2010 XKR sport/dynamic mode?

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I'm considering buying a 2009/10 XKR but I'm wondering what effect the sport/dynamic button near the gear selector has on the car's performance/handling. A friend took me out in his new 997 Porsche yesterday and the Sport button in that transformed the car from something fairly comfortable and docile into a monster. Does the Jag button have the same effect and is it a standard fit in all facelift (2009+) XKRs?

Does it affect performance? Handling? Exhaust note? Steering?

I'm hoping to hear honest owner opinions rather than dealer fluff but if all else fails I'll book another test drive. Asking here will hopefully get me a quicker reply.

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Thanks Geoff. How much of an effect does it have on the experience? Does it make things a little bit more interesting or does it transform things? I've a feeling that the XKR-S is already a harder-edged version of the XKR so I guess the change couldn't be too dramatic. The 997 Porsche got a whole lot more exciting - even from the passenger seat!

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Thank you all. Seems like it does make a noticeable difference then, which is good. Do you all leave dynamic mode enabled all the time or would it be too gnarly?

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bp1000 said:

I assume the XFR reacts the same apart from the exhaust which is active on the xkr.

I've not long been back from a test drive in an XFR... and neither my passengers nor I could honestly tell the difference between dynamic mode on or off. In fact at one point the salesman said he'd switched it on again, my dad and mate in the back agreed that the ride felt a bit firmer to them, then I pointed out that the salesman had in fact turned on winter mode by mistake.
If there was an effect on ride or throttle response, it was so subtle as to be almost pointless for driving on the A- and B-roads around Chichester. There was no transformation of the car's character.

I hope the XKR would be different. :-)

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Having bought an XKR in 2013 I can now update my own thread (which I'd forgotten about).

I drive everywhere in Dynamic Mode, with the gearbox in Sport, using paddles/manual only. I only ever drive in D, normal and automatic mode when I've started from cold, letting the car choose its own revs and gears until it's warmed up.

This combination of Dynamic + Sports + manual (paddles) gives me the most enjoyment and sense of occasion. The suspension adapts to our driving patterns, so initially it's firm (although not massively firmer than normal) then softens up if the throttle and steering inputs are light. Throttle response is more predictable for me in Dynamic, with none of that push-the-pedal.... push-the-pedal.... lurch forwards hesitation of Normal Mode, although jamieduff often criticises the over-sharp throttle response of modern cars in 'sports' mode which I understand. In Dynamic the engine blips on the downshifts, which is nice. In g/box Sports mode the shifts are usually harder, which stops the blending of gears so much.

I pulled Fuse 19 within the first week of ownership, so I've got the Dynamic Mode exhaust note all the time.

So, to answer my own question.... the changes that Dynamic/Sports mode make are quite subtle but together they certainly make the drive feel more exciting and involving. But they're not transformational to the car, essentially (I think) because they all soften off as you drive unless you're absolutely hooning around (and I never get the chance to do this in Sussex).