The New-generation Jaguar XK - a legendary car gets even better.

By Vince Bodiford
Automotive Editor

"On the final laps at Le Mans, we had time to notice that the Jaguar was a bit worn and tattered from a difficult 24 hours of fighting. It loped and growled around the track, yet could still bolt down the Mulsanne Straight like an angry cat if need be, knowing full well it had conquered its prey once again." - Price Cobb, Overall Champion for Jaguar, 1990 24 Hours of Le Mans; and technical editor, The Weekend Drive.

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. - "Wow, of all the cool cars around here, nobody has one like this…" observed my 14-year old son, Alex, of likely the coolest car he’s ever seen - the lean, mean fighting machine from Jaguar - the supercharged 400-horsepower XKR Coupe.

A fan of the James Bond movie Die Another Day, Alex knows the Jaguar XKR as the car that the evil Zao drives as he tangles with Bond in an exhilarating sequence pitting Bond’s Q-Branch customized Aston Martin V-12 Vanquish against Zao, driving the 400-horsepower convertible equipped with a Gatling-gun mounted behind the driver, grille-mounted rockets, hidden side-mount rocket launchers and mortars in the rear. The Jaguar XK8 in the James Bond movie Die Another Day is also painted to match Jaguar Racing’s Formula One car.

Although ours was not so equipped, the Jaguar XKR is the ultimate weapon in the status wars of the elite. Surrounded by the likes of BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche and every other high-end machine in Newport Beach - there was no equal on the road to our XKR. This car puts a hush over every parking attendant, every valet parker, and every owner of everything else when we arrived in the XK.

As if the XK itself were saying "Game over, you lose, we win" in the game of "look at me" cars, it manages still to do so quite subtly, with that air of British good taste and waft. Few cars turn heads and raise pulses like the Jaguar XK.

But beneath the hype and glamour of this movie star exists one of the finest production cars in the world - easily recognizable and from the line of greats such as the Jaguar E-Type roadsters and the very same Jaguar that Price Cobb drove to victory in the 1990 24 Hours of Le Mans.

"The XK is a car for individuals. From a superb starting point of one of the finest luxury sports cars in the world, you can create the car that you want," says Lawrence Thomas, XK Brand Manager.

Driving the XKR is an experience that is difficult to explain. For true performance junkies and enthusiasts, it’s the perfect blend of luxury and performance. It’s striking good looks serve real purposes - venting engine heat, inhaling vast amounts of air, cooling brakes, spoiling lift and making downforce. However little comfort is sacrificed in the name of performance. It is instead a car that you "wear" instead of drive. As you move, it moves.

Introduced in 1996, the XK8 set new standards for luxury sports cars. Two years later, the supercharged XKR lined up alongside, raising levels of driving excitement, style and performance still further. Now, for the 2003 model year, comes an extensively revised successor to the beautiful coupe and convertible XKs.

"The engineering changes made to the XK for 2003 are substantial and significant. The extensively revised powertrain, with the new, larger capacity 4.2-litre engines and six-speed automatic transmission, contributes to an improvement in every aspect of the driving experience," says Russ Varney, Chief Program Engineer for Jaguar Cars in the UK.

Coupled with the more muscular engine is the state-of-the-art, electronically-controlled, six-speed automatic transmission that made its Jaguar debut in the new S-TYPE R. Built by ZF, it is the first example of a ‘stepped’ (as opposed to CVT) six-speed automatic transmission.

Every variant - naturally aspirated XK8 or supercharged XKR, coupe or convertible - delivers even more effortless performance, greater refinement and craftsmanship, improved functionality and enhanced drivability, reaffirming the unique balance that makes the XK the perfect combination of true sports car and luxurious grand tourer.

Now with 300-horsepower in the normally aspirated XK8, or a full 400-horsepower in the supercharged XKR, the XK is now even more impressive than the car that has earned the model its reputation. In fact, the 400bhp XKR shares with the latest S-TYPE R sports saloon the distinction of having the most powerful series production engine in Jaguar’s history.

The latest R Performance range of options includes unique Recaro seats, high performance Brembo brakes and a package of interior details with sporty aluminum or leather finishes.

The XK has independent front suspension with double, unequal-length wishbones, coil springs and telescopic dampers. This is a classic layout, but with many Jaguar refinements. All Jaguar XKs have extremely powerful brakes, with ventilated discs at all four wheels and four-channel ABS anti-lock function as standard. The supercharged XKR has Brembo brakes as standard.

Some of the visual changes to the new XK are to bring its badging into line with the rest of the Jaguar range while underlining its position at the top of that range. Unique for the XK there are new sculpted Jaguar ‘growler’ badges and a new ‘leaping cat’ emblem on the airbag door and other interior components. There is a prominent new ‘R’ logo on the supercharged models, which carry the ‘Jaguar Supercharged’ badge on their nose. The XKR also has distinctive bonnet louvers, fine-mesh grille, and the ‘R’ logo appears on the XKR gearknob, which also has alloy side inserts in the leather covering.

Three new alloy wheel designs are added to the wide choice already available for each variation of new XK. The R Performance optional wheels are made by performance wheel specialists BBS, and feature two-piece modular construction with die-cast and spun rims and titanium screws, one of which neatly conceals the tire valve. A wide choice of other styles is available, the most extreme option remaining the 20-inch BBS alloy wheel with ultra low profile Pirelli P-Zero tires.

As well as being an unmistakable styling signature for the XK, the car’s shapely headlights have more to them than meets the eye. Light sensors detect low ambient light, and in Auto-lamp mode the sensors automatically turn on the sidelights and low beam headlights when outside light levels drop.

The electronics in the vehicle are impressive. Audio choices begin with the Premium Sound Alpine system, with 320-watts of audio power, nine speakers and a six-disc CD autochanger, trunk-mounted for security. Our test vehicle was also equipped with Jaguar’s satellite-guided GPS navigation system. I tested the vehicle over a week in Southern California, and I relied heavily on this system. My driving in the traffic and unknown areas of the city were made far more pleasant with this remarkable system, which never once misguided me.

I am sure that James Bond would agree that the XK8 or XKR, coupe or convertible, the latest generation of the XK offers everything it ever did - and now even more.

COMPARISION VEHICLES: Aston Martin DB7 Vantage, Mercedes-Benz S500, Porsche 911 Carerra.

HIGHS: Irresistibly sexy. Abundant power. Jaguar heritage. Impeccable road manners. Fine woods and leathers.

LOWS: None.

VEHICLE PRICING: Manufacturer Suggested Retail Pricing (MSRP) $70,730 including Navigation system, excluding destination charges and government fees. Prices and equipment vary, see dealer for details.

FUEL ECONOMY: Factory ratings of 31-mpg highway, 23-mpg city.

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LIFE’S A TRIP - Enjoy the drive. Be a safe and courteous driver, obey all highway laws, buckle everyone up and never drive impaired. Copyright © 2003 The Weekend Drive, All Rights Reserved.