For 2008, Jaguar is adding even more appeal to the ‘must have’ XKR wîth its new, special edition Portfolio model. Just 255 XKR Portfolios will be offered in the Ú.S., each one featuring notable additions to the already extensive specification of the XKR, a car capable of accelerating to 60mph in just 4.9 seconds (5.0 seconds for the convertible) and hitting an electronically controlled top speed of 155mph. The XKR’s already powerful sporting styling cues – an aerodynamically-enhanced front bumper, bonnet louvres and aluminum-finish grilles and side power vents – will remain and exclusive Celestial Black exterior paint and 20-inch polished Cremona-style five-spoke alloy wheels add to the overall presence. The XKR Portfolio will combine this acclaimed design and performance wîth Jaguar’s engineering and craftsmanship skills to take the XKR to an even higher level. Every XKR benefits from its class-leading, advanced aluminum construction, which ensures that its power is matched by a dynamic, lightweight chassis that handles supremely, rides exceptionally well and stops wîth surefooted reassurance time after time.

Price: $74,835 – 92,035.
Invoice: $68,100 – 83,752.

CHASSIS AND DRIVING DYNAMICS

The light, ultra-stiff all-aluminum monocoque body of the all-new XK forms a solid basis for the suspension components. The reduced body weight also allows other components to be located as required to deliver optimum weight distribution and avoid any compromises wîth optimum suspension layout. The XK uses Jaguar’s well proven and classically sporty combination of unequal length wishbones at the front and unequal length wishbones using the driveshafts as upper links at the rear. The body’s light weight and careful packaging provide the perfect platform for Jaguar’s renowned expertise in combining exceptional handling and roadholding wîth comfort and refinement.

In unison wîth this ultra-stiff body Jaguar is able to use a conventional, mechanically sprung suspension layout, wîth coil springs and telescopic dampers all round, that gives more natural, more positive feedback to the driver, exactly as a sports car should. That technology includes a new version of Jaguar’s Computer Active Technology Suspension ( CATS), which is a two-stage adaptive damping system that ensures the optimum balance between ride and handling whatever the road conditions or style of driving. The car’s pitch and yaw rates are measured using accelerometer sensors. That data, plus information on §teering wheel angle and brake demand, is processed by the control module, and electronically controlled hydraulic valves continuously vary the damper settings accordingly. In the previous XK, the CATS system adjusted front and rear dampers in pairs, limiting the control variation to pitch only. The all-new XK’s version controls all four dampers separately, which allows control of roll as well as pitch, for even better ride and handling balance, wîth a very sporty feel.

DESIGN

The all-new XK is visibly more assertive and sportier than the model it replaces, but in true Jaguar tradition it is also elegant, understated and mature. In hard-top guise it has classic, ground-hugging coupe proportions, wîth long hood, steeply raked windshield and rear window, arch-filling wheels, and minimal overhangs. The front-wing power vents are a new Jaguar styling signature recently seen on the special edition XJ Super V8 Portfolio; the distinctive oval grille opening, prominent hood power-bulge and practicality-enhancing rear Liftback all echo the classic E-type, while details like the sweeping front and rear light shapes and powerful stance catapult Jaguar sports car design firmly into the 21st century.

Inside the new XK, traditional craftsmanship and contemporary luxury materials, like finely stitched leather, contrast wîth a choice of more high-tech trim surfaces including metallic finishes. The layout is driver-focused and sporty, wîth excellent ergonomics and body-hugging seats, set low against the high waistline to give a strong ‘cockpit’ feel. With the new XK’s longer wheelbase, wider tracks and taller roofline, the 2+2 layout has significantly more interior space for front seat occupants than the XK that it replaces. Available in both two-door Coupe and Convertible forms, each model was developed in parallel under one umbrella program. The decision to give the Convertible version a classic soft-top rather than a folding hard-top means the open option offers exactly the same 2+2 seating layout, without compromising the elegant lines of the rear body, the strong, rising waistline or the light weight of the car.

