Discussion
Very nice (although I am biased) and I'll be very interested to here how you think it compares to the V12V as it was a close call between one of these and my XKR when I bought it a few months ago. I think the Aston edges the looks but the Jag just seems the better built, more modern (i.e. properly integrated electronics etc) car? Anyway, I think it's fair to say that you will love this car - I loved mine despite it having to live up to some fairly strong competition and, whilst not a full blown XKR-S, was a 2012MY XKR with Dynamic Pack which meant it had the full blown R-S chassis upgrades and exhaust. It's a fabulous chassis which sits equally well on the motorway as it is barrelling down a bumpy, broken British B road.
Here it was when I had it....
However, unfortunately my particular car wasn't without problems (not typical of other XK's I've driven) hence I refer to it in the past tense. But its all good news from here on in because Jaguar have agreed to swap it for one of these
Yep, now thats what I call customer service! I've yet to come across a car company that look after a customer as well as I've been - how they've handled a problematic car has been a masterclass in how to treat a disappointed customer (helped in no small amount by my fabulous dealer). I now have to wait until mid-Sept for the replacement to be built which seems like an age away. My other half isn't at all happy with the colour choice; she'd have much preferred me to choose the red like yours and, whilst I like them both (I'd even say the red is more classy) I went for the blue simply because my current one has red stitching inside - I fancied a change and liked the blue stitching so that was my colour choice made up!
I can't imagine how quick the R-S must feel because I never drove my XKR and thought 'oooh, that could do with more power'! Thats despite having a Gen-2 997 Turbo last year which was insanely fast, but with 4wd, utterly foolproof. The XKR-S will be an animal to control in comparison as even my paltry 510bhp version (yep, it's a wonder it moved with that power!) went sideways if you so much as sneezed on the throttle. Good times
Enjoy
Here it was when I had it....
However, unfortunately my particular car wasn't without problems (not typical of other XK's I've driven) hence I refer to it in the past tense. But its all good news from here on in because Jaguar have agreed to swap it for one of these
Yep, now thats what I call customer service! I've yet to come across a car company that look after a customer as well as I've been - how they've handled a problematic car has been a masterclass in how to treat a disappointed customer (helped in no small amount by my fabulous dealer). I now have to wait until mid-Sept for the replacement to be built which seems like an age away. My other half isn't at all happy with the colour choice; she'd have much preferred me to choose the red like yours and, whilst I like them both (I'd even say the red is more classy) I went for the blue simply because my current one has red stitching inside - I fancied a change and liked the blue stitching so that was my colour choice made up!
I can't imagine how quick the R-S must feel because I never drove my XKR and thought 'oooh, that could do with more power'! Thats despite having a Gen-2 997 Turbo last year which was insanely fast, but with 4wd, utterly foolproof. The XKR-S will be an animal to control in comparison as even my paltry 510bhp version (yep, it's a wonder it moved with that power!) went sideways if you so much as sneezed on the throttle. Good times
Enjoy
Palmball said:
Very nice (although I am biased) and I'll be very interested to here how you think it compares to the V12V as it was a close call between one of these and my XKR when I bought it a few months ago. I think the Aston edges the looks but the Jag just seems the better built, more modern (i.e. properly integrated electronics etc) car? Anyway, I think it's fair to say that you will love this car - I loved mine despite it having to live up to some fairly strong competition and, whilst not a full blown XKR-S, was a 2012MY XKR with Dynamic Pack which meant it had the full blown R-S chassis upgrades and exhaust. It's a fabulous chassis which sits equally well on the motorway as it is barrelling down a bumpy, broken British B road.
Here it was when I had it....
However, unfortunately my particular car wasn't without problems (not typical of other XK's I've driven) hence I refer to it in the past tense. But its all good news from here on in because Jaguar have agreed to swap it for one of these
Yep, now thats what I call customer service! I've yet to come across a car company that look after a customer as well as I've been - how they've handled a problematic car has been a masterclass in how to treat a disappointed customer (helped in no small amount by my fabulous dealer). I now have to wait until mid-Sept for the replacement to be built which seems like an age away. My other half isn't at all happy with the colour choice; she'd have much preferred me to choose the red like yours and, whilst I like them both (I'd even say the red is more classy) I went for the blue simply because my current one has red stitching inside - I fancied a change and liked the blue stitching so that was my colour choice made up!
I can't imagine how quick the R-S must feel because I never drove my XKR and thought 'oooh, that could do with more power'! Thats despite having a Gen-2 997 Turbo last year which was insanely fast, but with 4wd, utterly foolproof. The XKR-S will be an animal to control in comparison as even my paltry 510bhp version (yep, it's a wonder it moved with that power!) went sideways if you so much as sneezed on the throttle. Good times
Enjoy
Hi Palmball, well all I can say is wow, that's what I call Customer Service, a brand new XKRS for an XKR, that's fantastic! And you will not be disappointed if my test drive in the XKRS I'm getting tomorrow is anything to go by. Here it was when I had it....
