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Jaguar XK series of coupes and convertibles score new faces
Bob Plunkett
Date Posted: 5/10/2005
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FREDRICKSBURG, Tex. -- A romp around the Texas Hill Country, following crooked ranch roads across a rugged landscape scored with limestone embankments and fuzzy evergreen cedars, shows off the wily manners for a new iteration of XKR, the sensuous sports coupe from Britain's Jaguar geared for performance.
Our tester XKR -- rolling on optional new 20-inch BBS Sepang multi-spoke alloy wheels with ultra low-profile Pirelli PZero tires linked to giant Brembo brake discs and calipers -- packs a supercharged version of Jaguar's big V8 engine and a sophisticated electronic automatic transmission with six forward gears.
It surges on rare straight stretches in the Texas hills as one driver tries to herd so many horses hitched beneath this car's exaggerated hood.
Not only is the XKR coupe incredibly powerful and fitted with the hardware of a serious performance car, but it's also absolutely gorgeous -- surely, the most dazzling model in a line of beautiful cars, except perhaps for its drop-top twin, the curvaceous XKR convertible.
Both XKR coupe and convertible amount to supercharged performance versions of Jaguar's mid-size two-door personal luxury cars, the XK8 coupe and convertible.
Only difference between coupe and convertible occurs with the latter's retractable lid, which is fully lined and contains a rear window of clear glass.
The editions of 2005 for both XK8 and XKR reveal fresh styling points on sleek structures.
Smooth monochromatic bumpers and side sills run deeper around the bottom of each car and the massive oval grille in front stretches wide across the face, with a horizontal grille splitter on XK8 and revamped mesh insert for XKR.
At the tail, the chrome-tipped exhaust pipes are larger, with a pair for XK8 but dual pairs for XKR, and XKR sports a larger spoiler on the truck deck.
Overall styling for XK cars reflect visual cues from Jaguar's 1960s two-seat icon, XK-E, due to the long front hood and curvy prow working with the curt tail.
Hoods vary between XK8 and XKR because the performance model wears functional louver panels set midway back between the front grille and windshield. This location happens to be the point where a low-pressure zone develops due to aerodynamic factors evident when the car rushes forward.
Air, drawn through the front radiator and out through the louvers, flows at a quicker clip thanks to the low pressure, resulting in improved engine cooling as well as a decrease in aerodynamic lift in front at high speeds.
Counterbalancing this aerodynamic action up front, the spoiler at the trailing edge of the trunk exerts a downward thrust of air current on the tail to press rear tires on the pavement when running fast.
Additional exterior elements mark the XKR -- the wire-mesh grille in the prow and xenon high intensity discharge (HID) headlamps set on front corner clusters.
Powertrains for XK cars revolve around Jaguar's aluminum V8, which displaces 4.2 liters with four-cam configuration and four valves per cylinder plus electronic multi-port fuel injection from an electronic throttle.
For XK8 the plant generates 294 hp at 6000 rpm and 303 lb-ft of torque at 4100 rpm.
Then add an Eaton blower as well as dual air-to-water inter-coolers to forge the supercharged XKR. This extra equipment, which forces more cool air into each cylinder to enrich the mix of fuel and oxygen needed for combustion, makes more power with each cycle of ignition.
As a result, the supercharged engine rips to 390 hp at 6000 rpm and sends the torque soaring to 399 lb-ft at only 3500 rpm.
All that torque translates through the sophisticated six-speed electronic automatic transmission.
A shift lever with Jaguar's J-pattern gate for automatic or manual operation isolates various gear positions so you can shift it yourself without clutching, if desired.
Rack the lever back through Reverse to Drive mode for automatic control of all forward gears, but hook a lateral left shift at the bottom of the gate for an up-shift to fourth gear.
From this position at the bottom of the J-shaped pattern, the lever will move forward manually to drop down one gear at a time to second gear, with the first gear reached automatically as needed.
Styling for XK8 and XKR cars originated at Jaguar's headquarters in Coventry, England, where production occurs.
Despite the assembly line in Britain, these Jaguars carry components from a multi-national coterie of suppliers.
Engines come from the Bridgend Engine Plant in Wales owned by Ford Motor Company, which acquired Jaguar in 1989.
From Germany the ZF transmission is built by BMW, while the convertible's forged aluminum frame is crafted at the Osnabruck coachworks shop of Wilhelm Karmann.
From the United States, ITT Automotive makes the anti-lock brake system, while a lighting system stems from France, the air conditioner comes from Japan and Italy's Pirelli molds the optional PZero performance tires.
XK cars have a four-wheel independent wishbone suspension in aluminum, with sub-frames front and rear plus coil springs with telescopic dampers.
Jaguar's computer active technology suspension -- the acronym spells CATS -- delivers automatic two-stage shock damping with calibrations to maximize handling and control.
Speed-sensitive variable-assist power rack and pinion steering and four-wheel disc brakes with computerized anti-lock brake system (ABS) controls plus electronic brake distribution (EBD) improve motion maneuvers for all XKs.
Further, a dynamic stability controller (DSC) is aboard. It applies brake and throttle automatically to correct potentially dangerous yaw behavior.
Jaguar also applies its Adaptive Restraint Technology System (ARTS), which uses ultrasonic sensors to figure out who's sitting where, then switch off air bags and seatbelt pretensioners for an unoccupied front seat.
The cockpit for all XK models contains seats for four. Legroom is sparse in the rear but up front the buckets are clad in rich leather and adjust with power controls featuring memory settings. Slabs of hand-finished hardwood veneers trim dash and console, while classic analog gauges in three round binnacles stud the instrument panel.
XK price points begin at $70,495 for the XK8 coupe and $75,495 for the convertible. The XKR coupe lists for $81,995 and the XKR convertible comes to $86,995.
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| Vehicle Specifications: |
| 2005 JAGUAR XK Specs |
| Description: |
Mid-size luxury coupe, Mid-size luxury convertible |
| Model Options: |
Mid-size luxury coupe, Mid-size luxury convertible |
| Wheelbase: |
101.9 inches |
| Overall Length: |
188.0 inches |
| Engine Size: |
XK8: DOHC 4.2-L V8, XKR: DOHC 4.2-L V8 SC |
| Transmission: |
XK8: Auto/6 ZF6HP26, XKR: Auto/6 ZF6HP26 |
| Drive: |
Rear |
| Braking: |
XK8: Power 4-disc/Teves ABS/EBA/TCS/DSC, XKR: Power 4-disc/Teves Brembo discs/calipers ABS/EBA/TCS/DSC/CATS |
| Airbags: |
2 (front), 2 (side), 4 (side curtain) |
| Gas Mileage: |
XK8: 17/24 mpg, XKR: 16/23 mpg |
| Price: |
XK8 Cp: $70,495, XKR Cp: $81,995, XK8 Cv.: $75,495, XKR Cv.: $86,995 |
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