I enjoy going for brisk drives along the Nevada-Utah border, an area best described as vast and wonderfully empty, where one can blow along for miles at amazing velocity.
A days drive is between 400-700 miles and I manage an 80 mph average, at 20 mpg!
At freeway speeds and above, it feels like the body, not the suspension, moves around too much, to the extent that it can become disconcerting.....
My 98 XJR seems to be "lighter" but more stable than the XKR......
Any thoughts?

 

Agreed about the roads out there, that's where the Silver State Challenge is held every year (except for probably this stupid year) and even Interstate 80 between Bonneville Raceway and Knolls cutoff in Utah is perfectly straight, flat, no intersections, no wildlife, no vegetation and usually no LE of any sort.
Do you have any aero pack on the XKR? The stock rear spoiler is woefully inadequate, and a front splitter is also a benefit.

 

Please put your year and model in your signature (found in the user control panel).
Helps us help you.
One of my biggest complaints about my 2010 XKR is how twitchy it is compared to my 2007 XK. It is a handful that is not terribly forgiving.
Most of it I attribute to the firmer suspension and chassis, as I've run the same tire on both.

I've put my XK on many a high speed run, and the confidence level is definitely higher than the XKR, that is, until you want to pass someone!

 

I dunno, seems kind of obvious to me.
300 vs 510 ponies? All within the same 3” of movement of your happy foot?
Yah, it better be twitchy, or there’s something wrong with your XKR.

 

I've repeatedly stated that I prefer my 1st gen XK to my 2nd gen XKR, so that's no secret. To me, the XKR is a rough riding sob even in its softest settings, and pair that ride to these high levels of power, and you get a car that when pushed hard in the corners, is dead set on trying to kill you.

One of my buddy's (The only Jag driver I've met that can go toe to toe with me on twisty roads) even went from 1st gen XK, to first gen XKR, then to 2nd gen XKR. Within maybe two months, he dumped his 2012. He also commented on how the fun of the car was lost when power became the main focus, and drive-ability took a second seat... I tend to agree. He misses the XKR, but admits he will only consider first generation models now.

If I could trade down to a 2009 from my 2010, I'd give it some serious thought myself. I'm an aggressive driver, but like him, I've decided I want to enjoy the car more than fear it.

 

Isn't a good dose of 'scared shitless adrenaline' a wonderful feeling though?

 

I already get that driving twisty roads with 280 foot ravines and no guard rails!

 

It is all down to alignment. Set it to XKR-S GT specs or as close as you can get with the XKR and I think you will find high speed stability improves dramatically. Yes the cars are tail happy and can be provoked into massive overstear but it should not really be an issue on public roads.

 

Bushings and Alignment

 

Thank you for the perspective. I have often wondered about this. I truly enjoy my '07 xkr. In all weather and climates. I find the car to be perfectly balanced, rightfully powered and properly nimble, yet taunt (if that makes sense). Too bad about the lack of the LSD. I very much liked the Quaife I installed in the XJR. And the modern diff seems overly complicated for me...
But I have always wondered about moving up to the 5.0 supercharged... As for the updated gadgets, I really don't care. I own the car to drive, not play with gadgets.

I suppose I'm leaning towards a proper restoration... with LSD and and engine enhancements.

 

what he said. 100 percent. I've had all the bushings on my 2010 replaced and the difference is noticeable. (And it's age as much as miles. Low mileage won't save you here.)

 

Which bushings? I'll swap them out next weekend. My 2010 XKR doesn't seem twitchy, it seems loose. Plus there's a rattle when I go over bumps at low speed.

 

https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...t-both-220673/

 

+1 on everyone else' input. Rattle == bushings. And there is no shortage of them!