Magus Cars India

aguar, and one that literally took the world by storm.

The XK marked the beginning of the sensual and slippery shapes from Jaguar. The XK 120 got its name from its impressive top speed of 120mp/h (193km/h) – making it the fastest production car in the world at the time. The original XK was also responsible for laying the foundation for the legendary Le Mans winning C-Type and D-Type Jaguars of the 1950s.

The XK name was revived by the company in 1997 with the XK8, which was a contemporary design with beautiful lines but a car that lacked the dynamic qualities to match the best from Germany. The latest generation XK, launched in 2006, aims to rectify these shortcomings. It not only continues Jaguars heritage of producing gorgeous cars but also revives its tradition of technical innovation as well – it has a lightweight, but extremely stiff, all-aluminum chassis.

The XK-R, meanwhile, takes the driving experience one step further by providing tremendous grunt and, supposedly, handling to match. The latest XK has even been hailed as the best new Jag since the iconic E-type of the 60s – high praise indeed. Let’s find out if it’s warranted.

Aesthetics

First things first, this is an absolutely stunning car – if it goes even half as well as it looks, it’ll be a memorable drive indeed. The perfect proportions and exquisite lines of the XK-R convertible certainly drew a lot of attention. But more than that, wherever the XK went, it led to numerous questions regarding the make and model of the car, which suggests that Jaguar has largely fallen off the radar – at least in the US market. On the other hand, it does mean that the XK is more exclusive as a result.

The other thing that you can’t help but notice is the similarity in design between the XK and recent Aston Martins, especially elements such as the high shoulder line of the wide rear fenders. Not that this should be a concern mind you, since the current range of Aston’s are perhaps the most beautiful and elegant cars on the road today. And this similarity is no coincidence either, as Jaguar’s Design Chief, Ian Callum, worked on several Aston Martins when both marques belonged to Ford’s Premier Automotive Group.

Other elements of the design such as the long bonnet and catfish-like face do evoke memories of the legendary E-Type, which is a further credit to design team since today’s cars are required to meet various safety legislations that place great restrictions on design freedom. The XK is also the first production car to feature a Pedestrian Deployable Bonnet System (PDBS). This deploys the bonnet, which is to say it rises up instantly when it senses that a pedestrian has been struck – preventing the head of the victim from colliding with the solid engine block beneath the bonnet, the main cause of fatal injury in such instances.

There are a number of other features that suggest you’re in an expensive car – such as heaters that not only warm the seats but the steering as well to keep your hands comfortable during alfresco motoring on a cold day, keyless entry and start, adaptive headlights that come on automatically even if you go through a small tunnel, side lights that come on automatically when you turn the wheel (which is very handy when you’re parking at night), a parking brake that engages at the press of a button and disengages automatically when you press the accelerator pedal, and an easy to use touch-screen interface that allows you to maneuver between navigation, audio, climate control and various other functions.

The two best features by far, however, are the seats that were infinitely adjustable, allowing you to find the perfect driving position, they even had a knob to control the amount of side bolstering (which is highly recommended on all cars), and the adaptive cruise control that quite literally doesn’t require any driver input on the highway other than steering. You simply set a cruising speed and the car does everything else. If the vehicle in front of you brakes suddenly, the XK-R will brake automatically ensuring a safe distance. The adaptive cruise control will then wait for the road to clear and, when it’s safe to do so, accelerate to the previously set cruising speed. All the driver has to do is take a leap of faith, and thereafter make sure to stay awake in order to steer the car when needed.

The only criticisms, if any, were that the 19-inch chrome alloy wheels on our test car looked like they came straight out of a rap video, although these are optional. The only real criticism, then, is that there are a few sharp edges inside the cabin – small details the likes of which you’ll probably find taken care of in any of its German rivals. All in all, though, it’s a breathtakingly stunning car. And like Jaguars of old, the interiors are luxuriously appointed with wood and leather – although I’d prefer the all-aluminum trim that’s more popular in Europe. More importantly, unlike some Jaguars of old, the XK is not only comfortable but contemporary as well with state-of-the-art electronics that won’t go up in smoke after a shelf life of only about a half-dozen years or so.

Engine: 4,197cc / supercharged V8
Fuel: Petrol
Transmission: 6 speed Automatic / Rear Wheel Drive
Power: 420bhp @ 6000rpm
Torque: 413lb/ft @ 4000 rpm
Acceleration: 0-100 km/h – 4.9 seconds

All the bells and whistles aside, the drivetrain is the real heart of any sports or GT car. And this is where the XK-R leaves you in no doubt about the seriousness of its intentions – the engine and transmission are very much in keeping with the aggressive visual nature of the car. The propulsion provided by the 420 horsepower supercharged V8 is nothing short of epic. The power delivery isn’t manic as you’d expect in a car that produces this much power, instead it’s linear and refined – very much like a naturally aspirated engine. Its feels effortless at cruising speed.

