So today I picked up a used British Racing Green 2012 XKR-S convertible with around 6000k miles on the clock. I drove up from Houston to Dallas in a modified 525hp C5 Corvette Z06 which I parted with in trade.

For some background, I am also the former owner of a 2006 supercharged Lotus Elise and a 2006 Porsche Carrera S. I have some experience with a Panamera PDK while my Carrera was in the shop getting some paint work. Lastly, I have also logged 16, 20-min track sessions under my belt in the Lotus. I am still greatly a noob and it has been a couple of years since I have been back on the track.

Here is a link to my member intro with pics my previous sports cars:

https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/n...xt-week-95244/

I am not going to write a long essay, as there are MANY reviews of this car if you do a Google search. Instead, I thought I would simply list some points that came to my mind as I drove back to Houston with a friend.

1. Fit and finish of the interior is superb. Couldnt find a flaw. Great layout. Wish the tach was larger and in the center of the gauge pod. Wish I could change the digital clock in between the tach and speedometer to a larger digital speed read out.

2. Touch screen isnt NEAR as bad or slow as some make it out to be. Another suprise since I had prepared for the worse.

3. I LOVE manuals, but this "automatic" transmission is by FAR the best I have ever experienced. I didnt like the Panamera PDK in traffic, but the Jag ZF is smooth as butter. But it is also VERY snappy when you want it to be, and changes gears quickly. I was unable to confuse it. Downshifting to each traffic light is addicting. Throttle blips are perfect. A+

4. If you are short like me, 5'7, and have a small kid, the back seats have more room than I thought. Just scoot both front seats forward. I was actually a little suprised, as I expected less.

5. The XKR-S Sport seats are awesome. The amount of adjustment is amazing, and the 3 memory settings will come in handy. A+

6. Power is comparable to the vette but MUCH smoother and easier to drive. Car feels quick from a stop but faster still once it is in motion.

7. VERY hard to drive the speed limit, car felt so smooth at times I thought I was doing 60 and I was doing 90. Seriously. I had to keep cruise control on just to avoid getting a ticket I think. Great GT suspension A+.

8. Steering is better/heavier than I thought it would be. Some reviews speak about too light of steering. While its true this is a far cry from Lotus (probably the most direct in the biz), it didnt leave me wanting. This is a proper GT and the steering is great with enough weight in my opinion. Steering is also more responsive than I planned for.

9. Just enough attention, nothing more, nothing less. Very classy and unique car. Darker color XKR-S's still appear more understated in my opinion. Saw plenty of admirers but not a bunch of cell phones and crazy attention like in the Lotus. The French Racing Blue will probably draw more attention if that is what you want.

10. Car initally felt very big on the test drive, but once I adjusted the seats and LOWERED them all the way to the floor, everything started to come together. Car started to shrink around me and the mass felt smaller. It all started to click as I got more time driving it. Still a nice roomy cabin, but somehow snug and solid around you.

To date, easily the best car I have ever owned. Maybe the fastest but not the quickest...I'm SO glad I went this route. I have to say I think if more people would consider an XK and test drive this car there would be a lot more fans.

Thank you all for reading...and I hope maybe these observations may help someone who is on the fence. All I can say is come on over...

Best,

Matt

 

Welcome to the forum, congratulations on your purchase, and thanks for offering your initial impressions. The XKR and RS offer a unique and intoxicating blend of performance, elegance and touring comfort.

I'm sure you'll be impressed on the track, as I have been with the XKR. Very stable at speed, great brakes, well controlled suspension and neutral handling under cornering and braking, steer with your right foot under throttle, and hang with the faster cars on the straights. There's a penalty with its extra weight compared to lighter cars on the track, but that also contributes to its positive attributes on the road.

I wish you miles of smiles, and look forward to more impressions in the future!

Bruce

 

Congratulations on your purchase. Also, great review of the car and its abilities. Nice to read such a favorable comparisons to the other fine cars.

