Jaguar XKR-S Convertible review

08 February 2012

Jaguar XKR-S Convertible reviewed
Most powerful Jaguar drop-top ever
Costs £103,000

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The XKR-S Convertible is the most powerful – and fastest – open-topped production car Jaguar has ever built.

At £103,000, it’s also the most expensive – costing £18,450 more than the XKR convertible on which it's based. This is our first drive of the car in the UK.

Visual changes over the standard XKR model include a deeper front bumper, re-profiled side sills and a larger-than-life carbonfibre rear wing.

The tweaks aren’t just for show either: Jaguar calculates these wind tunnel-influenced revisions, along with a 10mm drop in ride height, contribute to a 26% reduction in vertical lift. That’s reassuring to know when you consider this is a soft-top capable of hitting 186mph.

What’s it like to drive? Revisions include stiffer springs and dampers, revised steering geometry and re-calibrated electronics that control the stability control system and active rear differential.

The XKR-S also comes with a booming sports exhaust and an extra 39bhp compared with the standard car, which pushes the output from the supercharged 5.0-litre V8 to a tyre-torturing 542bhp.

As a result, performance is most definitely on the wild side, but this is not a car that responds kindly to a ‘boot it and hang on tight’ style of driving. Well, not unless you want to find yourself heading sideways in a plume of tyre smoke.

Take a more considered approach, though, and you’ll discover a car that’s full of silky feel and incredible precision.

For all its supercar ambitions, the XKR-S remains a civilised tourer, although the most pedantic of drivers will probably have issues with the firm ride and a roof that could do with a few additional layers of material to reduce wind noise at motorway speeds.

What’s it like inside? It takes a lengthy 18 seconds for the electrically powered roof to fold flat. Once it's folded, you get a great view of the XKR-S’s bespoke leather sports seats, which feature integrated headrests and racing harness cut-outs.

A three-spoke leather-trimmed steering wheel with paddleshifters, Jaguar-embossed stainless steel pedals, carbonfibre trim and gloss black centre console enhance the car's cabin.

The XKR-S has four seats, but in reality the rear seats are only suitable for carrying additional luggage. That’s a strategy you might employ on a regular basis, because boot space is rather limited.

Should I buy one? There’s no denying the enhanced handling and outrageous performance appeal of the XK-RS, but we’d still point you in the direction of the standard XK Convertible.

It delivers 90% of the same open top thrills as the XKR-S and will save you a useful £32,000 into the bargain. Haggle hard at your nearest Jaguar dealer and chances are you’ll increase that saving to around £40K.

Rivals
Aston Martin Vantage Roadster S
Maserati Grancabrio Sport

What Car? says…

Pete Tullin