NYIAS 2011: Jaguar XKR Coupe

The Jaguar brand has started changing and evolving in recent months, as the famous British mark has announced a frugal little 2.2-liter diesel engine and the introduction of four-wheel drive on the XF. Those might not seem like core values to Jag’ but its essential that the company does this if it wants to keep making the cars we love.

And speaking cars we love, here is the XKR, the 2012 model year to be more precise. The changes might not seem like much, but the redesigned coupe shares many elements with the stunning 550-horsepower XKR-S that was shown in Geneva. Look closely and you will notice headlamps that are slimmer by 15 mm and incorporate LED signal functions and running lights. The grille that makes any Jag what it is has grown and the bumper is subtly redesigned. As is the case with all previous XKRs, the 2012 model offers a black mesh grille and the ‘R’ badging at both ends.

This isn’t much, but it all looks like the designers went over every detail of the car to make it as near to aesthetically perfect as possible. After all, it’s hard to improve on a car that looks perfect from just about every angle.

On the performance side of things, the double wishbone front suspension has been comprehensively revised with a new fully-machined steering knuckle, but no performance hike has been announced as part of the upgrade.

The whole XK range has been been refreshed with a host of new trim materials including ebony soft-feel paint for the switches, gloss black finish to the centre console and phosphor blue halo illumination and ambient lighting. There are also performance interior options, with the XKR-S model’s seats available as an optional extra. This provides integrated head restraints and increased lateral and squab support, so the new seats hold driver and passenger securely and comfortably in place.