We review the Jaguar XFR and XKR from price to economy and all their features
IT’S hard to believe the car industry is facing its biggest crisis in years.
Gracing showrooms are the greatest cars in the history of motoring, big or small, and setting new levels for economy and C02 emissions.
On the rampage ... Jaguar XKR will swallow 0-60mph in just 4.6 seconds
Take the new Jaguar XFR and XKR. These are big cats on the rampage and are the best argument for a great future for the brand.
Jaguar, like every car company, are being hammered by the global recession but there is cause for optimism.
Last year, the company were one of the few car firms in the world to INCREASE worldwide sales, up by eight per cent to more than 65,000.
And when the XF was launched in 2007 and the new XK in 2006 both won praise.
In the pipeline is an XJ - the first model went on sale in 1968 - which insiders believe is the best Jaguar ever built, then a two-seat sports car and designers are working on a new small executive car.
Jag have taken tough decisions on redundancy to cope with the recession and the gob-smackingly good XFR and XKR are just two aces in a pack of new models.
So forget the credit crunch, while I tell you Britain and Jaguar are making truly brilliant cars that we should be proud of - and if you have the money, go and buy them.
IT looks like an elegant, stylish Jaguar saloon yet the appearance hides the performance of a supercar.
The XF is already a major sales success but the XFR is something extra-special, a British saloon capable of wiping the floor with the fastest in the world, including anything Germany has to offer.
But it’s the typically understated way it does it that makes the XFR special.
It’s a bit like Prince Harry out clubbing, everyone knows he’s Royalty but he’s got a wild side that shocks people.
You can tell the car is no ordinary XF by the new bumper, a larger lower grille in black mesh and louvred air intakes, together with bold sill extensions and double twin-exhaust pipes which hint at the menace beneath the bonnet.
And there’s a frightening amount of menace generated from the 5litre V8 supercharged engine, with 510bhp that launches you from 0-60mph in 4.7seconds.
But it’s the mid-range overtaking performance that takes your breath away. Try 50mph to 70mph in 1.9 seconds and a top speed that is limited to 155mph.
Plenty of people do power. Where the XFR is different is the effortless way it delivers performance. This is an iron fist in a velvet glove. It is so effortless it’s worryingly easy not to realise how fast you are going, even though you should be reminded by the intimidating rumble of the engine when you open up the XFR.
It is also silky smooth through the automatic gearbox or the exceptionally quick F1-style paddle changes on the steering wheel. And it handles with the poise of a high-wire artist, hugging the bends as tightly as the bolstered sports seats hug your body.
You enjoy the high-speed thrills in the beautifully crafted splendour of the cabin, which in R form gets its own trim colours, dark oak veneer and dark-mesh aluminium finishes.
To complete the makeover there is an R badge on the steering wheel, seats and fascia and the main instrument dials come with embellished logos and red pointers for added effect.
And, of course, the driver can share this amazing car with three passengers who can all appreciate what is a truly memorable drive.
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The XFR is not cheap at £59,900 - but it is a saloon car that has the heart and soul of a supercar.
JAGUAR were clearly determined to prove a point so served up two sensational cars, one after the other.
I’d hardly got over the high of driving the XFR when they handed me the keys to the new XKR.
And this really is the biggest cat of the Jaguar pride.
With the XKR coupe you can forget all about friends - this is personal indulgence for you and just maybe your better half if they are good.
The XK was the model that, when first launched in 1996, told the world Jaguar were back making beautiful cars.
Now the revised 2006 version has been given a discreet nip and tuck to make it even more desirable.
And in the case of the XKR, it shares the new 5litre supercharged engine that is in the XFR.
The exterior touch-up features a new bumper design with chrome finish to the upper and lower mesh grilles and new door mirrors with integrated LED repeater indicator lights, as well as all-new twinkling LED rear tail lights and two twin exhaust pipes.
The XKR has always been a stunningly graceful coupe, now it has a bit more edge to go with the extra power under the bonnet.
And the extra sleekness of the XKR means it reduces the 0-60mph time of the XFR to just 4.6 seconds. It is just a pity the engine is electronically limited to 155mph because it clearly has a lot more to offer.
Even at 150mph on a race track in Spain, it felt as solid as a rock and out on the open road it devours the Tarmac at a spectacular rate.
If you like travelling long distances at high speed and in high style, this is the car for you because the countryside can disappear in a blur.
But in the XKR you feel aloof from the mayhem that is around you. This is a car that leaves you feeling serene, like motoring aristocracy, even at speeds that should leave you sweating.
The handcrafted finery on the inside is similar to that in the XF. But in the XKR, it is just for two.
And the price of this supercar experience is a relatively reasonable £72,400.