At first, you begin to question if it really produces the claimed 420 horses. It’s only when you display a real sense of urgency with your right foot that the character of the car completely changes. The guttural roar from the active exhaust is intoxicating. While it’s normally very silent, on hard acceleration butterfly valves in the quad exhausts open to provide sensational sound. In fact, my best memory of the XK-R is driving through a tunnel with the top down and accelerator pedal mashed to the floor.

The transmission, which is a regular torque converter automatic, is, surprisingly, even better. It features a sport mode that allows higher shift points and more driver adaptation, which means the transmission adjusts to your driving style. It also offers the now ubiquitous paddle shifts, allowing you to change gears manually if you so choose. Like a semi-automatic gearbox, the XK’s transmission blips the throttle on downshifts, which is a nice touch. The shifts themselves are also just as quick, taking only 600 milliseconds. And thankfully, unlike several semi-automatics, gear changes are extremely smooth and comfortable – offering the best of both worlds.

Ride & Handling

Jaguars have always been famous for their impeccable ride quality. And the XK is no different, it’s almost sublime – that’s despite the massive 19-inch wheels, as well as the fact that Jaguar’s Computer Active Technology Suspension (CATS) is recalibrated on the XK-R to provide more stiffness and better body control.

The all-aluminum chassis means that it feels extremely well put together and responsive. It also gives you the impression of being athletic and light on its feet, but is let down by a suspension set up that errors too much on the side of ride comfort. The end result is that it’s a little too soft to really explore the chassis limits on some of the very tight and snaking mountain roads.

A switch within the cabin to control the stiffness of the suspension would have been a welcome option. In its current set up, the XK-R feels like a very fast and refined GT car, which is really what it is as opposed to a real sports car. For that, perhaps we’ll have to wait for Jaguar to actually build the F-Type – a concept car revealed in 2000 as a real successor to the iconic E-Type. The F Type appears to be an extremely desirable proposition, and is something that Ratan Tata has already hinted that he’d like to see happen. It’s also something that a number of Jaguar insiders have wanted for some time.

The XK-R, meanwhile, is exceptional when cruising on the boulevard, and just as good when hammering along at 85% on any other piece of road – it’s only a little bit that keeps it from being a true sports car. Perhaps the recently introduced, limited edition, XKR-S is better suited to fulfill those needs.

Verdict

All said and done, the XK-R does live up to its hype. It’s very much in keeping with Jaguars rich heritage. It’s exquisite, refined and very fast, making it more than capable of taking the fight to the 6 series BMW and SL Mercedes – it’s also more exclusive at the moment. In many ways, the XK appears to be ultimate GT car.

That apart, Jaguar does need to invest in an intensive public relations campaign to ensure that people know what the brand really stands for – especially in light of its new owners. And while the company does have its hands full tackling issues such as fuel economy and CO2 emissions, which are at the forefront of people’s minds, its new range of cars look very promising indeed. And that bodes well for the future.

Step into the new Jaguar Land Rover showroom in Worli, Mumbai, and you’re greeted by some stunning metal indeed. The phrases ‘style, luxury and understated elegance’ all come to mind. But there’s more here than meets the eye.

What if we told you there’s also a four-door Ferrari fighter lurking in the shadows? Well, we happened to get our hands on just one such machine on the winding roads of Northern California. And you can too – much closer to home. Read on…

From the outside

When the Tata Group was evaluating its purchase of Jaguar and Land Rover, it paid particular attention to the new models and product innovations that the two companies had in the pipeline. The XF Series is the first all-new car that Jaguar’s launched since Tata bought the company in 2008. The XFR is the range topping variant with a 510bhp supercharged V8 that clearly justifies its new owner’s faith in the brand, not to mention its product development capabilities.

With its coupe-like silhouette, the XFR has the visual excitement of a coupe while retaining the practicality, sophistication and luxury of a four-door sports saloon. The XFR is gorgeous from any angle and has equally impressive road presence. Subtle external cues like the functional boot spoiler, discrete rocker sill extensions, quad tail pipes, hood vents, and special light-weight 20-inch wheels are all features that make the XFR a truly unique and special machine – clearly miles ahead of a regular XF. The XFR exudes an understated elegance that helps mask this cars’ power and performance.

From the inside

Simplicity and the clever use of space are key elements of the XFR’s interior design. For the driver, this is centered on the compact packaging of the Jaguar Drive Selector transmission interface. At the press of an illuminated stop/start button, the cast alloy gear selector rises from the center console into the drivers’ hand, and the rotating facia vents silently open. Gears are selected by rotation of the selector knob – it’s an innovative concept and a welcome change from the more traditional options.