I'm sure you're right in that if more people would test drive these cars, they would be a lot more popular. However, that is one of the main attractiveness of these Jags that you do not see them on every parking lot. They are unique, almost exotic class and beautifully built. You can truly feel "special" driving this car as you would not in some of the other cars in the same category.

Welcome to the forum and good luck with the car,

Albert

 

Matt - congratulations!

It appears you are in love with your machine as I am with mine. Magnificent machine, very refined, with great power available at all times.

It is a car you can drive while wearing a Tuxedo or a Track suit.

Thanks for sharing!

 

What a great quote...sums it up perfectly.

Went out last night for a short drive and I'm more impressed then before. I guess since it was my first drive without a passenger, the car felt noticeably quicker than I originally thought. Punch it on the highway and you had better plan where you want to end up because you will be there in an instant.

This is truly a great car. So glad I went this route.

I did find it strange that the recommended tire pressures are 41/41? That seems really high to me. I also noticed the rear tires had more wear in the middle so I lowered the pressures to 35psi and kept the front the same. I'm actually thinking 37/35 would be a sweet spot for when it gets 100 degrees out here in TX.

After these P Zero's are toast, I am looking at the Super Sports.

 

Yea, 41/41 is almost certainly too high, especially when they get hot after driving a while. That would definitely over-inflate the tires and wear the center out prematurely.

I run mine at 32lbs all around. Assuming you go up about 4 to 5 lbs of pressure when they get hot that puts me at 36/37 lbs at temp.

Copy that on the P Zero's...they suck bad. Pilot Super Sports are great.

 

I thought I would mention the tire pressures because I have zero experience rolling on 20's...I wasn't sure if they just required higher pressures or what the deal was...I looked on the driver side door jamb and I couldn't believe it said 41/41...

I thought I read somewhere that a 2012 XKR-S Coupe was like 39/35...

I might call the dealer and see what they think.

 

Your review is making me drool! Glad to hear your positive review. I don't think some of the auto journalists "get it" with the way an XK, no less an XKR-S drives. A perfect balance of everything.

 

Yes, this car strikes a great balance indeed...

It is velvety smooth and very refined. One of the things that stands out the most to me is how poised and smooth the engine, transmission and suspension are. I think for these reasons it is deceptively fast. You don't realize how fast it is until everything starts blurring as you drive by and before you know it you have to stand on the brakes because you are instantly deep into triple digits. I think having the top down amplifies the thrill, especially when the exhaust is just wailing away.

I mentioned in another short review on 6speed that when I took some of my friends for a ride they all walked away in appreciation and awe. I haven't seen anything like it. This car puts a spell on you.

I cant imagine it with another claimed 85 hp / 90 tq with a pulley and tune. I'm sure I'll find out though...Going to be hard to pass up that much more power for an extra $1500.

 

Congrats and welcome. I've had my RS for over a year now. I'm also still very impressed with this car. I came from a Porsche 911 turbo, which was tuned to over 500 hp, and I really liked that car, but the jag has more character and sounds way better. My car attracts a good bit of attention (way more than my Porsche did), but it's not over the top. The car is much faster than the numbers indicate- as I wrote in another post, my car was even in a roll with a 2011 Porsche 911 turbo with Pdk !
I have had no issues with my car so far. As far as tire pressures, mine are 39 front/ 35 rear- I'm surprised yours are different. Don't go too low on your pressures or you will get increased wear on the edges. I would recommend jag r academy (even if u have to pay for it)- its a great course and really helpful to learn about the driving characteristics of the Xkr.
I personally am not going to tune my car (pulley/ecu), as rear wheel traction is already a big enough challenge!

 

Octurbo - Yes I have read some of your posts..I think they helped me in my decision to buy this car. It is amazing that you could keep up with a PDK Turbo.

I agree that it's weird the tire pressures are different...only thing I can think of is the difference between coupe and convertible...but I wouldnt think the pressures would be that drastic of a diffference.

No big deal, I'll just play around with them until I find the sweet spot.

Thanks for all the replies...This is a great car!

 

Welcome aboard Matt!

Congratulations and many miles of happy/healthy driving.

