Jaguar XK

The Jaguar XK is a two-door coupe or convertible  that replaced the old XJS two-doors in the 1997 model year. Now in its second generation, the XK has switched from steel construction to a bonded-aluminum body, has gained a more serious performance edge, and now truly competes with the likes of the BMW 6-Series, Mercedes-Benz SL-Class, Chevrolet Corvette and Porsche 911--especially in supercharged XKR form.

The first-generation Jaguar XK was introduced back in 1996 at the Geneva Motor Show. A sleek, stylish replacement for the old XJS, the XK8 and XKR coupe and convertible lasted on the U.S. showroom floor through the 2006 model year. Though resale values were typically Jaguar--astonishingly low--the XK8 proved a vastly superior, vastly more reliable car than the one it replaced. It was during its tenure on the market that Jaguar made remarkable leaps in initial quality and in fit and finish, and the first-generation XK was the most beautiful evidence of that transformation. The XK did have the reputation of more of a grand tourer than of a true sportscar--even though it sported either a 300-hp V-8 or a 420-hp supercharged V-8, its handling didn't quite match the brilliance of a Porsche 911. Its best attributes were its feline styling grace, its wood-buffed cockpit, and its relaxed ride quality.

 

The current XK range came to the U.S. in the 2007 model year. You'd be hard-pressed to find a more suave grand
tourer from any brand, even Maserati or Ferrari. The current XK arrived in showrooms with the 300-hp V-8 and the 420-hp supercharged V-8 intact, but with a much more sophisticated and crisper style as witness to the change underneath its body. The new XK had dropped steel body sections for bonded and riveted aluminum, which made it lighter, more nimble, and significantly less subject to the creaks and twists that could crop up in the prior car. The verdict from TheCarConnection: approval on every front, save for the ridiculously small rear seats.

For the 2010 model year, Jaguar updated the engines in the XK to include its latest, most powerful 5.0-liter V-8 powerplants. The normally aspirated 5.0-liter V-8 in the XK coupe and convertible churns out 385 horsepower; with the standard six-speed paddle-shifted automatic, it's good for 0-60 mph times of about 5 seconds. With supercharging, the same engine spits out 510 hp and 0-60 mph times drop to less than 4.6 seconds. In either form, ride and handling are superb. Steering is a responsive joy, and the XK and XKR are tuned for a smooth highway ride, good
tracking and stability, flat cornering, and great grand-touring comfort.

Rear-seat room is still inherently sportscar-small--and the updated LCD touchscreen that drives climate, navigation and audio functions seems to have taken a step backward in functionality. Still, the current Jaguar XK and XKR represent some of the finest machines ever built by Coventry--and real competitors for hardcore German iron.