2012 Jaguar XKR-S Review

  

2011 was a rather big year for Jaguar. Not only was this the year they celebrated the 50^th anniversary of their much loved E-type, but also the 20^th anniversary of their much over-looked XJ220 supercar.

FAST FACTS

1. The XKR-S uses an up-rated supercharged 5.0-liter V8 to produce 550-hp and 502 lb-ft of torque. 2. Other additions include a custom aero kit, a lowered suspension, 20-inch wheels, and larger brakes. 3. Look for a 0-60 mph time of 4.2 seconds. 4. Priced at $132,000 the XKR-S is almost $30K more than the XKR.

For 2012, Jaguar is offering a model that brings both the E-Type and the XJ220 together in one package. The car in question is the XKR-S. Like the E-type, it is a front-engine, rear-wheel drive grand touring sports car. But like its big brother, the XJ220, it has a boosted motor that develops 550-hp and will serve as a halo for the iconic British brand.

The R-S version adds even more, thanks to a new hood, extra openings to feed air to its powerful motor, and a carbon-fiber lower front spoiler which works with the new carbon-fiber rear spoiler to give the car more stability at high speeds.

That supercar look continues when you open the door. Gone are the big sofa seats, replaced now by a set of the best “Performance” seats (Sport seats in Jaguar’s language) we have ever set eyes on, but you have to compromise on comfort when you buy an XKR-S, as the sport seats still have all the adjustments available in all other XK models. In total, you have 16-points of adjustments for this seat, so if you can’t find a comfortable driving position in this, you probably don’t know how to use the door mounted seat control switches properly.

Apart from the seats, the only visible change inside is a slightly different looking steering wheel. Beyond that, the interior remains the same, which means lots of space and high tech gadgets for people in the front seats, and nothing for those in the rear seats. The XK was never a proper four-seater, and now thanks to those sport seats, there is even less room in the back. Trying to stick anyone in these rear seats would be cruel, so best to use the space to toss in some grocery bags.

GOES FAST, SOUNDS FAST

If you are the sort of person who takes their 5.0-liter, supercharged V8 sports car to go grocery shopping, you should buckle up your fruit, because this Jag can sprint from 0-60 mph in just 4.2 seconds. Not bad for a car that weighs 3,916 lbs., but then 550 hp and 502 lb-ft of torque can move any mass quickly.

We quickly learned that this car prefers to have its tires nicely warmed up before you get the best acceleration times. On cold tires, it slithers and slides its rear end in search of grip, while the traction control works very hard to reign in the power, but not too much to make the experience boring. The R-S is aimed towards driving enthusiasts after all.

When the tires are at their optimal temperature, the car hooks up smoothly and catapults you forward immersed in its glorious sound track. All supercharged Jaguar’s sound good, but nothing they have ever made has ever sounded as good as this R-S. When you open the taps in this car, it sounds more like gunfire than anything automotive.

Once your mind adapts to the speed and noise of this car, you can start concentrating on the ride quality. Just cruising around on the highway, you’ll find it to be firm, but not harsh. It is certainly a bit firmer than a regular XKR, so you will feel it going over expansion joints on the highway, but it’s never unbearably rough – a trait shared with lesser XKs.

Thanks to its excellent steering feel, which has been given a tighter setting in the R-S version, it is easy to place the car on the road, and given the massive amounts of grip you get from those 295/30/20 (10.5-inch wide) rear tires, you can choose your own line through the corners.

ADDED SPORT, BUT BIG CAT SHOWS ITS GRAND TOURING ROOTS

On twisty back roads, you’ll be encouraged to put the six-speed automatic transmission in “Sport” mode and activate the “Dynamic” mode which lets you swing the back out a little more, while still keeping a keen eye on excessive oversteer. The limited-slip differential feeds the power to both wheels evenly, but on really tight bends, this car is not in its favorite environment. Coming out of a slow corner, it often wastes its power as it struggles to find grip. As entertaining as it is, the car simply feels overwhelmed. The R-S is a big and heavy car, and while its suspension set up is tighter than the normal XKR, it does not bite in as hard into the corners as an Audi R8 would. What this cat prefers are long, high-speed, sweeping corners.

If you happen to be heading to the Autobahn with your R-S, we advise that you put the transmission in the “S” position. This sharpens the throttle and lets the driver use the steering-wheel mounted paddle shifters to go up or down through the gears. Since this is still a conventional automatic based system rather than a single or dual-clutch gearbox found in cars like the Audi R8 or Nissan GT-R, the gear changes are not as quick as they should be.