Regarding the steering, the weight is correlated with the response. My XF has the heaviest steering out of many cars i have had/driven including the cars in it's segment but it also goes where pointed the best.

And, don't mind those calling it an old man's car. No other car company can offer the most cossetting interior, the best ride quality, drive train and an artistic design as a package.

 

Agree 100% with Executive!!!

 

Matt, My XKR-S is identical to yours including the calipers. I have tried to find out how many convertibles were in Brit. Racing Green. A dealer thought six out of 50. Will be highly collectible. I agree with prior comments about not adding more power. Too much now for the rear tires. Nothing to gain. I agree with all your comments about the steering, etc. My S-7 is a double clutch, not always smooth and my 911 is a stick. It is great to get in the Jag with the smooth 6 speed. The XKR-S steering is heavier than the XKR. I initially thought it was too light but am use to it already. I am driving the car to my country home tomorrow, 240 miles on freeway. 80 to 85 mph enforced. There are a couple of areas where I will be able to exceed that. I am looking forward to the drive. The car gets attention and comments frequently and I have driven very little to date but will drive it nearly every day when I get it to the lake. The only disappointment and surprise was that it doesn't have Satellite radio. I asked dealers and no one seems to know why the convertibles don't.

 

Have a safe trip tomorrow, I'm sure you will enjoy it. As for the color of our cars...I am not 100% sure but I think there are only 25 2012 XKR-S convertibles...maybe he was guessing between both 2012 and 2013?

I remember driving back to Houston from Dallas...I was going to pull over to switch drivers so my friend could drive a bit but we were chatting and kept passing exits...finally he says HEY whats the deal lets exit here. I then realized that the car just EATS miles effortlessly...it is such a great cruiser. I was also amazed at how quiet it is with the top up. Almost all of my previous cars have had more wind noise and none of them were actual convertibles. Jaguar did a great job here. Also, with the top down and the front windows up, the wind is cut by a large amount as well, so some very comfortable highway driving with the top down is possible if you choose to.

As for the tune and pulley, I am still on the fence but leaning not to do it. I have read that Jerry at Eurocharged has an overall great reputation with some very high-end cars, and if he can dyno tune me through the ODBII it would be nice to have the power. True, there are traction issues in 1st and 2nd gear, but in third and beyond from a roll...I imagine that power would translate well to the ground and propel this car into near supercar territory.

But, I do not want to compromise the powertrain so I am not sure I am willing to take the risks involved with a pulley and ECU tune. I trust the engineers at Jaguar worked hard to tune this car to the exact specs they wanted, even if they left some scraps on the table. e.g. - I know it wasnt tuned for 93 octane fuel.

Since we have the same car and if you have time, can you check to see what your door jamb says the recommended tire pressures are?

Thanks,

Matt

 

Matt, Door Jamb says 41/41 Drove thru multiple rainstorms during 240 mile trip. Car ran and handled flawlessly. Like driving my Audi. Steering just as heavy as my S-7 at 80mph with sport,(flag), button pressed. Steering nicely lighter around town. More impressed with the car.

 

Just got the XKR-S detailed and WOW this guy did an amazing job...The dealership had created swirl marks and tiny scratches doing their standard washes on this car for a while until I bought it from them. He had the car for a few days and it was well worth it.

Now she is really showing her true colors...

 

Wow, love the color!

 

Very nice. Need to find a Detailer near my summer home for my 911 and the XKR-S. Had a paint protection product applied to the car before I made the 240 mile trip North. Installer did a terrible job. Will have to do most of it again when I get back down State in the Fall. Can't see it on the car except for the faint line across the middle of the hood. Taking the car on a drive with the Michigan Jag. Club this Sat. as I just joined. The car gets attention everywhere. Love the combination of luxury and power. Drive my 86 911 and the XKR-S alternate days. Driving my S-7 the 240 mile trip between homes every couple of weeks for a day or two. The sound of the XKR-S is worth the price of the car.

 

Check out my detailed XKR-S with UK clear lenses and carbon fiber hood inserts.

My boy Joey loves the Jag-u-are!