08 Sep 06
The new XKR is not just a fantastic car to drive, it's also the embodiment of everything that's good about Jaguar.
The way it looks, the way it feels, the way it drives, the way it makes everyone smile and wave a Union Jack - this is a car that you 'get' the first time you clap eyes on it and that just keeps on getting better and better when you get closer, get in it, fire it up and go. And all in a safe, reliable package.
If only the whole Jaguar range had always been so spot-on, so right first time, Jaguar wouldn't be making such a dismally large contribution to owner Ford's losses. But this is, or at least should be, the turning point. This is a Jaguar that looks as good as it goes - and goes very well indeed. No ifs, no buts, no excuses.
Rather than seeing Jaguar as the eccentric old-timer in the corner, the rest of Ford should now start learning from Jaguar, which, judging by the XKR, can teach everyone a thing or two about building highly desirable cars that deliver all they promise. Suddenly Jaguar has come into focus for the first time in years. The order book for the XKR is bulging, Jaguar is returning to motorsport (next year's FIA GT3 series), the threat of a sell-off has (it seems) receded and Jaguar people are speaking very optimistically about the next all-new Jag, 2008's replacement for the S-Type.
The XKR has remarkable clarity of purpose. Almost every detail has been devised and executed with the same end result in mind: making the ultimate GT. It's a very fine car from nose to rear bumper, but we've highlighted are 10 of the finest details.
