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| Road Test Jaguar XKR Convertible |
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Open It Up
Is it worth that? Well, after a week behind the wheel I'd say it is, though I must admit I wasn't so sure at the start of this test. The defining moment came quite late on, when I had the opportunity to drive the XKR over 80 miles or so of more or less deserted country roads, with an almost unequalled range of corners from tight uphill hairpins to long sweepers. In this environment the XKR responds best to firm treatment. Not rough treatment, mind you - it won't stand for that. But you do need to drive it positively. A businesslike entry to the corner (easy to overdo since the steering is pretty light), a pause to let the suspension settle, a determined application of the accelerator at the right moment; that's what does it. That's what makes this a properly sporting car, a beautifully balanced delight. Anything less and it feels as if the jigsaw is missing a few pieces. The XKR is not a car that works particularly well when you're going slowly. It's not that it's fussy, or that there is any suggestion of it straining at the leash, more that it seems to be the wrong car for what you're trying to do.
And that could be a bit of a problem if you happen not to be within reach of a really interesting road. In London, for example, you have to rely on the styling, and perhaps the conveyance of the message that you're the sort of person who can afford a car with the potential that this one has.
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