Vehicle Description
4.0L Eaton/Roots Supercharged V8 - Leather Interior - Beautiful
Platinum metallic paint - Navigation - 85k Miles -
(Please note: If you happen to be viewing this Jaguar XKR on a
website other than our main website, it's possible that only some
of our many photographs of the car are shown due to website
limitations. To be sure you see all the more than 125
high-definition photographs, please go to our main website:
GarageKeptMotors.)
2000 Jaguar XKR Convertible
"Supercharged eroticism" - John Pearly Huffman, Car & Driver
review, January 2000
To say the least, Car and Driver's Mr. Huffman was quite taken with
the then-new Jaguar XKR. He continued waxing eloquent, almost
euphorically: "... just look at Jaguar's XKR. It's sex on wheels! A
lot sexier than the naturally aspirated XK8 upon which it's based,
and not sexy in a vulgar, lecherous, strip-club-near-the-airport
sort of way, either. But Elizabeth Hurley-wearing-
Versace-at-the-Oscars sexy: provocative, confident, not at all
trashy, with an upper-class British accent."Whew! (Sounds likehe
might need a shower.)
But when it came to the Jaguar's powerplant, he was no less
enthusiastic: "Despite the spectacular looks, it's the engine's
magnificence that defines the XKR's character. As in every other
factory-supercharged automotive powerplant sold here, the device
doing the work is a belt-driven Eaton Roots-style blower. In the
370-hp, 4.0-liter DOHC AJ V-8's case, it's the same 112-cubic-inch
Eaton that Ford uses on its other supercharged V-8, the 360-hp,
5.4-liter SOHC V-8 found in the SVT F-150 Lightning pickup. On the
Lightning's long-stroke, two-valve engine (which redlines at a mere
5250 rpm), the M112 supercharger spins at 2.1-times engine speed
and peaks at eight pounds of boost. Atop the relatively
short-stroke four-valve AJ V-8 (which spins to 6200 rpm before a
fuel cutout turns off the fun), the blower turns at 1.9-times
engine speed and huffs out 11.6 pounds. The relatively low
supercharger drive ratio, says Jaguar, 'enhances the refinement and
reliability of the supercharger installation.' That, and the fact
that the blower nestles under its intercoolers, also means it runs
more quietly compared with the same unit's operation in the
Lightning."
What about the hard-to-define thing called "character," especially
given the car's combination of British, American, German and
Italian componentry? Again, Mr. Huffman: "... from the bottom of
its Italian tires through the whirring of its American
supercharger, and the silken shifts of its German (Mercedes-Benz)
transmission, the Ford-financed XKR indicates just how character
today is more an act of corporate will than where a car happens to
be assembled. The greatest achievement of this fast, beautifully
built, transnational sex machine is how completely it's a
Jaguar."
The Jaguar XKR Convertible offered here is a fine example.Classic
platinum metallic paint, black fabric convertible top, and
sumptuous ivory leather upholstery (front and rear), nicely
complemented by a burled-walnut dash encasing analog gauges,
climate-control vents, period navigation system, and entertainment
controls, make for an appealing combination overall. The center
console and shiftable automatic transmission selector show little,
if any, noticeable wear. The same is true for the carpeting and
convertible-top boot.
With fewer than 5,000 miles per-year on the odometer (a third of
what's considered "normal"), this XKR has definitely seen limited
use. Further evidence of this can be found in the photographs on
the GarageKeptMotors website, especially the shots of the
undercarriage, engine bay, and lower fascia (front, rear and both
sides). Its ownership history in Wisconsin, Illinois, and Michigan,
together with the pristine condition of the body and undercarriage
suggests this Jaguar stayed inside in nasty weather, and never saw
much, if any, snow. (Be sure to enlarge the high-definition
photographs to see detail.) A further anecdotal tidbit on the care
this XKR received: According to the Carfax record, its first owner
had the car washed and detailed some 21 times!
Car & Driver wasn't the only expert reviewer to hail the XKR. Motor
Trend heaped more praise on the car in a period review headlined
"The 'R' Stands For Respect, Which Is Just What You'll Get."
AndAutoBlog joined in with "The Jaguar XKR is one of those rare
grand touring cars with seemingly endless talents." But we doubt
the next owner of this beautiful silver "cat" will spend much time
reading reviews of the car. He or she will be too busy enjoying its
many charms... out on the road.