There is so much effort that goes into the build itself, with the production of the panels etc, but it is still a Jaguar XKR underneath. It has a 0-100kph of 4.8seconds, which really isn’t too shabby at all, but, again, as this is a half a million pound car, you’d expect a little something more than the standard Jaguar XKR it’s built on. Its top speed has been electronically limited to 250kph. Re-maps of the engine are available giving an extra 90bhp, but doing this will unfortunately void the Jaguar warranty.
It drives just like a Jaguar. I know, funny that, being an XKR with a new frock. Due to the new panels being designed so the overall car is slightly larger than that of an XKR, it is a bit more walloughy on the road, but it does drive well. Even on some of the more uneven roads of the UK countryside, the car feels stable, while providing a comfortable ride.
Its steering is solid and direct, giving good feel and making you feel in control of the car. It’s more on the heavy side, which helps in keeping the car with the road. The steering is responsive and the weight keeps you engaged with the whole car, giving you confidence to push it a little on these UK country roads. Acceleration is sharp, maybe a little too abrupt at times, but there is a cracking engine note when you put your foot down, giving some nice earthy tones. Its six-speed automatic transmission, directed to the rear wheels, is also smooth upon gear changes, which is surprising given the often slightly abrupt acceleration. On the road however, wind noise is a problem. This is something David Brown puts down to assembly though, saying it will be sorted on the 100 models built and supplied to buyers.
Yes, the car is fine, it’s comfortable and really quite pleasant to drive – but that’s mostly down to the Jaguar XKR underneath. That said, it is special – there are only 100 of them coming to our roads and to have something that is so unique is a real sweetener, but is it really worth half a million British pounds? Well, I’d have to say no. Insert sad face emoji here. I wanted to love this thing, because its aesthetic almost takes you back to the past, to aesthetic milestones in history, but it’s just not special enough to warrant such a premium over the already pretty great Jaguar XKRS, which you can pick up for a mere fraction of the price. It’s enjoyable, don’t get me wrong and it does get you the looks you’d want and, however much I love that picnic bench in the back, I just can’t justify that price tag. Now, if it was priced more on par with that of the XKR, then that’s a whole other ball game. I would certainly consider it, based purely on the way it looks and the fact there will be very few made.
