Jaguar XK sportscars have been turning heads and thrilling drivers for 60 years. The best part is that the quickest, best-handling and most luxurious XK is the one that’s in Jaguar showrooms right now.
Former Tonight Show host Jay Leno credits a Jaguar with turning him into a car enthusiast at age nine. The car was a 1954 XK120 he spotted 50 years ago. It’s easy to imagine the 2010 Jaguar XK having the same effect on nine-year-olds today – or 49-year-olds.
It’s easy to see why. First, the new-generation XK gets even better for 2010 with so much “new” between its sleek bumpers that you really have to take a close look, even if you thought you knew the car. An already stunning appearance gets even more distinctive with a new front-end design, new LED rear lights and a new lower rear body valance.
The bolder look is just the start. Push the pulsating “START” button on the console, and the new JaguarDrive Selector with its rotary shifter rises up, and you hear and feel what amounts to a heart transplant for the 2010 XK – the all-new 5.0-liter direct-injection V8 growls to life, ready to put 385 hp to the road. That’s nearly 30 percent more power than the 2009 model. Where the previous car was decidedly quick, the 2010 model is simply scorching with zero-to-60 mph in a blink over five seconds. In-gear acceleration and passing performance, too, are almost beyond words.
You can tailor your XK for the season and weather. “Winter Mode” softens throttle response and modifies transmission shifting to help maintain optimum traction in slippery road conditions. “Dynamic Mode” optimizes vehicle systems and sharpens responses to give you a more involving driving experience.
The XK’s engine finds willing partners in its pursuit of astonishing performance. One is the state-of-the-art six-speed automatic transmission, which provides seamless gearshifts in automatic mode and pure smiles when you shift manually with the steering wheel paddleshifters. When the transmission is in full manual mode, transmission upshifts are fully controlled by the driver.
The XK powertrain’s “silent partner” is something you’d expect to find (and do find) in a $200,000-plus exotic supercar – a racing-inspired aluminum structure that gives this cat extraordinary substance, yet keeps it lighter than any of its challengers. A sportscar that was dragging around an extra few hundred pounds would simply not be worthy of the Jaguar brand’s racing heritage. It would be wasting resources, too. The 2010 XK coupe can return 24 mpg on the highway, a notable achievement for a car of this performance level.
Aluminum construction results in a highly responsive machine around town, on twisty back roads and when steering around obstacles. It simply feels more “alive” than heavier cars. Aiding and abetting the high-strength/lightweight chassis is, for the first time in an XK, Active Differential Control and Adaptive Dynamics. Together, these technologies optimize traction under hard acceleration and cornering and give the XK grip through curves like no other XK before.
Don’t let all this talk about performance and the racing-derived structure distract you from the luxury inside the 2010 XK. We won’t mention any names, but you could easily spend another $40,000 over the XK’s MSRP of $83,000 (or $89,000 for the convertible) and not get more British luxury and craftsmanship.
Standard luxury in the XK includes 12-way heated and cooled front power seats, soft-grain leather interior, a heated leather steering wheel and contrast stitching. Take your pick of gorgeous finishes like the modern, straight-grained Figured Ebony veneer or Knurled Aluminum.
You might have a hard time choosing between the natural music of the powerful V8 or your favorite bands playing through the standard Bowers & Wilkins 525-watt audio system with Dolby® ProLogic® II surround sound. The system includes low distortion Kevlar midrange speakers, aluminum dome tweeters and a unique amplifier. The Portable Audio Interface allows simple, direct connection of iPod and MP3 players. The steering wheel-mounted controls and touchscreen couldn’t be easier to use.
Drive the XK and, who knows––you may just inspire a new generation of Jaguar enthusiasts.
