2012 Jaguar XKR-S Review

2012 Jaguar XKR-S Review

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

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.