THE new Jaguar really does roar. A direct spiritual descendant of cars such as the iconic E-Type and Le Mans-winning D-Type, Jaguar engineers have worked hard to recreate that inimitable sports-car growl. Not the high-pitched, high-revving scream of Italian sports cars, or the rumbling grunt of an American V8, but that distinctive roar of the British racer.
And they have pulled it off. Loaded with computers and electronics, a pop-up bonnet to protect pedestrians in an accident and an ingenious paddle-shift gearbox, the XK is pure automotive 21st century. But push the big red start button and the noise seems to be piped straight from a black-and-white film of motor sport yesteryear.
The car’s fabulous sounding V8 has been mated to “acoustically tuned tailpipes” that hush the car at slow speed and in traffic, but floor the accelerator and the roar comes fullthroated. The result? A car that sounds as good as it looks, and looks as good as it goes.
This two-door model — though the back seats are either for coats and maps or very short children — comes as a coupé, or as a convertible with an electrically controlled roof that drops and raises in less than 18 seconds.
The convertible is the smoother of the two, designed to cruise the strips of Monaco and California, roof down, soaking up the sun. The coupé, though, is the better looking and better balanced of the two cars. The long bonnet with its power bulge speaks of its E-Type heritage. So does its distinctive oval-mouthed grille.
Advertisement
The 4.2-litre V8 engine puts out a healthy 300bhp, though the supercharged XKR version, expected towards the end of the year, will give performance, 0-60mph in about six seconds at present, and a top speed electronically limited to 155mph.
The six-speed automatic gearbox can be driven as a regular automatic. Or you can nudge over the stick to Sport mode and the car gets a more aggressive drive. Or use the steering wheel-mounted gearshift paddles and you get a far greater sense of control.
The cabin offers classic wood and hand-stitched leather, or you can choose the interior featuring aluminium. The steering wheel feels right, the paddle shifts fall to hand nicely and the seven-inch colour touch screen with satellite navigation, sound system and all manner of toys is easy to use.
The XK, especially the refined coupé, is a car that can be driven quickly all too easily, with 80mph feeling like 50mph and 100mph feeling like 70mph. Get to the twisty bits, though, and the car’s relatively light weight — about 1,600kg for the coupé and 1,635 for the convertible — means corners are a treat. Drop a gear and overtaking is done instantly. And if you do get carried away on a corner, the car’s understated adaptive damping and stability control bring things back into line so smoothly you can fool yourself into thinking you really are a very good driver.
The public road in South Africa is not the place for very fast driving, though, so next stop was the Killarney race track outside Cape Town to see if the XK is worthy of carrying the race-winning leaping cat badge. For a GT, the XK is no mean track performer. The brakes are exceptional, the transmission can ingeniously “stack” a downshift so that, approaching a sharp corner, if you change down too soon it will remember the shift and make it for you at the right time. Roadholding at extreme speed is excellent. The supercharged R version will take the car’s performance farther and this is important, for while the XK needs to be a luxurious GT cruiser, it also needs to offer lovers of speed something, too.
Advertisement
Dermot Harkin, the Jaguar brand manager, said: “The XK is aimed at the sports car lover, as well as at the grand tourer motorist. These customers want beautiful styling, versatility, 2 + 2 seating, a great driving experience, luxury and comfort. They want the best of both worlds — sport and luxury in one car. The XK delivers. The XK Coupé is powerful and muscular, with great driving enjoyment, and the XK Convertible looks fantastic, with no compromise on style, a blend of luxury and comfort with the heart of a sports car.”
Whether the XK has the magic, and the looks, to rank alongside its heady predecessors, such as the D and E-Type — a car so gorgeous that there is one on display in the New York Museum of Modern Art — remains to be seen.
JAGUAR PROVES A SOUND CHOICE
ENGINE: 4.2-litre V8 producing 300bhp at 6,000rpm and 310lb ft of torque at 4,100rpm
TRANSMISSION: Six-speed sequential automatic with steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters, driving rear wheels
Advertisement
WEIGHT: 1,595kg (coupé), 1,635kg (convertible)
PERFORMANCE: 0-60mph in 5.9sec, top speed 155mph (250kph)
SUSPENSION: Computer active suspension with coil springs and telescopic dampers front and rear
PRICE: £58,995 (coupé), £64,955 (convertible)