On the plus side, this is still among the quickest shifting automatics around, and it is ultra smooth when you just want to relax and cruise to your destination – something that a Jag buyer is definitely interested in. Cruising is something the R-S does rather well. When you’re not monkeying around, it’s quiet and refined, and you can then truly enjoy its “other” sound system, the Bowers and Wilkins 525-watt stereo with eight-speakers.

THE VERDICT

Our more relaxed drives proved that despite all the hardcore trimmings and its immense capabilities, it’s tough for the XKR-S to escape its routes as a Grand Tourer – but it may perhaps be the grandest of them all, able to dice it up with the best while making minimal sacrifices.

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10. Top 10 Most Expensive Cars 2012

The list of the Top 10 most expensive new cars is even more shocking that you might expect. Released by Forbes, you can forget the Ferrari 458 or the $300,000 Lamborghini Aventador because even at the low end of the scale these models start at right around the one million mark.

10. Porsche 918 Spyder: $845,000

In 10th place, at $845,000 is Porsche’s upcoming flagship, the 918 Spyder. When it does arrive later this year, it will come powered by a high-revving V8 engine making more than 500 hp, mated to a plug-in hybrid system that adds over 218 hp. Porsche claims a 0-60 mph time of 3.1 seconds, with an incredible 78 mpg rating.

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09. Top 10 Most Expensive Cars 2012

9. SSC Tuatara: $970,000

The successor to the Ultimate Aero, once the world’s fastest production car, the SSC Tuatara is priced for speed at $970,000. This new model, which is expected to go on sale in 2012, is powered by a 7.0-liter twin-turbo V8 making as much as 1,350-hp. Weighing just 2,654 lbs, SSC claims it can hit 60 mph in 2.8 seconds and reach a top speed of 275 mph. That would put it just ahead of the current top speed record holder, the Bugatti Veyron Super Sport, which also appears on this list.

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08. Top 10 Most Expensive Cars 2012

8. Hennessey Venom GT: $1,000,000

Known for building twin-turbo Dodge Vipers and other high-performance machines, the Venom GT is the first ground-up car built by Hennessey Performance. To call it all-original, however, might be a bit of a stretch, with the chassis a donated (and then stretched) Lotus Elise platform. Powering the car is a supercharged 6.2-liter GM-sourced V8 engine making 1,200-hp. Price: $1 million.

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07. Top 10 Most Expensive Cars 2012

7. Pagani Huayra: $1,300,000

Perhaps best known for being unpronounceable, or perhaps looking most like a catfish, the Huayra is the second supercar built by Pagani. Successor to the Zonda (quite possibly the best looking car ever made), the Huayra is powered by a 700-hp twin-turbo Mercedes V12 engine and is capable of reaching speed of over 230 mph.

Ultra exclusive, Pagani made just 12 Zondas a year, although Huayra production is expected to be slightly higher, especially as its the first Pagani that will be sold in America. Price: $1.3 million.

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06. Top 10 Most Expensive Cars 2012

6. Maybach Landdaulet: $1,400,000

Priced at $1.4 million, the Maybach Landaulet may actually be a bargain. The reason is that due to its rarity and the recent decision by Mercedes-Benz to axe the super-luxury brand, it’s certain to be a classic and a future Pebble Beach rarity.

Based on the stretched 62S model, the Landaulet is powered by a twin-turbo V12 engine making 543 hp. But what really makes it original is the color-coded cabin with divided driver and passenger areas, as well as a convertible rear.

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05. Top 10 Most Expensive Cars 2012

5. Aston Martin One77: $1,400,000

One of the world’s only full carbon-chassis vehicles there’s also no denying the Aston Martin One-77 is a dramatically styled vehicle as well. The new flagship machine from the legendary sports car maker it is powered by a massive 7.3-liter V12 engine making 750-hp. It also features a unique pushrod suspension setup, similar to that used on Formula 1 cars. Priced at $1.4 million, just 77 will be made – hence the name.

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04. Top 10 Most Expensive Cars 2012

4. Koenigsegg Agera: $1,711,000

With a twin-turbo 5.0-liter V8, the Agera R by Swedish supercar maker Koenigsegg makes 1,115 hp when running E85 ethanol. Priced at $1.5 million for the “regular” Agera, if you want that R badge it will cost an additional $211,000.

It might not be the world’s fastest car (in terms of top speed), but Koenigsegg claims the best 0-200 mph time of 17.68 seconds.

