Nice pics Ken! We'll do "tame" drives for our Jaguar friends soon. :-)

 

You know, I could swear that the car in the pics does not look quite like a 2005 S Type R. If it's a loaner I sure hope they did not stick you with the 2 liter 4 cylinder. Hopefully I can make the next event.

 

That's a keen eye you have there

Indeed, the loaner is - in fact - an AWD with the 3.0L Supercharged engine. It's not quite the rocketship that my STR is, but it's got plenty of scoot, and the Dynamic Mode w/the paddle shifters? SO MUCH FUN! The AWD is a dream, and is essentially invisible.

Ken

 

Marko, I wasn't having any trouble keeping up with you At least, when I didn't have traffic in front of me...

 

We choose the curvy roads so the Porsches can keep up.

 

I get my car back today, so yesterday - being my last day with the XF AWD - I took it out to Ben Howard road for a good thrashing My goodness, that thing is an insanely fun ride... I've never driven anything with that good of an AWD system. It's just perfect: there when you want/need it, out of the way when you don't. I actually got it crossed up a little bit in a couple of places, where I could see the whole corner, and it just towed its way around like it was born to it...

I know what my next car is going to be

 

Funny... In questioning where I would go after my XK, I was thinking the same thing!

 

Yeah, I wonder if you can get AWD on an XFR (or XFR-S!)...

 

Jaguar does not yet have an AWD system that can handle the torque of the 5.0 liter engine in any of its supercharged variants. AWD XF's and XJ's are all 3.0 liter engines. Incidentally Ken, you mentioned the 3.0 AWD was not quite up to the performance level of your 4.2 SC S Type. The same engine in the rear drive XF will give you essentially the same performance as your older car, and with Jaguar's excellent DSC system will surprise you with its winter and wet road capabilities.

 

Oh, believe me, I'm *impressed* with the XF 3.0SC + AWD combination. My STR has a better/more neutral chassis overall, but the DSC in the XF is remarkable! Stright-line acceleration above 60mph, though, in the STR is formidable. The 0-60 figure for the XF-AWD is essentially the same as the STR - owing mostly to the weight of the cars, I think. I notice, though, because of the massive torque band of the V8, that the 30-90 time and any sort of highway passing in the STR is practically telepathic. In no way does that denigrate the 3L engine's capability; what they've done is _truly_ astonishing. I'd have one in a heartbeat




Ken