Just curious. I had seriously considered a 997 carrera s cabrio but ultimately decided to go with the xkr since it's more of a GT and therefore more luxurious. It's also more rare where I live unlike carreras which are fvking everywhere! I do still wonder though... I think that the 997 is very attractive. Certainly way better looking (more "planted") from the rear than our xkrs. Opinions?

 

Yes, I did. After looking various GTs and sportscars (Maserati GT, AM Vantage V8, Nissan GTR, and several Porsches), it came down to the XKR 175 and Targa 4S.

Because I have a long commute, the comfort factor of the Jag won me over. As much as I like Porsches (I ADORE my 2009 Cayenne GTS manual), the XKR better suited my needs compared to the 911. While the performance stats are similar, the XKR doesn't work as hard to get there. It feels faster, because the torque is always "right there."

What sealed the deal is that the Porsche was significantly more expensive when equipped to the level of the XKR 175 (since EVERYTHING is extra on the Porsche). Factor in the free maintenance, coupled with the rarity of the Jag, and it was an easy decision.

At first, I thought the XKR might be too bulky feeling and isolated, but that was dispelled after spending some time in it. It drives "smaller" and the performance limits are much higher than I expected (especially after attending the Jaguar R Performance Driving Academy).

If I just wanted a weekend toy, 911s are still very tempting. But for something that I spend 2-3 hours per day in, my XKR is just about the perfect car.

 

Wow man. Im right there with you. I spend about two and a half hours in my car every day and I was coming from a modded firm *** BMW that made me say f this. I was scared of another track specced car. So I went with the JAG. But being the typical car guy I always wonder. And the carrera does have that planted down *** that looks fin hot. Our JAG has this *** up in the air and those 285s look skinny!

 

I had 3 911's and my goal since december was to find a nice 997 cab S. After several weeks, I found one in Colorado. 2006 Carrera S had no nav, but it was sweet at 18K miles. Excellent deal too...$48000. Only problem was that it had no warranty. So I signed the buyers order, wired 50% of the car and tried to get financing locally in So Cal. Everything was good, except my bank wanted to register it here first. So I wired the rest of the money to the dealer, unfortunately a holiday hit so he didnt receive the funds until the following day. He called me up and said he already cancelled the sale and sold it to someone else. To say the least..I was really irritated...especially after the expense of paying for an inspection etc.
Then I continued looking, found three others that would have worked out and each one fell through similarly. SO I said screw it, maybe its a sign. I researched online and found that edmunds stated there were three other comparable cars. The M6, SL and the XFR. I am not a fan of mercedes SL's but I liked the M6. Started looking at them, reading reviews and was close to purchase but I got cold feet after realizing how bulky and ugly it looks in the back. So I looked at the Jag...never thought in a million years I would get a Jag since i heard so many horror stories. But after reading every review ever written on the 2007+ XFR convertible...user reviews and reliability reports I could hardly find anything bad that was said about it. The top gear video really sold me. Went down to my local Jag dealer and checked it out...I was like a kid in a candy store trying to hold my composure from smiling while driving it. The sound, the design, the amount of standard options...Whoa!!!! This things kicks butt on the road too.
So, for $1500 LESS than what I was going to pay for the porsche, I got a 2008 Jag SFR convertible with the Lux and upgrade stereo AND a 6 year CPO on it. I can not be happier with it, I feel like a million bucks plus my wife likes it (she hated the porsches). Anyway...just my two cents.