Test drive: 2007 Jaguar XKR

Man cannot live by cars alone -- or by minivans alone, for that matter. So after I reviewed the 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan for Jeff James, About.com's Guide to Minivans, good ol' Jeff returned the favor by test-driving the Jaguar XKR for About.com Cars. (Hey, wait -- who got the better end of that deal?)

In order to expand his understanding of the 420 horsepower supercharged XKR, Jeff also spent a week with the normally-aspirated 300 hp XK. Jeff explained to me in an email why he thinks the XKR is worth the extra dough:

The XK and XKR are separated by 120 hp and $11,500 in price. That works out to about $96 for each extra horsepower. By comparison, the regular Corvette and the 505 hp Z06 are separated by 75 hp and $25,005, or $333 per hp. That's a rough analysis that doesn't take into account any of the other improvements (better handling, more expensive components, etc.), but it underscores what a relative bargain the XKR is over the XK. Besides, I see a dozen Mustangs and Corvettes driving on the highway each day. If you're looking for a car that stands out from the crowd -- and have the weighty bank account to accommodate -- few vehicles do it as beautifully as the XK series.

Get the full story on the supercharged Jag -- check out Jeff's 2007 Jaguar XKR test drive. -- Aaron Gold

Photo © Jeff James