit card. Really, just look under the back end. Those diffusers stop about 8 inches in, they're just cut off. They can't possibly do anything, can they? The wing is held in place by an exposed nut and bolt on each side. And that front splitter, maybe it does something but it is so low and so far out there that it'll scrape anything higher than a road-killed, sun-dried squirrel carcass. I asked Jaguar whether the aero kit was ever tested in a wind tunnel or even on a computer and a spokesguy said yes, it was developed at MIRA. I asked if it increases downforce and if so, it must reduce top speed, right? I have not heard back yet. But whether it works or not, people liked looking at it a lot.
I'm ashamed to say I actually put a human being in the back seat. I regretted it immediately. As is the case with many 2+2 configurations, those back seats are for luggage only. Soft luggage. This is not just a Jaguar problem, though; it is manufacturers trying to get their buyers a better deal on insurance. For practicality purposes, under the rear hatch there's plenty of room for stuff.
Jaguar went through the suspension and added a wider front track, increased camber, revised bushings and faster steering. On track that's exactly what you want, but off track, on normal roads, the XKR-S GT bounces a lot. Trying to keep the splitter scrape- and ding-free was a major effort. I think it is the lowest splitter on anything I've ever driven. As it was, I scraped it about 10 times in two days, despite going sideways over everything that even looked like a road welp.
Then, on the last day, I took it up a particular mountain road. I didn't go to a racetrack, where it would have really shone. But this road was in many ways better. It offered a wider variety of curves. I twisted the shifter (band name, twisted shifter) over to S and immediately felt the increase in throttle response. I started using the steering wheel-mounted aluminum paddles to shift the six-speed automatic. I leaned hard on the gas pedal to dip into those 550 hp and 502 lb-ft of torque from the supercharged 5.0-liter V8. Finally, the car made sense. Complaining about all that other stuff was missing the point. Here it was its in element. So much power available so quickly. The steering reacted remarkably fast for something this big and heavy. The car rocketed up the mountain.
The length of the beast was its biggest problem on the relatively tight mountain road. The length alone made it feel like a GT instead of a sports car, even though the car reacted with sports car-like quickness. If it was only smaller, but with this same power-to-weight ratio, it would be perfect (I guess that's what the F-Type is). Torque was so broad that shifting really wasn't necessary most of the time. Just pick a gear -- say third -- and stay with it all the way up the mountain. The engine was widely powerful and well and perfectly suited to the car.
At the top of this particular road was an enormous paved parking area, devoid of cars since this was the middle of the week. In the middle of the lot was a single tree. With traction and stability off, I traced a circle around it in full doriftu mode. This would be an ideal car for drifting (though more expensive than a Toyota AE86 if you made a mistake). All that power meant it was remarkably easy to control. I did only one circle, these not being my tires. But if Jaguar wants to reach a younger demographic, enter an XKR-S GT in Formula D. I'll drive.
The 2014 Jaguar XKR-S GT comes in at a base price of $174,895.
I myself drive a lowered car and therefore the Fear of God strikes me whenever I'm faced with, say, the parking lot entrance to a grocery store. Thing is, the plastic piece that lies between me and insanity costs $100. I can't imagine how expensive this carbon fiber must be to replace, even if it is “shatterproof.”
But there I go again, being practical-minded about a 550-hp, limited-edition Jaguar! How silly of me. There's no way to be rational about this mind-melting near-supercar, of which a mere 30 will exist as a celebratory send-off to a grand tourer that's been with us since 2007 (three of which are still available for sale). The F-Type is the new standard in Jaguar sporty-type cars, and the XK must evolve with it. Hence, the aptly named GT, which snorts and rips and coddles in Alcantara in an attempt to fool the potential owner into thinking it's a real race car, a fact underscored every time he looks through the rearview mirror.
The Jaguar XKR-S GT summons speeds with ease and a firm throttle, building up power with the utmost of ease -- let off and it's never temperamental, only composed. Despite the XK's relative age, the transmission still shifts quickly by today's standards; its metal paddle shifters belong in the F-Type instead of those rubber things (which makes an appearance across the interior on all parts that aren't suede or piano black plastic). Its steering is both weighty and slightly numb, which is large-car unsurprising. Dynamic mode opens up both the exhaust and the throttle response and is good for scaring the passengers, at any given instant, with a groundswell of torque. The chassis is excellent. The suspension imparts no roll whatsoever. Despite possessing a hellion's snarl it manages to maintain its comfort and composure. Single-minded enthusiasts looking to get their $174,895 could even possibly daily drive it -- as soon as they get used to going into parking lots at 20-degree angles.
The XK was always a pretty car. The Jaguar XKR-S GT's polymer bonanza, however, adds canards and splitters until the front end resembles a robotic catfish. That silly rear wing will impress 4-year olds with the sophistication of a Mitsubishi Eclipse from Hot Import Nights. The black, 20-inch, five-spoke wheels resemble throwing stars, which do look cool. But we'd have to take Jaguar's word as to whether the crude knife slashes on the hood do indeed help with cooling. Mark Vaughn pointed out that the rear diffuser, to be effective, needs to extend out by 2 more feet -- wider and taller. (Of course, the wing and canards would be effective at speeds above 100 mph, a point lost on me as I trundle down the 405.) Even the name “XKR-S GT” sounds like an Estonian tax form you have to fill out in triplicate.
This limited edition GT is brutally rare, eye-wateringly expensive, and a ridiculous exercise in pretend racerdom. Better get the more prolific XKR-S; both are celebrations to a still-competent grand tourer that can still run like a sports car. And on that bombshell, the Jaguar XK departs us in a flurry of carbon fiber and alphanumerics. Designer Ian Callum once maintained that the XK was inspired by the curves on Kate Winslet. We wonder who will inspire the next XK. My vote is for Imogen Poots.
2014 Jaguar XKR-S GT
Base Price: $174,895As-Tested Price: $174,895
Drivetrain: 550-hp, 502 lb-ft, 5.0-liter supercharged V8; RWD, six-speed automatic
Curb Weight: 3,865 lb
Fuel Economy (EPA City/Highway/Combined): 15/22/18 mpg
AW Observed Fuel Economy: 20.7 mpg
Options: None
source: autoweek.com
