Jaguar XKR

[TorqueDirty]

Bowside said:

Are you running the standard Dunlops?

Yes, Dunlop Sportmxx with good tread.

Are there better options for the car?

Live in Scotland so wet weather grip is important!

TD

[tony rigby]

I'm thinking of buying Kumho Ecsta 31s.

Euro wet weather rating A.

[sly fox]

TorqueDirty said:

Yes, Dunlop Sportmxx with good tread.

Are there better options for the car?

Live in Scotland so wet weather grip is important!

TD

The first time i have experienced Aquaplaning was not long after i bought my XKR. It was fitted with dunlop sportmaxx all around, and they had around 4-5 mm of tread. I hit a patch of water on the A4 about 2 car lengths long and i was only saved by the traction control/antiskid. Car immediately slewed to one side even though i was steering straight ahead, doing about 50MPH.
Swapped to Michelin PSS - not known for their wet weather grip as more of a dedicated dry/summer tyre, but they are FAR superior to the Dunlops in the wet and in standing water, and leaps better on dry grip.

[TorqueDirty]

sly fox said:

The first time i have experienced Aquaplaning was not long after i bought my XKR. It was fitted with dunlop sportmaxx all around, and they had around 4-5 mm of tread. I hit a patch of water on the A4 about 2 car lengths long and i was only saved by the traction control/antiskid. Car immediately slewed to one side even though i was steering straight ahead, doing about 50MPH.
Swapped to Michelin PSS - not known for their wet weather grip as more of a dedicated dry/summer tyre, but they are FAR superior to the Dunlops in the wet and in standing water, and leaps better on dry grip.

Hmm. Was hoping not to have to spend yet more cash on our cars (the aged Discovery is trying my patience - again) but it does sound like the tyres are at fault here. I have not even dared to look at the cost of replacing all 4 tyres but I suppose it will be cheaper than replacing the entire car because it decided to head butt the scenery of its own accord!

[8bit]

TorqueDirty said:

Yes, Dunlop Sportmxx with good tread.

Are there better options for the car?

Live in Scotland so wet weather grip is important!

TD

I also live in Scotland and find Vredestein Ultrac Sessantas work well on my 4.2 XKR. My rears are due for changing soon, the Sessantas don't seem to be available now so I'll probably use the replacements, the Ultrac Vorti. We have a full set of those on my wife's Mercedes M-Class, they work well there, although we don't drive it like I drive the XKR.

Well priced too.

[CarbonXKR]

TorqueDirty said:

NDA said:

I was driving on a dual carriageway, dead straight, on a balanced throttle at 60mph. The car suddenly went violently sideways.... It was heavy rain, but no standing water. My chum had the same experience, but unfortunately totalled his.

As I have had two XKR's and driven at Le Mans and Goodwood (not in XKR's), I'd say I'm an OK driver.... My view and the view of several other experienced drivers is the the 5L has the wrong tyres on for wet weather. No doubt others here will have an entirely different view!

It wouldn't put me off the 5L, I think it's a beautiful and powerful car, very underrated too. But I'd want different tyres on it.

I though I'd resurrect this. I read this thread when I was researching in to 5.0l XKRs before I bought mine. Interestingly I experienced exactly this behaviour on mine yesterday.

Wet road after some heavy rain, car on cruise control at 60mph (bd average speed cameras), straight line on a good dual carriageway road surface with a very small amount of standing water (like literally a couple of mm). Had been driving for 100 miles already so tyres were as warm as they were going to get on this journey.

So all calm and cruising along when suddenly the steering wheel jerked violently to the right with absolutely no input from me and under absolutely no acceleration.

Instant correction from me and all was fine but bloody hell it was not confidence inspiring. It felt like it was the front playing silly buggers rather than the rear losing traction. Kind of like massive tramlining but with no major deviations in the road surface, and on a car that does not tramline.

Controlling 510 bhp and all that torque when pushing on is one thing but this is not a characteristic that I enjoyed, particularly in such an expensive, mechanically perfect and otherwise so well sorted car.

Would be interested in theories as to why this seems to occur on these cars, other than theories that say I'm a pussy and that this is part of the fun of owning a powerful car. Rest of the journey was faultless under largely similar conditions. Very odd.

TD

I think your problem was the fact you had it on Cruise control in the wet rather than anything wrong with the tyres. Cruise and wet conditions where one or both tyres lose traction briefly can cause acceleration and if only one wheel is gripping therein lies your problem...... I always switch my cruise off now in the rain after a similar experience

[NDA]

I wasn't using cruise control when I had my sideways moment.

[bignoise]

I went the Kumho EST31 on the back of my XKR after being disappointed with the standard Dunlops which would just spin as soon as you touched the throttle in the wet

I got mine from Tyre Leader for £97 each.

You need to keep checking on the site as their prices go up and down

Also be wary as some cheap deals are for older tyres, the Kumhos were 2016 so all good.

So far really impressed by them good grip relatively quiet

[M15ley]

8bit said:

Sessantas don't seem to be available now so I'll probably use the replacements, the Ultrac Vorti.

I picked my XKR up with the 'approved' Dunlops on and was not impressed at all, provided me with little confidence. I quickly changed to the Vorti's and can report a significant improvement. As 8bit mentioned, well priced too!!