Jaguar XK-R convertible

Jaguar has always known how to honour its heritage, but when you create an icon, as the very famous Jaguar Type-E, how do you go about it?

The generation of XK8s and XK-Rs have attempted to do so with, it has to be said, a great deal of brilliance.
Six years after its launch, the XKR was beginning to lack the performance to compete in the market. It needed to evolve, and that evolution has resulted in increased power and updated features.

Sleek and powerful, the XKR convertible was the fastest production convertible in the family. At the front, the apron-mounted oval grille is reminiscent of earlier Jaguar models, and the cat badge is fitted to the top of the bumper. On the bonnet, a pair of engine cooling fins is the most striking aesthetic difference between the XKR and its less powerful siblings, the XK8. The XKR didn’t look like an ordinary GranTurismo.

Inside, the three dials on the centre console were replaced by a new screen. It’s the start of a new era, where digitisation is beginning to replace analogue styling. The J-pattern on the gear selector remained the same, with a chrome edge and wood trim around it.

Although there wasn’t enough room for someone in the back, the rear seats were covered in the same leather and attention to detail as the front seats.

The 2003 Jaguar XKR Convertible lost the old 4.0-litre V8 in favour of a 4.2-litre V8 offering almost 40 extra horsepower. Thanks to a 6-speed automatic gearbox that transmitted power to the rear wheels, the car reached 100 km/h in 5.6 seconds.

The model on display fits the description of a daily driver perfectly.

It has a patina that a car you use should have, without it being too much, but enough so that you can use it without stressing about parking in town.

This is a real Jaguar, with a black leather interior that offers incomparable comfort and an exceptional engine, even back then, that literally glues you to the seat at the slightest touch of the throttle pedal.

The sound of the supercharged 4.2-litre V8, the landscape flashes by and you don’t want it to stop…
Believe me, life is good behind the wheel of this Jaguar XK-R convertible.

Year2005BodyConvertibleColorBlackTransmissionAutomaticEngine Size4.196 cm3Power406 hpPrice44.500 €