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03. Top 10 Most Expensive Cars 2012

3. Zenvo ST1: $1,800,000

The what? From where? Yes, it’s the Zenvo ST1 and it’s from Denmark. Now the Danes can add supercars to the list of things they are known for, including Carlsberg beer and Hans Christian Andersen stories. Powered by a turbocharged and supercharged 7.0-liter V8 engine, it makes 1,250 horsepower. Costing 1.8 million, it also comes with a free $50,000 watch!

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02. Top 10 Most Expensive Car of 2012

2. Ferrari 599xxx: $2,000,000

Take a Ferrari 599 and then transform it into a track-only supercar and you have the 599XX. Powered by a 700-hp version of the factory V12 engine (no turbos or superchargers here folks) and you can accelerate to 60 mph in 2.9 seconds. A followup to the Ferrari FXX, it was built in limited numbers for a select few extra privileged Ferrari owners who are invited to drive their machines at exclusive track events. The only debate here is if the car looks better or sounds better. Ferrari hasn’t announced pricing, but it’s rumored to be in excess of $2 million.

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01. Top 10 More Expensive Car of 2012

1. Bugatti Veyron Supersport: $2,600,000

It’s the world’s fastest car and it’s also the most expensive. What more you could possibly need to know? At an astonishing $2.6 million the Bugatti Veyron Supersport is the ultimate Bugatti and a test bed of exactly how far VW engineers can push the envelope, with 1,200 hp from a quad-turbo 8.0-liter W16 engine and custom aerodynamics that help it hit 267.81 mph. Plus, unlike a lot of rough-around-the-edges hypercars, the Veyron will coddle you in luxury.

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2012 Mercedes SLK350 Review

In the past we might have compared the SLK to that cute girl next door, or perhaps even a confident woman in a short suit skirt and naughty secretary glasses. So weren’t we shocked when Mercedes unveiled the all-new 2012 SLK. To carry on the metaphor, the internal monolog most certainly sounded like this: “Whoa… it’s a dude.”

FAST FACTS

1. The Evoque uses a 2.0L 240 horsepower 4-cylinder engine with a turbocharger, backed by a 6-speed automatic transmission. 2. A number of interior components, like the audio system and gear shifter, are taken from Jaguars that cost twice as much. 3. Fuel economy is rated by the EPA at 19 mpg city, 28 mpg highway. 4. Unlike other Range Rovers, the Evoque is a car-based crossover rather than a traditional SUV.

Perhaps “dude” isn’t quite the right word. The chiseled features of the SLK aren’t at all the somewhat corny romantic comedy type. Rather, they’re the square-jawed, five-o’clock shadow in a Hugo Boss suit type. Not a clear enough picture? Just think about the last cologne commercial you saw. Yea, it looks like that guy.

But handsome looks will only get you so far and on further inspection the SLK doesn’t seem to bring much to the table. Thankfully, a drive in the SLK350 reveals much more than a spec sheet can tell you.

LITTLE IMPROVEMENTS

Unlike the somewhat drastic change that BMW made with the Z4, the SLK hasn’t grown much. It’s 2-inches longer than the oldcar, with a minutely stretched wheelbase and an extra inch side to side. There’s little new under the hood as well. Sure, the 3.5-liter V6 has gained direct-injection, and while that makes for a more significant jump in power on other Mercs (like the C350), horsepower is only up two ponies to 302 and torque rises just 8 lb-ft for a total of 273. The result is a 0-60 time of 5.4 seconds, matching the outgoing model – certainly nothing to be ashamed of.

The more significant change comes in terms of fuel economy with a 20-mpg city rating and a 29-mpg highway rating, an improvement of two and four units respectively. One might argue that fuel economy doesn’t really matter on a vehicle like this, but we’d beg to differ. Thanks in part to its retractable hard top and its uniquely Mercedes driving characteristics, this is just one more way in which the SLK has become an even better daily driver.

MORE THAN JUST AN OCCASIONAL USE CAR

Not convinced? Then take the SLK’s cargo space. Even with the top down there’s a useable 6.5 cubic feet of cargo space – enough to fit an overnight bag on your way to the airport for a quick business trip. Plus, with the top up, the trunk can hold 10 cu-ft., which proved enough space to not only hold a few bags of groceries, we even managed one of those massive boxes of diapers. Taking that functionality into account, if you don’t need pretend rear seats, the SLK is as livable, or perhaps even more so, than a lot of luxury convertibles, like the 3 Series, Lexus IS or Infiniti G.

