Maybe my timing has been a little off, but I¹ve been reviewing a number of
convertibles as we approach the cooler fall season. However, the weather on
the central California coast is best in the September through November time
frame, so I¹ve been having a blast with the top down.

And while I¹ve been driving the latest and greatest, a week in the venerable
Jaguar XKR convertible indicates that fine wine is not the only commodity
that can age gracefully. The current XK series is composed of a coupe and a
convertible available as the standard XK8 and more expensive supercharger
XKR model. The series was upgraded somewhat for 2003, but is pretty much
unchanged for several years.

While the Jaguar XK platform is showing its age, in still looks great. It
has a timeless beauty that is wearing very well. I¹ve been a fool for beauty
a few times in my life. The Jaguar XKR evokes strong reactions and few of
them are of the practical nature.

The Jaguar XKR convertible is the prettiest car I can think of right now and
beauty is its own excuse for being. It¹s the car¹s exterior lines that send
me over the edge. I spent a lot of time gazing at the car wondering just how
Jaguar designers created a vehicle of such grace and refinement. The XKR
convertible has exceptionally elegant lines and the proportions appear
almost perfect. There are subtle body masses centered on the wheel arches
that give the car a sensual appearance.

Someone in the Jaguar organization is planning a replacement for the current
model, a job I wouldn¹t wish on anyone I liked. On the other hand, there is
one significant upgrade that must be accommodated in the next revision of
the XK series convertible. The body design really needs a well with a
openable metal top behind the seating area to accommodate the fabric top.
Right now, when you put the top down the cloth top just sits there in a
pile, greatly detracting from the car¹s svelte exterior.

There¹s a styling advantage to a long hood line and Jaguar has emphasized
that design motif since the 1950s. Since the 1920s, an extended hood has
been a prerequisite for the design of an elegant coupe or convertible.

The Jaguar XKR¹s design is also blessedly free of extraneous detail, such as
scoops, cutouts, etc. These embellishments may make a car look racy, but
often mar noteworthy designs. The side of the XKR is one unbroken sweep of
metal. The XKR had optional 20-inch alloy wheels, which snugly fill the
wheel arches and give the car a more purposeful appearance as compared to
the smaller 18-inch standard wheels.

As for the car¹s interior, it¹s luxurious in an old-world sense. The wide
expanse of bird¹s eye maple on the dashboard coupled with the off-white
interior gives it the feeling of elegance and comfort.

Equipped with an enhanced supercharged V-8, the XKR is an exceptionally fast
car, able to blast from zero to 60 miles per hour in about five seconds and
reach a top speed of 155 miles per hour. But what really gets the adrenalin
going is passing slower moving vehicles on two-lane country roads. All you
have to do is think of passing that camper van and the job¹s done.

The car¹s handling is improved with the $6,000 20-inch alloy wheel and tire
package, which are the current champs in terms of wheel size on a production
car. The wheels are shod with wide sticky tires that produce a lot of grip.
On the other hand, the car is still a luxury cruiser. As you approach a
corner, the turn-in experience does not resemble the scalpel-like precision
of a BMW Z4 or a Porsche Boxster.

I was only moderately impressed with the Brembo brakes with cross-drilled
rotors and four-piston aluminum calipers‹clearly visible through the wheel
spokes. Brembo brakes are reputedly world-class components for stopping
power and when you load the XKR with a driver and passenger, you¹re
propelling more than two tons of mass, you may need to decelerate in a
hurry. But despite the special brakes, I wouldn¹t mind even more stopping
power to compensate for the huge motive force under the car¹s stylish hood.

 
Vehicle: Jaguar XKR Convertible

Price as tested: $94,795

Engine:

         Type: 4.2-liter supercharged V-8

         Horsepower: 400 @ 6,100 rpm

         Torque: 399-ft. lbs. @ 3,500 rpm

Fuel economy, automatic transmission

         City - 16 mpg

         Highway - 23 mpg

Curb Weight: 4,039 lbs.