2010 Jaguar XKR Supercharged Convertible: One Wild Cat!

What’s New:

This is the first Jag ever produced with a 5.0-liter supercharged V8, which delivers a whopping 510-horsepower. In comparison to the previous generation XKR, the 2010 Jag basically gives you significantly more horses for about the same gas mileage as the 2009 Jag, according to fueleconomy.gov.

And with the extra horses, Jag uses advanced aluminum body panels for the elegantly designed exterior, which looks similar to Maserati’s GranTurismo ( or maybe the Maserati looks similar to the Jag). Unlike the Maserati, you can get a supercharged Jag, which offers more horses, with a drop top for about the same price you’ll pay for their coupe.

Moreover, the 2010 elegantly designed XKR distinguished itself from the previous generation Jag, with its freshly redesigned bumpers, rear integrated spoiler and technically advanced Bi-Xenon articulating LED lights, which delivers better lighting for nighttime driving.

Inside the Jaguar, the vehicle exudes luxury, with its handcrafted stitched leather interior surrounded by the Burl Walnut veneer, which continues to set a new standard for luxury performance coupes. And if you’re looking for a shift lever in the XKR, you won’t find it here. The updated XKR drops the conventional shift gear, for an easy-to-use rotating knob. That’s right! No shift gear lever exists in this cat.

Furthermore, to match the smooth riding wild cat’s aggressive look and power, the XKR has a new active exhaust system, which let’s everyone in your presence know what’s under the hood of this wild cat every time you step on the gas. Yes, this is one kitty that shows out on-demand!

Must Have Goodies:

While our sporty, but elegantly designed XKR was well-equipped, we recommend dropping an extra $5,000 to outfit your wild cat with the perfect running (driving) shoes – 20-inch Kalimnos 5-spoke alloy wheels, which was on the Jag we reviewed. The XKR can also be dressed up with the factory’s 19-inch chrome wheels or 20-inch Nevis-style twin 7-spoke alloy wheels.

What Rocked:

The aggressive, but classy-styled exterior design of the XKR rocked! We also like the new rotary dial shift knob. Furthermore, when the push button engine starter is turned off, the vehicle is automatically placed in parked. And, with the 16-way power driver (and passenger) seat, it was easy to find a comfortable seating position, especially in the buttery soft heated (and ventilated) front seats and steering wheel, which were a welcome addition during Georgia’s brisk mornings and nippy evenings.

We also were in awe of the Jag’s Smartkey Keyless system, which allowed us the ability to lock, unlock and start the vehicle and open the trunk, without ever taking the key fob out of our pocket. Wow! Next the Jag will be opening and closing the doors for us.

And, we can’t forget the one-touch operation to close and drop the top in less than 18 seconds, according to Jaguar. All four windows are also opened and closed with the automatic one-touch, button, too.

What We Disliked:

Too bad we weren’t blessed with better weather the week we reviewed the XKR. Due to Atlanta’s sudden cold snap, we didn’t have an opportunity to cruise around with the top down. Conversely, we were extremely thankful for the heated seats and steering wheel, which kept our hands and bun warm. Yes, this warm weather package definitely came in handy.

Also we were disappointed that a $100,000 automobile didn’t offer a real-time back-up camera. Yet, to Jaguar’s credit, they offered their signature Front and Rear Park Control, with graphic designs and audible alerts, although it’s just not the same as being able to visually see what’s lurking in the rear.

And, while we loved the touch screen which controlled the a/c, heat, audio system, navigational system, the heated and ventilated seats, we would have preferred the temperature control for the seats were located next to the power seat switches, which were located on the doors.

Oh yes, just wondering: When will a hardtop convertible be available? We can imagine how this could enhance the visual exterior effect of this well crafted rolling art on wheels.

Any Juice:

Anytime Jaguar adds the letter R behind the first two letters of the designated alphabets used to name the vehicle, you should know you’re in for a surprise under the hood. While the vehicle speedometer registers 180mph as the top speed, the supercharged XKR is electronically limited to a maximum speed of 155mph, helping to tame the cat. Unfortunately, we didn’t get the satisfaction to personally push the vehicle to its limit. However, according to Jaguar’s officials, the XKR can accelerate from 0-60mph in 4.6 seconds.

The Verdict:

From the leather and chrome rotating gear selector to the suede cloth sun visors with a (parking) ticket holder to the a suede cloth headliner to the Hood louvers - with embossed SUPERCHARGED lettering to the soft grain leather door trim panels and instrument panel fascia to the touch screen navigational system to the insulated color coordinated convertible top, the British handcrafted automobile leaves no stone unturned, as it relates to details. This is probably why they continue to rank number one in Sales Satisfaction and number two in Customer Satisfaction, according to J. D. Power annual ranking, which monitors the new vehicle sales and service dealership experience.

In addition to the details, opting for the R edition, which offers supercharged performance, this pushes the price slightly over $100,000 this year. The XKR is available as either a coupe or a convertible. While the XKR may be out of most folks lead, this is the perfect dream car to show the word that you have arrived. There is no other brand on the market today, that says class like a Jag.

Now, if you find that the XKR convertible is out of your reach, we hear that Jaguar is making plans to bring a more economical and smaller ragtop to the States in 2012.

Competition: Mercedes’ SL Class (roadster) and BMW’s 6-Series (roadster)

To configure a XKR or another new-vehicle, visit our New-Vehicle Pricing Guide, which is located on the left side of this page.