The fully-lined triple-layer roof has exceptional wind and road noise isolation. It opens and closes at the touch of a button in less than 18 seconds, and when dropped it stows neatly below a rigid aluminum tonneau cover without unacceptable intrusion into the luggage space. Furthermore, the loadspace can be increased by approximately 3 cu. ft. (83 liters) by stowing the retractable loadspace separator when the Convertible roof is up. The use of a soft-top has also allowed the exterior body to be designed wîth much cleaner lines and a relatively low deck, meaning the door waist line can be carried right through the vehicle from the front of the car to the tail. The roof is constructed from three layers, which also insulate against wind and road noise. The outer layer is a completely waterproof cloth/rubber/cloth laminate, and the inner layer is a luxurious cloth lining which is taut and smooth when the roof is closed. The ‘sandwich filling’ is an insulation layer, using 3M Thinsulate™ material. This gives significantly better insulation for less than half the thickness of the previous XK soft-top construction. It is not only lighter, it takes up significantly less volume when the roof is stowed, allowing more space for passengers and luggage.

The rear window is made of toughened glass, wîth a heating element, and is bonded into the roof. The door glass automatically drops slightly as the doors are closed, and rises again to seal inside the roof water channels. Additionally, the Convertible’s rear windows can be lowered even when the roof is up. The soft-top is raised and lowered by a single press of a button, using hydraulic actuators and electronic controls. It will go from fully open to closed in under 18 seconds, which includes automatically raising the side windows and rear quarter glasses at the end of the cycle. When the soft-top is up, the profile has sleek, elegant lines and the ‘C’ pillar area visually fits comfortably over the rear wheels. Attention to detail is continued wîth a chrome finishing strip fitted to the door capping and continuing around the soft-top base.

The new XK was created by Jaguar’s new design team under the leadership of Design Director Ian Callum, to push Jaguar deeper into the 21st century. The new XK’s lines are bold and beautiful, powerful but elegant. In Ian Callum’s words, it looks ‘just like a Jaguar should – powerful and exciting. That power comes from a sense of tension, muscle and form and is very much part of the new design language we are creating.’ Although the new XK looks very compact, it has excellent luggage space. Even wîth the rear overhang being a full 4.8 inches shorter than the previous XK, the rear luggage volume is only 0.28 cu. ft. less, or 0.78 cu. ft. more when the optional run flat tires are specified – and of course it has gained the enormous benefit of the all-new Liftback design, which provides excellent access to the loadspace area.

INTERIOR

The interior of the new XK is as modern and forward-lòòking as the exterior, and designed specifically wîth the sporty, enthusiast driver in mind. It is roomy and comfortable, and in its choice of materials and equipment, it is genuinely a premium, luxury car. It was important that it displayed the understated craftsmanship and restrained contemporary luxury associated wîth Jaguar. But being a sports car there was no place for overly ornate or fussy design – ergonomics were more important. So the seats hold the driver and passengers firmly but comfortably, the interior has a light and airy ‘cockpit’ feel, and the lowered position of the instrument panel also gives a feeling of greater cabin space. That sense of well-being comes in part from the fact that the car is extremely roomy, and has the classic 2+2 sports car layout wîth individual sculpted seats in the rear. Compared to the previous generation XK, there is 2.32in more seat-track travel, 2.13in more front leg room, 0.8in more front head room and 1.4in more shoulder room. There is also better foot space all round, and Jaguar’s electronic parking brake liberates the space that was previously needed for the outboard handbrake lever. There are more interior stowage spaces, and the combination of more interior space plus longer seat travel makes rear seat access through the long doors easier.

The main instrument binnacle in front of the driver is designed to relate to the shape of the three-spoke §teering wheel and it houses two classic round dials flanking a 256-color Driver Information Center based on Thin Film Transistor technology. The speedometer and tachometer dials are backlit wîth green backgrounds and their pointers are illuminated wîth white light. The large, seven-inch center console touch-screen is a menu-driven information and control system. It is designed to offer the required number of functions, but wîth minimum distraction and complexity to the driver – so in each menu level a maximum of only five items is available for selection. For example, the first menu level allows the driver to select between climate, audio, navigation, telephone and vehicle settings. To make selection easier for some modes and to avoid distraction from the road, when the driver’s finger is close to but not touching one of the screen icons, that particular icon ‘grows’ and an audible indication of the selection is given, so the driver can touch the correct icon without even having to see it. Very importantly for safe and positive operation, there are ‘home’ and ‘back’ buttons, and two manual buttons below the screen for ‘home’ and ‘off’ functions at a single touch.

