Ordered my car with the standard R 19's but wondering if I should change to 20's? I really thought 19's were large enough, had 19's on my Carrera S and they were perfect but as I look at pics of the Jag, the 19's look kinda weak in comp. For those running 20's, how much does the ride suffer vs the 19's. There is a new 20" wheel called the Venom but it won't be available until Oct production. I also find it a bit much Jag's upgrade to 20's are $5,000, isn't that just a wee bit steep for an upgrade? I could see if one was buying them outright but this is an upgrade.

Thanks

 

Not much rubber on 20" to protect the rims. 19's are still huge and in my opinion are plenty big and 5k for another inch would be insane to me anyway.

 

I have 20's on my 02 XKR 100, and 19's on my 07 XKR. Aside from the tires being the atrociously loud Pirelli's, the ride seems to be ok. I do notice some sponginess in turning tight corners. I do not feel this in my 02. I agree with you that the 19's just don't look *quite* as good/have the same stance as the 20's on my 02.

I just bought a set of 20" Sepangs that I am gonna have refurbished. I think $5K for an upgrade is ridiculous no matter how much money you have. You are dealing with Jaguar though...

 

i have 20s on an 02 xkr and the ride is great just get some good tires with some real rubber on them and i went aftermarkt and very reasonable under 2000 hit me if you want the link

 

I just purchased a 2009 XKR with 20" wheels. I was a little concerned about the 20" wheels from a ride/durability perspective, but they came with the car and everything else on the car was to my liking. For me the luxury/touring capability of the car is more important than the sportiness of the car as it is a daily commuter.

I drove home 60 miles after purchasing it on some fairly worn freeways in Los Angeles and I must say that the car drove/rode fantastic. Same for surface streets. It just felt like I was gliding down the freeway while I was still very attached to the road. Really an amazing ride/feeling.

I know I'll have to be careful with potholes etc., but I pretty much drive the same drive every day to work and back and that route is on fairly good roads. I agree that the 20" just seem right on this car from a looks perspective.

On the 2010+ XK, I thought I read somewhere that they tightened up the suspension some (not sure if same applies to the XKR)...so I'm not sure how it would ride on 20". But as far as the 07-09s go, I really think the 20" are great from a ride/look perspective and are fine from a durability perspective if you are on some decent roads.

I agree that $5K is a bit much. I think I'd try to get the dealer to throw them in at cost, which is probably closer to $3500 or $4000. At that price its not too bad. One thing that bugs me on wheels is you can order a set for $5K from the dealer after you purchase the car, which is the same price to upgrade. Of course if you order a car with the 19" you'll have pay $5K for new wheels + get new rubber if you don't go the upgrade path. The rubber for the 20" is pretty much the same (might even be cheaper) than for the 19". So, I look at it as if Jaguar is making out like a bandit by "upgrading" the wheels at the same price as "selling" the wheels...and they keep the factory set of wheels while swapping rubber at the same cost. Just doesn't seem right to me from a consumer's perspective! Of course this wheel upgrade tactic is not novel to Jaguar as everybody does it...

 

If you're not going to track the car I'd say go with 20s......it's a big GT so the 20s will fill out and look better.

Or......keep the 19s.....and get some aftermarket 20s from HRE, DPE or 360 Foged amonst others...... I wanted the standard 19s knowing I would get aftermarket wheels all along.

 

Thanks all. I spoke with the dealer this afternoon and was told the Nevis 20's are now $3500 for the 2012MY vs $5000 for 2011MY. I am going back to the dealership tomorrow to look at the car with 19's and see if they do look as bad in person as they now do in pictures or the configurator. When I test drove the car it looked good with the 19's but I now have some doubts. It was good to hear how reasonable the ride is with 20's as I too want more of a luxury GT than sports type car.

 

get the 20's!

 

My 2009 XKR Portfolio CV (bought used, last October) came with 20" Selena wheels and new Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 tires (at 28k miles). I was surprised that a tire with such a low profile rode so smoothly; I expected a much harsher ride particularly since I run 1.5 lbs over spec: 31.5 front, and 34.5 lbs rear (cold). But, as others have pointed out, the tire's low profile provides no protection for the wheel if you hit a curb or pothole. Fortunately, there are not many potholes where I live, but the curbs seek out XKRs... So... today I had 3 of my wheels refinished by Alloy Wheel Repair (a franchise). They came to my home, did all the work on-site in their trailer (with a small paint booth): filled/sanded the curb rash and matched the paint color perfectly (compared to the 1 wheel that was not refinished). Cost ranged from $125 - $145 per wheel (less discount for cash payment), which is far less than the cost of a new wheel. They can also repair bent wheels and refinish machined wheels, but I'm not sure what that costs. Note that painted wheels can be refinished at a reasonable cost; not so with chrome wheels.

20" Pros/Cons: Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. IMHO, the XKR looks best with 20" wheels and the Selena is one of the most attractive designs. Ride quality is very good, turn-in is super quick and overall, handling is great. Can't comment on driving in the wet. Cons: expensive tires, can't rotate since staggered, no spare tire with optional Alcon brakes with 6-piston front calipers.

I'm not sure if there is a spare tire with non-Alcon brake cars equipped with 20" wheels. If you have 20's and it came with a temporary use spare, let me know. The current Jaguar parts book does not list a 20" spare wheel/tire. I'm curious to learn if (1) the non-Alcon brake cars with 20" wheels have a temporary spare and, if so (2) whether that spare wheel would fit over my Alcon calipers using a spacer.

 

If I go with the 20's it may push my order back 1 more month, as my launch car may not be changeable; either way it's worth it.

 

I would go with the 20's ............ waiting an extra month will be torture .... but if you don't wait and get the 19's .... everytime you look at the car you'll wonder 'what if'

 

Thanks for the feedback


OK went to the dealeship today and guess who was there? the Jaguar rep! I asked to see if my launch order was changable and he showed me on the Jag Vista system it was not as it already went firm. So I am now scheduled for mid Oct delivery as I updated to the 20" Nevis wheels which are in fact now a $3500 upcharge vs $5000 for the '11's. The rep was great and he gave me his card with all contact info in case I needed him. He also told me there are R driving/racing days (for my area comng up in Sept at Homestead in Miami) where professional race drivers will show us how to drive these beasts on the track at no charge; I asked if we use our cars of theirs and he smiled and said theirs (I was glad to hear that).

 

I would like more info on that, living and working in Boca

 

Call your dealership and see if it also applies to 11's...

 

I have a spare in the trunk of my 09 xkr portfolio. I don't have the Alcon brakes. I assume it fits! Don't know if it would fit over the Alcon brakes.

 

From: garber AT alpinejaguar.com
Sent: Wednesday, June 29, 2011 3:04 PM
To: SkipM
Subject: Re: Done?

Hi Skip..Already in process...When your XKR was put into the Jaguar System..it sends info for your invite...However...further details are available at jaguarperformanceacademy.com or call...866-513-7200...Get ready for a fantastic time...Enjoy..Enjoy..Enjoy.. Larry
From: Skip M
To: Larry
Sent: Wednesday, June 29, 2011 12:48:32 PM
Subject: RE: Done?
Finally – I heard in September there was some Jaguar thing for XKR owners at Homestead. Is that just for 2012 orders/owners, or can you get me in there as well?

 

Good news 4 u. I may see you there I'm just waitng to see if I have to take delivery first before they let me attend now that my order has been pushed back 30 days/Oct delivery vs Sept. Next session after Sept is March.