Mercedes continues to offer just one transmission with the SLK, a 7-speed automatic, which comes with three different drive modes: efficiency, sport and manual. Continuously improved, the transmission’s Sport mode swaps gears effectively and is preferable to hitting the paddles yourself. One reason for this is that it’s been engineered to drop as many as four gears at once, to make sure you get the acceleration you ask for when the pedal is pushed. Mercedes claims the Eco mode (the car’s default setting) will deliver an up to 7 percent fuel economy improvement.

FUN FACTOR IS MUCH IMPROVED

Those who prefer the Sport transmission setting will also want to upgrade to the Dynamic Handling Package ($990), which includes an electronic differential that reduces wheel spin on the inside wheel in a corner, as well as a continuously adjustable damping suspension with two driver-selectable modes.

An optional Sport Package ($2,500) then seems like a must, if not for the AMG aerodynamic kit and red accent lighting inside (very cool), then for the light weight 18-inch five-spoke AMG forged alloy wheels. So equipped, the car has all the road presence of its big brother the SL. Adding a further level of individualization on our test car was a Diamond White Metallic white paint ($1,500).

While the previous SLK was a fine-enough sports car, this new model makes no apologies, its driving characteristics as much improved as its looks. With the Z4 having become more of a grand-tourer and the Merc gaining a new sporting edge, the line between the two is now blurred considerably.

The electronic differential really helps the car rotate around corners, though the steering still feels a bit over-boosted. Acceleration is rapid and the V6 makes a thoroughly enjoyable sound. The brakes are much like the steering, being loose initially and perhaps too firm at the bottom.

GIMMICKS AND GIZMOS

Inside is where you’ll find much of what’s new about the 2012 SLK, including the optional Panorama Roof ($500) or Magic Sky Control roof. ($2,500) The latter is nice but offers little shade, and if you’re weekly forecast calls for sun most of the time, it might not be the best choice. As for “Magic Sky Control”, it’s another glass roof, but it can transition to a heavily tinted surface with the touch of a button. They don’t call it magic for nothing.

Regardless of which top you choose, all hide away in an impressive series of folding parts that will wow bystanders for a solid 20 seconds. The time it takes to open or close a convertible roof always seems like a useless statistic, but get caught in a sudden downpour and the quicker the better.

Top down, you can appreciate the Airscarf system (a part of the $2,590 Premium Package 1), which blows hot or cool air onto the neck through vents in the headrest. Also included are heated seats, an iPod interface XM Satellite radio and an impressive harmon/kardon audio system. Notably absent, however, are cooled or vented seats.

The cabin itself is premium, though missing any wow factor. The actual display of the Comand system (especially some of the radio screens) looks dated already and it’s disappointing that a keyless access system is a $650 upgrade and not standard. This is a Mercedes-Benz after all. Thankfully, a wood grain interior trim is optional and aluminum comes standard – there’s nothing worse than being forced to upgrade just because the factory wood looks so dated and cheap.

Another notable feature for 2012 comes in the safety department with the addition of Attention Assist as standard, which will notify the driver with a visual warning on the dash if it detects jerky steering corrections, indicating you’re starting to doze off.

Pricing for the SLK350 starts at $55,675. As tested, our model included a long list of options, totaling roughly $11,000 bringing the price to $66,650 – and that’s without the pricey Magic Sky Control roof.

A MERCEDES WITH A STICK SHIFT?

Currently the SLK350 and 415-hp SLK55 AMG model are on offer, although Mercedes is set to offer an SLK250 model soon, with points that appeal to both the budget conscious and the driving enthusiast. A new turbocharged 4-cylinder engine generates 201-hp and 229 lb-ft of torque, and despite the big drop in power is just one second off to 60 mph. Fuel economy will increase further, delivering a 23/31 mpg rating while the real not to driver’s everywhere is a rare-to-Mercedes 6-speed manual transmission. Pricing for this model has yet to be released, but if the savings is significant, it might be a hard model to turn down, especially considering the

THE VERDICT

Long before hardtop convertibles became as mainstream as they currently are, Mercedes offered the SLK, a car that continues to deliver incredible every-day practicality for a luxury roadster. With added refinement and much improved fuel economy, the SLK350 has moved further from being a weekend toy to becoming a feasible only car. At the same time, rather than lose some of the fun factor as it has matured, it now delivers a heightened driving experience. With the latest model, Mercedes is further proving that a luxury sports can in fact be your only car.

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