Where available, the center screen also incorporates the display for the standard DVD-based satellite navigation system, which is also controlled via the touch screen. A significant advance over previous systems is that as well as giving turn direction instructions, the new XK’s system also gives audible ‘towards’ information at junctions – to the main town or city indicated by the local signpost, or (on a local level) to the next street name. Full zip code-based information is a further enhancement from previous systems. As well as being a sports car, the new XK is a premium luxury car, and is equipped as such. Its sophisticated dual-zone climate control system (which can be regulated via the touch screen as well as by its conventional controls) has a comprehensive list of features including heating and cooling, humidity control which senses the risk of misting and switches to a dehumidified airflow to the windshield area, and automatic demisting after cold starts. The defrost function includes heated front and rear screens and heated mirrors. Heated seats (there’s even an optional heated leather §teering wheel) are controlled by the climate control system, and selectable from the central touch screen.

In the Convertible, a dedicated strategy operates when the car is being driven wîth the roof down, automatically changing the distribution of the airflow (warm or cool) to give more flow to the face vents. The new XK offers a choice between high- and optional premium-quality audio systems. The standard six-speaker high-spec system supports conventional audio CDs as well as discs containing MP3 digital files, and the single dash-mounted CD slot is actually a six-disc changer. The premium system, by Alpine, has eight speakers, a remote six-channel amplifier, 520 watt output and Dolby Pro Logic II Surround Sound. The built-in communication interface is Bluetooth-based, and can communicate wirelessly wîth compatible Bluetooth mobile phones – which only have to be in the passenger compartment, for instance in a brief case or jacket pocket. The completely hands-free system has volume and answer controls on the §teering wheel, and a ‘do not disturb’ mode to inhibit incoming calls when selected. The dialing keypad is contained in the touch screen and can be selected from the telephone menu; and the touch-screen can also display phone book and incoming call information.

The interior combines traditional luxury and high technology. The choice of materials was as important as the shapes, so it is important that they are seen – and details like the traditional stitching are an integral element of the design. There is a choice of two leather trims including Soft Grain, which can be extended as an option to cover the instrument panel top, door cappings and seats. There are two veneer options – Burl Walnut, and the much lighter, more modern Poplar wood. Where traditional wood veneers are specified, they are produced by Jaguar’s own highly specialized, in-house wood veneer department. For 2008, interior craftsmanship is elevated even further wîth the use of a new, richer headliner material called Morzine (in the XKR it’s a suede-like material called Alston). The XKR benefits from a unique sports seat design wîth additional lateral support for both the driver and front seat passenger. To distinguish the interior, an ‘R’ badge is featured on the headrests, tachometer, §teering wheel and gear selector. The design of the standard aluminum interior veneer is also unique to the XKR, featuring a unique ‘weave’ pattern. For 2008, it also features polished stainless steel pedals.

SAFETY

The 2008 XK is engineered to meet all worldwide impact requirements wîth only one design, and its effectiveness was proved using many computer-simulated and real world crash tests. Enhanced safety features play a major role, both for passenger and pedestrian protection and the new XK uses a passive bumper system, the design of which helps to mitigate pedestrian leg injury through the use of crushable foam and plastic covering. The new XK has comprehensive protection for driver and passengers, starting wîth the inherent strength of its all-aluminum body construction and effective energy absorbing deformation zones. It offers a driver airbag which senses seating position, whether the driver is wearing a safety belt and the severity of any impact, and deploys the airbag accordingly. It has a passenger front airbag that helps minimize injury even if the passenger is sitting awkwardly or too close to the airbag, and there are two combined front-seat head and thorax side airbags developed to help protect occupants in the event of impacts wîth larger vehicles and stationary objects such as poles.

The XK is also fitted wîth Jaguar’s Protec® dynamic head restraint system, which is designed to minimize whiplash injuries in the event of an impact from behind, by automatically pushing the head restraint forward to support the head and reduce the risk of injuries to the neck. It also has LATCH child-seat fixings in both rear seats, plus a top tether that gives additional security in fixing LATCH-compatible child seats. Although they are not a legal requirement, the Convertible features a Roll-over Protection Device consisting of two aluminum hoops that are automatically deployed if the car’s sensors detect the onset of a roll-over accident. That creates a protected area between the hoops and the reinforced windscreen structure around the restrained occupants. The system is deployed by an advanced solid-state gyro sensor system. It also has a patented design to allow it to deploy through the rear window area if the roof is up, so the lines of the car have not been compromised by the inclusion of this safety system.

SECURITY

The new XK features two-stage unlocking, which unlocks the driver’s door wîth one push of the unlock button and the passenger door wîth a second push. Amongst the user-friendly advanced technologies in the all-new XK is the Jaguar Smart Key System, which provides Keyless Start wîth a push-button starter, and keyless entry simply by carrying the Jaguar Smart Key in your pocket or bag.