Jaguar XJR's Heart Lies on the Track

You know that friend who's always messing up and can't seem to win for losing, but who's so much fun to be around that you just can't stop hanging out with him or her? That's the Jaguar XJR in a nutshell. Jaguar's flagship sedan isn't the best or the most respected of large sports sedans; but when it's good, it's good enough to make you forget about its many flaws. Like that buddy of yours, you'll be willing to overlook the occasional screw-up just to keep it around.

Jaguar itself has had a long run of mixed fortunes, of course. The brand's future is in question thanks to its recent sale by Ford Motor Company to an Indian automotive firm. Where that's going to go is anyone's guess. Jaguar's current product lineup is the best it's been in years, however, and the "heritage" flag is carried strongly by the XJR, the highest-performance variant of Jaguar's big XJ sedan series.

Jaguar's XJ series doesn't look like any of its competition. The design comes from a different era of sport sedans, and the XJR is low and long compared to any BMW or Lexus. The flattened, three-box form is cigar-shaped. The big Jag has received some subtle styling tweaks for 2008, including chrome "power vents" in the front fenders, additional chrome at the rear, and a redesigned rear bumper. The quad headlamps up front look retro but are thoroughly modern, with integrated HID and running light units. Twenty-inch wheels are standard.

The interior is also a radical departure from what one might expect in a modern luxury car, a sort of step sideways in time. In some ways it's not a good departure, such as the low roof and snug passenger cabin, which seem out of place in a vehicle this size; while the choice of high-gloss burl walnut or elm wood trim, and acoustic-laminate glass are elegant enough to make it clear that the XJR is something special without resorting to the less personalized boardroom luxury of a BMW or a Lexus. Other departures aren't quite as welcome: the jellybean buttons in the center console controlling the less-than-stellar navigation system and a lack of standard satellite radio are glaring omissions in an CDN$100,000 car. The front-seat passenger has less legroom than in some cars, because the XJ series is designed to maximize rear-seat legroom. There's also no trunk pass-through. Gripes aside, what the XJR can offer is comfortable (though snug) seating for four, heated and cooled front seats, radar-based cruise control, and a rear sunshade on the standard equipment list. Bluetooth connectivity is also available. Passengers used to the generous space and obvious gadgets found in most, modern, luxury sedans wondered aloud at the XJR's base price, however.

Like your stumblebum friend, the XJR's saving grace more than makes up for any of its social shortcomings, and most of the detractors are silent when the pedal hits the metal. The XJR's personality is all in the 4.2 liter, supercharged, intercooled, V8 under the hood. When that supercharger gets to moaning, the XJR demonstrates some serious, 400-horse forward urge. The all-aluminum engine features variable cam phasing and is responsive throughout the rev range. Special pistons and a twin-pump fuel system are used to ensure that it can take the punishment that high-performance driving will dish out. And dish the XJR will. It's best to ease the power in gradually, foregoing maximum acceleration because the big Jag will spin the rear wheels in a most undignified way, fighting with its own traction control, if given full power from a stop. Roll-on acceleration is heavenly, and the XJR will pull hard well into the triple digits. Luxury-car buyers won't like it; the supercharger is too loud and the power delivery too coarse. Enthusiasts, on the other hand, will share in the XJR's unabashed accelerative glee.

The XJR is more than just a big engine, too. Lightweight aluminum construction results in a body that's surprisingly tossable for its size. Plenty of cars can go fast—the special ones can do so while giving you a sense that they know what they're doing. The XJR handles like it's on rails. It's surprisingly at home even on a race track, thanks to double wishbones with air springs at all four corners. The Jaguar's unfortunately named Computer Active Technology System (CATS) active suspension is upgraded for high performance driving in the XJR. Front and rear suspensions ride on isolated subframes to provide race-car handling without a punishing ride. Larger brakes are of course a part of the XJR package. The XJ series is split into short- and long-wheelbase models, and the XJR is available only on the shorter platform, for improved handling. The stretched XJ Super V8 that shares the XJR's supercharged powerplant is no slouch either, but that's a review for another day. Turned loose on a track, the XJR seems to dive instinctively for the apexes, and delights in hitting the braking points at every turn. The XJR is so confidence inspiring that it feels almost like the car knows the track better than I do.

The XJ series has gotten a raw deal in comparison to its competitors from Lexus, BMW, and Mercedes; but taking the big sedan out on the track reveals part of the reason for that—this is where its heart truly lies, burl walnut trim notwithstanding. For drivers who are willing to compromise a bit in on-road luxury and interior space, the XJR provides a pleasant departure from the status quo. XJR pricing starts at CDN$101,000, a premium of about twenty grand over the standard XJ.

This article is courtesy of www.car-data.com .