The XFR’s interiors are beautifully appointed with a carbon-fiber and aluminum dashboard – the tailored instruments and door panels, blue halo illumination, and interior mood lighting all aim to please. The XFR has electronically adjustable leather seats with squab bolsters for significantly improved support at higher cornering speeds. Seats are ventilated, heated and cooled so the driver is always comfortable. Premium suede headlining and deep-pile carpets with embroidered logos all set the XFR’s cabin as far apart as its exterior styling.

On the road

The piece-de-resistance of the XFR has to be its all new supercharged V8 that puts out a mammoth 510bhp and 460lb/ft of torque. To put this into perspective, a Ferrari F430 puts out just 480bhp and 340lb/ft of torque. This gem of an engine gives the XFR neck snapping acceleration while remaining extremely drivable and civilized for daily use.

To get a sense of the immense physical forces involved, this new direct-injection engine gives the XFR a 0-100 km/h time of just 4.9 seconds. More relevant to everyday driving, an excellent indicator of the XFR’s flexibility is the time it takes to accelerate from 80-110 km/h – just 1.9 seconds. The XFR, a 4,000 pound sedan, is electronically limited to 250 km/h, but will reach 310 km/h with the electronic governor removed. In fact, a lightly modified XFR reached 363 km/h at the Bonneville Salt Flats in the US, becoming the fastest Jaguar of all time – beating the previous record that was held by the legendary XJ 220 supercar.

The all-new 5.0-litre V8 Gen III transmits power through an enhanced version of Jaguar’s ZF 6HP28, electronically controlled, six-speed transmission. Additional clutch plates and an uprated torque converter have been added for the supercharged V8 to facilitate the extra power. In ‘Sports’ mode the driver can hold gears as long as he or she wants, with quick shifts available through the steering wheel mounted paddle-shifters. Similar to WRC cars, there’s a large gear indicator that clearly displays what gear the car’s in.

The transmission has a fully-adaptive shift system, which delivers extremely smooth gear changes and optimises performance and economy at all times. The Jaguar Sequential Shift suffers no torque interrupt, resulting in a smooth, powerful shift feel and an almost instantaneous shift from the time the driver touches the paddle to the completion of the shift. The well engineered gearbox in this car is so good that you never really crave a traditional manual transmission. In automatic mode, the gearbox continually adapts to suit driving style, which can vary from sporting to more economical.

Jaguar has worked hard on the XFR’s dynamic abilities and has done a wonderful job in dialing in the car’s ride and handling. This is a car that feels truly buttoned down, and equally comfortable both on the highway and on a twisty mountain road. The XFR’s driving dynamics are underpinned by the Active Differential Control (electronically controlled rear differential) and Adaptive Dynamics – the latest in computer-controlled continuously variable damping.

Adaptive Dynamics is a highly sophisticated active damping system that automatically adjusts suspension damper settings to suit both road conditions and the way in which the car is being driven. The three primary functions of Adaptive Dynamics are to control vertical movement, roll rate, and pitch rate of the body. It does this by analyzing induced body motions one hundred times a second, and setting each damper to an appropriate level in order to maintain a constant and level body attitude, thereby optimizing control without compromising ride comfort.

In addition, the driver can select dynamic mode, which modifies the throttle, stability and transmission parameters along with adaptive dynamic responses. The combination of ADC and Dynamic mode with DSC Off, allows controllable power-on oversteer and improves off-throttle stability – allowing quicker, more spirited cornering.

To keep all that power in check and complete the driving experience, the XFR comes with large 380mm diameter internally ventilated front discs that give the car impeccable breaking performance. The XFR’s 20-inch wheels have massive high performance 285/30 20” tires at the rear and 255/35 20” tires at the front that help enhance the dynamic character of the car, as well as optimize grip.

The XFR comes fully loaded with two features that I found particularly useful – the radar-based Blind Spot Monitor that warns the driver when there is another vehicle nearby in a different lane, and the Rear Camera Parking Aid, which provides a clear view of the area behind the car on the colour touch-screen. The system has on-screen guidance lines that move according to steering wheel angle to indicate the area into which the car’s reversing.

In conclusion, there’s no arguing that this is a beautiful car with an uber powerful engine and brilliant driving dynamics. However, what’s really surprising is that it has no real flaws – it’s a complete package. With the XFR, Jaguar’s got the BMW M5 and Mercedes E63 AMG in its cross hairs. I’m certain that if drivers of those cars experience the XFR, they’ll be tempted to trade in their German Autobahn stormers for this gorgeous English wild cat.

Verdict

At 81 lakhs, the XFR doesn’t exactly come cheap – even in the realm of luxury cars. But it truly is an incredible machine. Its stunning yes, but it’s what’s under the skin that really makes it worth the price.

The mammoth engine with its stupendous power is epic, and gives the car a Jekyll and Hyde personality – enabling it to be perfectly comfortable and serene when you want it to be, and completely insane when you don’t. As an engineering marvel, and a low volume high performance luxury four-door saloon, it’s everything that Tata Motors could hope for in a new Jaguar – and more.