However, unfortunately my particular car wasn't without problems (not typical of other XK's I've driven) hence I refer to it in the past tense. But its all good news from here on in because Jaguar have agreed to swap it for one of these
Yep, now thats what I call customer service! I've yet to come across a car company that look after a customer as well as I've been - how they've handled a problematic car has been a masterclass in how to treat a disappointed customer (helped in no small amount by my fabulous dealer). I now have to wait until mid-Sept for the replacement to be built which seems like an age away. My other half isn't at all happy with the colour choice; she'd have much preferred me to choose the red like yours and, whilst I like them both (I'd even say the red is more classy) I went for the blue simply because my current one has red stitching inside - I fancied a change and liked the blue stitching so that was my colour choice made up!
I can't imagine how quick the R-S must feel because I never drove my XKR and thought 'oooh, that could do with more power'! Thats despite having a Gen-2 997 Turbo last year which was insanely fast, but with 4wd, utterly foolproof. The XKR-S will be an animal to control in comparison as even my paltry 510bhp version (yep, it's a wonder it moved with that power!) went sideways if you so much as sneezed on the throttle. Good times
Enjoy
The chassis and suspension set up is just amazing. I drove it in the dry, and I have read all the press I could find and noted the negative comments regarding wet weather handling, and it is astonishing how composed it is and how beautifully it rides even the most aweful of surfaces...much more compliant (and comfortable) than my V12V was down the same test route roads. In fact the chap accompanying me on the test drive (one of the TOP555 Directors) was pleasantly surprised how good (and quick) it was. His view was that a DBS would struggle to keep up and a V12V might have kept up, but not as comfortably. Even in dynamic it was not unpleasant on a really rough back road.
I will post more once I've had a proper go.
Looks like there will be at least two XKRSs tooling round the East Midlands in the not too distant future, I look forward to swapping feedback come September when you get yours, and by the way, I think the FRB suits the car really well and I agree with you about the blue stitching, it looks really good.
Only ten hours to go, how will I sleep
Ah, you bought the Top555 one! Nice....and one of the few ones outside the dealer network.
It is the most fabulously planted chassis in the dry but in the wet it's an animal. PM me when you have your first scare...I give it until the first wet road drive (unless you are totally used to and comfortable going sideways whilst going forwards
).
It's such great fun but it does have a distinct lack of mechanical grip in the wet (possibly due to the P-Zero's...I've read Pilot Supersports are much better) which caught me by surprise a few times....only 3 days after getting my car, I nearly drove it off a bridge as I accelerated and it snapped sideways! So, I can understand some of the press comments about it being a hooligan and a drift machine.
The R-S chassis is very different to a standard XKR and in particular, the stability control is extremely lenient - even with it fully on, you can get some big slide angles that, in the standard XKR, would have been quelled a lot quicker. It all adds up to quite a challenging car to drive which for me, is so much more satisfying than the rather too good (and therefore a bit boring) Porsche I had previously.
Yes, I still can't believe the how well Jaguar have treated me and, whilst I do have to pay a fee for the 7 months I had my car, it's negligible compared to the cost of the car. You have a few hours....I have whole weeks driving around in a courtesy car before I get mine (although I can't complain given I'm being kept mobile at no cost to me)!
It is the most fabulously planted chassis in the dry but in the wet it's an animal. PM me when you have your first scare...I give it until the first wet road drive (unless you are totally used to and comfortable going sideways whilst going forwards
). It's such great fun but it does have a distinct lack of mechanical grip in the wet (possibly due to the P-Zero's...I've read Pilot Supersports are much better) which caught me by surprise a few times....only 3 days after getting my car, I nearly drove it off a bridge as I accelerated and it snapped sideways! So, I can understand some of the press comments about it being a hooligan and a drift machine.
The R-S chassis is very different to a standard XKR and in particular, the stability control is extremely lenient - even with it fully on, you can get some big slide angles that, in the standard XKR, would have been quelled a lot quicker. It all adds up to quite a challenging car to drive which for me, is so much more satisfying than the rather too good (and therefore a bit boring) Porsche I had previously.
Yes, I still can't believe the how well Jaguar have treated me and, whilst I do have to pay a fee for the 7 months I had my car, it's negligible compared to the cost of the car. You have a few hours....I have whole weeks driving around in a courtesy car before I get mine (although I can't complain given I'm being kept mobile at no cost to me)!
Edited by Palmball on Tuesday 24th July 01:23
Palmball said:
Any update on the new car yet Sagpack?
Hey PalmballWell, what a hooligan! I've been mega busy with work commitments but have managed to drive it most days and all I can say is it's a smile a mile car. I have found any excuse to take it out and where ever I'm going it's via the longest route possible without needing a passport!
