GRM Review: Jaguar XKR-S Convertible

When it rains, it pours. We tested a new 911 a few weeks ago. Then we saw a Jaguar XKR-S droptop. Would you deign to be seen in one?

http://grassrootsmotorsports.com/new-cars/2012-jaguar-xkr-s-convertible/

I would much rather have the Jag then the 911. I would have a coupe though.

I really like the looks of the car, would take the coupe over the vert but the lack of a manual does it in for me.

It looks like an Aston Martin.

DoctorBlade wrote: It looks like an Aston Martin that was kidnapped by Pep Boys

fixed that for ya

Minus the rear wing I think they look awesome.

I got to drive the XKR-S coupe back to back with the new BMW 650i during the Petit Le Mans last fall. In terms of driving experience, the Jag was everything the BMW should have been, but wasn't. It's a stellar car... but $140K is a lot of scratch.

Re: Joe's "I couldn’t bring myself to be seen in it" comment.
You'd let yourself be put off from even test driving a car because you cared what other people might think?

Yes, that rear wing has to go.

This car was a lot prettier when it first came out. I remember the first time I saw one, parked on the street on a rainy night in Philly, felt like I was in an advert for the thing. Now the front end is all lumpy and "aggressive". Meh. Meanwhile Aston's cars have somehow gotten even nicer to look at, and the 911 has come back from the 996's styling issues.

nderwater wrote: I got to drive the XKR-S coupe back to back with the new BMW 650i during the Petit Le Mans last fall. In terms of driving experience, the Jag was everything the BMW should have been, but wasn't. It's a stellar car... but $140K is a lot of scratch. Re: Joe's "I couldn’t bring myself to be seen in it" comment. You'd let yourself be put off from even test driving a car because you cared what other people might think?

That comment was tongue in cheek.....of course I would have sacrificed my good standing in the community just to bring you folks the skinny on the Jag .....as it turns out, I didn't get a chance to drive it before it went away. I can't say I was eager to try it out though.

Hell, I've driven the Scion IQ, the Nissan Cube and Juke, and that horrible Acura ZDX thing...... I would have driven the Jag too.

Would the looks keep me from buying one? Hell yes! Folks get all up in arms that the Corvette is gaudy.....this Jag couldn't have been more tacky if it had neon lights underneath it. I find it hideous, and an insult to the gorgeous Jaguars that came before it. (including the beautiful early XKR which it was hatched from) It's like they tacked every bit of crappy add-on onto a pretty nice basic shape and charge up the no$e for it.

no thanks. I think this car looks awful, and the message it says to me is "Help! help! I've lost my youth and vitality! I am stinking rich though......"

There's not much arguing that the styling is overwrought (I can't quite imagine what most traditional Jag customers think when they walk into their dealership and see that sitting on the showroom floor)... But the plastic and carbon bits aren't nearly as offensive as what I've seen on the 'tuned' Lambos and Bentleys and Rollers I've seen in this town. Get behind the wheel and the XKR-S is the most rewarding to drive Jag to come off the line in four decades.

Two answers to the same question:

touche

that is one ugly Corvette

To be fair to the Jag, it is supposed to be an extremely nice drive. For me, I'm holding out for the CX-16 project. Hopefully they won't uglify it.

I think I want more from the GRM review experience. I'm not sure if there was that much information in this review that I didn't know before hand. Basically I gather it's expensive, maybe not worth it, should be cheap in 10 years, and not as good as an F-22 raptor. I realize this type of car isn't the focus of the normal GRM experience but even more normal cars reviews just aren't giving me what I expect. I understand completely if the online reviews are just small items and you save the good stuff for the magazine but some of the cars never make it in the magazine so were left to wonder about a more thorough review by people like us targeted to people like us.

Hmm... video?

I had the pleasure of driving one at Petite last year. They had one of those promo programs where they let you take the car out and drive the roads around Road Atlanta. You had one of their employees in the other seat, but he sure wasn't telling me to Bob Costas-foot it and I had a blast.

So, yes I would be deigned to "be seen in it". The carbon fiber bits and black wheels aren't exactly enough for me to kick that thing to the curb. Then again, the one I drove was that cool electric blue, which actually works with the dark bits. Maroon, not so much.

Of course, it has literally FIVE TIMES THE HORSEPOWER of my daily, so I guess take my words for what their worth.

I wouldn't kick it out of bed. Not really concerned with what people think of me and what I drive. I'm not really a vert guy though, so would want the coupe.

I did a little more in-depth video with a similar model last year. The results are here: http://grassrootsmotorsports.com/new-cars/2011-85-xkr-coupe/

I need to add my $.02 to the page properly, but I have a real soft spot for British Camaros.

jg

Jags are getting UGLY. Used to not be that way, whether you were one of the 1% or the 99% everyone pretty much agreed that Jags looked great. Sir William's cars weren't polarizing; everyone loved them. I bet he's spinning in his grave.

Now they are polarizing, you love 'em or you hate 'em and I fall in the latter camp now. I'd still rock that motor with a proper stir it yourself box behind it.

I don't really see anything "grassroots" about brand new 911s and Jaguars.

Aeromoto wrote: I don't really see anything "grassroots" about brand new 911s and Jaguars.

Which is why these are mostly shorter web reviews and not multi-page features.

Although, all new cars will one day become used cars. We're just trying to stay ahead of the curve on some of them :)

jg

Aeromoto wrote: I don't really see anything "grassroots" about brand new 911s and Jaguars.

We don't pick which cars are sent to us.

Aeromoto wrote: I don't really see anything "grassroots" about brand new 911s and Jaguars.

They are when people are letting you drive them for free.

And I would take the little older XKR from JG's video review over the XKR-S. Less money, still enough power to do everything it's supposed to, and it's gorgeous without being ruined by absurd frippery.

There was some kind of Jag club thing here in Columbus last year or the year before. I saw 2 of these parked out in front of the building where they were meeting.

I really like the way this one looks, its like an ALMS GT car for the street.

I actually like it, the automatic doesn't bother me (I dailied a BMW 740iL for the last 5 years), and I'm a convertible kind of guy (why my Mustang is a convertible I always want to have at least one on the stable). But man, for that money I'll take a slightly used Aston Martin DB9, even if the Jag performs better.

OTOH, I'd love to see a real review of the '99-03 XK-R. Even with the automatic, one of those would be in my stable right now (almost did it instead of the Mustang).

Chris_V wrote: OTOH, I'd love to see a real review of the '99-03 XK-R. Even with the automatic, one of those would be in my stable right now (almost did it instead of the Mustang).

Number of problems with those engines. IIRC timing tensioners and cylinder liners.