Meh, mine was a bit of a hybrid. It had air-adjustable shocks (fitted by the previous owner) which took me ages to get right, the non-standard NZ-made alloys wheels, a cherry-bomb exhaust that was kinda loud and I fitted a 5-speed Toyota Celica gearbox after the standard 4-speed threw a layshaft. There was a company in Australia that made a huge range of bellhousings and modified clutch plates that allowed you to mate pretty much any engine/gearbox combination.

 

By NZ standards, a 3.0 V6 was a muscle car - well, we had some Aussie Holden & Ford V8s, but they were expensive. The Ford V6 was a standard-issue cast-iron donk from the Zephyr/Zodiac saloons, but in a relatively light car it shifted along OK. The later 2.8 Cologne alloy V6 was a much better engine, but I couldn't afford a Mk2 Capri. With that great lump up front, weight transfer under braking or downshift made life 'interesting' - I could lock the rears by chopping it down a gear too early. And the power-on oversteer was also entertaining...

I guess driving cars like that in my youth, which were either agricultural in their handling (Capri, Beetle, Peugeot 404, Datsun 240C) or underpowered (Beetle, Mini, early Civic), makes me appreciate the sharpness and power of the Dynamic Pack XKR.

So, to get back to the thread: while there are things that could be better, the XKR is in another league compared to the cars I grew up with.

 

The XK steers like a sportier version of the XJ. The car has to steer like a Jag FWIW, not a Lotus or McLaren...

That being said, I would to see Jag do more with the steering feel. The XE is supposed to be their best, and I think it is compared to the segment, but it's still nothing magical.