Quick Hit – A Pair of Jaguar “R” Cars Are Near and Far

On the East Coast we got this high performance 2014 Jaguar XJR unicorn with 55,000 miles awaiting a new owner. This is a first year model and when introduced got great reviews. The car was lighter than the XKR below, and with a supercharged motor hit 60 mph in 3.9 seconds – a staggering number for a luxury family car almost a decade ago. The full instrumented Car and Driver review is here.

Written about so many Jaguars that by now the interiors all look the same to me, from the XF to the XK to the XJ. That means they all look luxurious and high end, to me. I’ve driven several of the XK’s and XKR’s and if not for a jammed key box behind my seat during a test drive that made me think I had four inches less leg room than I needed, I’d be the owner of an XKR now instead of an M3. The rotary shift knob took some getting used to but didn’t take long to master.

Don’t know what it is with Jaguar switches that get all rubbery, but they do. Previous owner left their fingerprints all over this one.

The Jaguar XJR has such nice lines, and the quad exhaust, the “R” badges, and some front end fascia upgrades are a few of the distinctions from the regular XJ. Befitting a luxury car of its day it has heated and air conditioned seats, a Meridian audio system, and a panoramic sunroof. And tons of room inside and in the trunk.

What makes the XJR special is the upgraded 5.0 liter V-8, a supercharged, 550 horsepower, high performance car that with an eight-speed automatic and will hit 174 mph. And again, Car and Driver was able to pull off a 3.9 second 0-60 mph run. The car sold new back in 2014 for about $125,000 and is now only $33,998. Find it here in Buffalo, New York.

Stock No: 24225873 VIN: SAJWA1EK6EMV66589

Family car not your style but like the “R” performance? How about an even sexier 2014 Jaguar XKR? The XK debuted in 2007 and to me is a timeless design. I always see Aston Martin lines in the XK body. Long hood. Big hatch. Way over on the West Coast.

Look familiar inside? Pretty much the same as the XJ. This XKR also has a heated steering wheel, and a Bowers & Wilkins audio system. The XKR has 43″ of front seat leg room and the XJ “only” 41.5. Still amused at the key box behind the seat that made me soooo uncomfortable.

The XKR motor, though, while also a 5.0 liter aluminum, supercharged V-8, is limited to 510 horsepower. To get the full 550, it seems one has to upgrade to the XKR-S. Oddly, I swear this XKR was first posted as an XKR-S and has since been corrected. Haven’t seen an XKR-S in forever. The XKR is still a mid-four second 0-60 mph runner.

Why does the XKR have a fancy plastic shroud over the motor but the XJR don’t?

The 2014 Jaguar XKR sold new for maybe $100,000. This one is reserved at the moment here in Oxnard, California, and is offered at $36,998. With only 32,000 miles that seems like a whole lotta fun for the money. And of course of both of these cars I highly recommend MaxCare. And I still owe you a piece on Scott’s recent Jaguar XJ MaxCare experience!

Stock No: 24624149 VIN: SAJWA4DC9EMB54276

One Reply to “Quick Hit – A Pair of Jaguar “R” Cars Are Near and Far”

  1. So pretty and so tempting. But I’ve already resolved to get a car that will actually fit in my garage—the XJL is over 17 feet long! And frankly, all those foot pounds of torque scare me a bit. The V-8 in my XJL already twists almost 400 ft-lbs and does 0-60 in about 5 seconds… that is PLENTY fast enough for me!

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