I will get round to taking some pictures and writing something a little more in depth but suffice to say it is everything I hoped it would be and more. No it's not built to the same depths of quality (in the cabin) of a Porsche or the sumptuousness (if that's a word) of a Maserati/Aston et al, but there is something very special about the character of this car that just makes me feel all gooey inside. When I know I'm going to get the chance to go out in it I get all excited and a bit nervous. I haven't felt that about a car in a long time. I've been lucky enough to own a few really good cars (to me any way) and had become almost addicted to the next new one, and consequently a bit blase about whatever I was driving at the time. This R-S has really changed that perspective and taken me back to how I felt when I bought my Vanquish S (at the time my absolute dream car). Some may find it hard to understand that comparison with the AM being a hand built iconic car but this XK is just so fabulous, and yet so easy to drive whilst filling the driver with reassuring feelings of reliability, that they are, in my mind, compariable. The XK is somehow a little old fashioned yet the sheer grunt, available from almost anywhere on the rev range, is breathtaking and combined with a chassis that is almost other worldly in the real world makes for a truly amazing real world 'supercar'. I know it's not a supercar but anything with near enough 550bhp and 500 ft lbs of torque in a beautiful GT body gets pretty close in my book.
I have taken it down some of my favourite deserted back roads at truly ridiculous speeds (all within the posted limit officer, honest
) that you'd swear it wasn't a dirty great GT car. It's even fun going slow, mostly thanks to the quicksilver exhaust that the first owner fitted, louder than standard but without being silly and a hoot on downshifts as well as full bore upshifts - consequently I couldn't say anything about the 700W Bowers system, apparently it's very good. Most of the time I have the window fully down just listening to the symphony coming from a few feet behind my right ear In the real world it is all the sports/GT that I could ever want, so right here, right now it's probably the best car I've owned in a very long time....and when it rains, well that's what VW made my R50 for...
You will not regret upgrading I promise you that
Great update and some of what you say I can relate to.... almost to the extent that I wonder if you are indeed me!
For instance....
)
The R-S also has a full leather headlining I believe? Do you find this creaks at all?
September the 18th.................come on!
(In the meantime I will slum it in my brand new courtesy XF S Portfolio which Jaguar supplied to keep me happy whilst they make my new car....it's actually very nice and experiencing 40mpg is a bit of novelty!)
I was so proud of my first XKR (hence I hijack any thread i can pictures of it) so god knows what I'll be like with the new R-S!
For instance....
Sagpack said:
I've been lucky enough to own a few really good cars (to me any way) and had become almost addicted to the next new one, and consequently a bit blase about whatever I was driving at the time. This R-S has really changed that perspective.....
Yes, yes, yes!! There are other people who understand this too! I too have been lucky enough to own quite a number of really nice cars over the last few years and feel much the same as you describe - after a few months, the current car is out of flavour and onto the excitement of the next thing! Not so when I had my recent 'normal' XKR and I can only imagine that will continue when I get the R-S next month (yes, we are just in August so I get my car next month )Sagpack said:
No it's not built to the same depths of quality (in the cabin) of a Porsche or the sumptuousness (if that's a word) of a Maserati/Aston et al,
agreed on the Porsche front - thy seem unbreakable. Saying that my 911 rattled more than it should have done and I also had a Maserati Granturismo which might have looked sumptuous from a distance but was probably the most disappointing car I've ever had (when considering expectations vs. reality....I have had plenty 'worse' cars!). The interior plastics were just that....plastic, despite them trying to make it look like leather. At least the XK is (nearly) all leather!The R-S also has a full leather headlining I believe? Do you find this creaks at all?
Sagpack said:
and when it rains, well that's what VW made my R50 for...
You will not regret upgrading I promise you that
You must try it in the wet....you'll be amazed at how the character of the car changes into something that is frankly, a little bit dangerous. All good fun You will not regret upgrading I promise you that
September the 18th.................come on!
(In the meantime I will slum it in my brand new courtesy XF S Portfolio which Jaguar supplied to keep me happy whilst they make my new car....it's actually very nice and experiencing 40mpg is a bit of novelty!)
Tresco said:
You boys do realise that you're not helping us drivers of 'ordinary' XKR's at all!
Enjoy your cars, thanks for the review Sagpack, I'm sure I'm not the only one looking forward to hearing more from both of you.
Mmmm...sorry about that - it's too easy to get excited. I can pretty much guarantee that by mid September you will definitely be hearing more from me Enjoy your cars, thanks for the review Sagpack, I'm sure I'm not the only one looking forward to hearing more from both of you.
I was so proud of my first XKR (hence I hijack any thread i can pictures of it) so god knows what I'll be like with the new R-S!Gassing Station | Jaguar | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff