1998 Jaguar XKR Coupe Photos, engines & full specs

After successfully introducing the XK8 lineup in 1996, Jaguar decided to throw in a more powerful version of it, and so the XKR was born and was ready to tear up the streets.

When Ian Callum designed the XK body in the mid-80s, Ford wasn’t ruling the British automaker Jaguar yet. After it took over the helm of the car manufacturer, it postponed the launch of the grand touring car until 1996. But then, even though the customers were pleased by the two-door cat, they wanted some more oomph from the vehicle. The fastest way to do that was to add a supercharger to the 4.0-liter V8 under the hood and then come with some additional upgrades to make the car not just accelerate faster but also handle better. After all the upgrading program was finished, the XKR came alive, and Jaguar unveiled it at the 1998 Geneva Motor Show.

But Ian Callum wanted the go-fast version of the XK8 to look slightly different than its lesser-powered brother. As a result, he modified the car’s front fascia. He installed a metallic mesh on the oval-shaped grille that resembled the legendary E-Type. Furthermore, he removed the chromed horizontal slat from there. In addition, he added a pair of vents on the hood to release the hot air from the engine bay. As a final detail, the car manufacturer installed a specific badge on the car, with a red background and the “Jaguar Supercharged” lettering on the outer circle instead of the “Jaguar 4 Litre” seen on the regular XK8.

From its profile, the XKR boasted a set of 17” light-alloy wheels with a unique, five double-spoke design, with an option for an 18-inch set with a similar design and red Jaguar badges on their center caps. These were some of the distinctive details that differentiated the supercharged version from the naturally aspirated one. The low-slung greenhouse with its sloped down rear window and the rounded lines of the bodywork were the same. But still, customers who bought the R-version could also notice the tiny lip spoiler applied on the trunk’s lid.

Inside, there were no differences between the XK8 and the XKR besides the level of standard features. Customers could get the supercharged version with bucket seats at the front with tall seatbacks and integrated headrests. In front of the driver, Jaguar installed a wooden-finished dashboard with recessed dials fronting the driver for the instrument cluster. In addition, a pair of gauges and an analog clock adorned the center stack. The center console between the front occupants housed an armrest with a storage area underneath it and the J-pattern gear selector of the automatic transmission.

Under the hood, Jaguar installed the same 4.0-liter all-aluminum V8 powerplant as in the rest of the range. But unlike those, the XKR got upgraded with the help of a supercharger, which boosted the power figure by almost 80 hp. The new engine was paired with a five-speed automatic gearbox, which was the only option.