2002 Jaguar XKR Review

This might be your dream car. Called the XKR, this convertible is beautiful, fast and luxurious--just like the sensational 1960s XKE Jaguar it resembles. But a thick wallet is required because the XKR costs $86,330--or $12,000 more than the regular XK8 convertible. If the XKR isn't quite good enough for you, note that Jaguar is building a limited run of special-edition XKR models called the XKR 100 to mark the 100th birthday of Jaguar's deceased founder and boss Sir William Lyons, who died in 1985.

Only 300 of the special models will be sent to the United States, and most will be convertibles. Lyons had an eye for great styling and a genius for building fast, sleek, refined sports cars and sedans. They cost considerably less than rival cars, but often looked better and had more performance.

Lyons possessed no magic wand to come up with such cars. Rather, he had Jaguar personnel cut corners, and that led to serious reliability and quality problems that never went away until Ford bought the company in 1989.
Ford gave the small automaker a serious cash injection, tossed obsolete equipment and cracked the whip about quality with Jaguar workers and suppliers. Anyway, the XKR 100 costs $98,330 and has such features as special 20-inch BBS modular wheels that are the largest fitted to a production Jaguar and Brembo brakes originally developed for the Jaguar F-Type auto show concept roadster.

Anthracite paint and interior leather and aluminum trim set the XKR 100 apart, and it only comes with a black convertible top. There's also an $81,330 XKR coupe and thus there is an XKR 100 coupe. That coupe costs the same as the XKR 100 convertible, although it adds a special handling package. Of the 300 XKR 100 models sent to North America (out of a worldwide total of 500), only 30 will be coupes.

All Jaguar XK models actually look better as a coupe than a convertible because the coupe's flowing roof lines visually work better with the rest of the body than the soft top. But most consider a convertible sexier than a coupe--at least with the top lowered--whether you're talking about a Chevrolet or Jaguar. New colors for the 2002 XKR are zircon, Aspen green and quartz.

The $69,330-$74,330 XK8 coupe and convertible are plenty fast with a smooth 290-horsepower V-8, but the XKR has a supercharged, 370-horsepower version of that engine that provides more torque and rocket-style acceleration. The XKR convertible zooms to 60 mph in a giddy 5.4 seconds and has a top speed electronically limited to 155 mph. At 75 mph, the engine is almost loafing at 2,500 rpm.

Fuel economy is an estimated 16 mpg in the city and 22 on highways, which isn't bad for a heavy 4,039-pound car with such sizzling performance. To handle the added power, the XKR has a sport-tuned version of Jaguar's computer-controlled suspension, slightly larger 18-inch wheels and beefed-up brakes. It also has a special mesh grille, louvered hood and rear spoiler.

You can't get a manual gearbox with the XKR, but one really isn't needed because the engine has so much power and torque.
The car's five-speed automatic transmission upshifts smoothly and downshifts quickly. Jaguar figures that few Americans would want the XKR with a manual transmission because it's primarily viewed as a luxury sports car.

The power steering is precise with the right amount of quickness, and the supple suspension delivers a smooth ride. Stopping distances are short, but the brake pedal is too soft for such a high-performance car. You can feel the XKR's considerable weight during quick maneuvers, but it's agile.

The XKR is reasonably quiet for a convertible with the top up, although the big tires make some noise and you can hear the supercharger during hard acceleration. There is space for two 6-footers in the sumptuous cockpit, but there's little room to spare partly because of Jaguar's typically large console.
The front bucket seats are rather small, and the tiny rear seat area is for tots and small parcels.
The inside rearview mirror takes up too much windshield space, and it's easy to accidentally activate the windshield wipers when starting the car.

Gauges are deeply recessed, but can be read quickly, and the fairly large controls are easy to use. The trunk is pretty large and has a hefty leather pull strap to help close its lid.

The automatic power top lowers and raises quickly with no more driver involvement needed than the touch of a button. But the power front windows don't go down or up with the top, as is the case with some convertibles, and thus must be activated by the driver. I guess some sacrifices must be made even with a car such as the XKR.

2002 JAGUAR XKR

Prices

$86,330-$98,330

Likes

Sleek. Extremely fast. Sharp handling. Smooth ride. Exclusive new "100'' model.

Dislikes

Tight interior. Rather small seats. Soft brake pedal.