2008 Jaguar XKR, Part Three - Jalopnik
The 2008 Jaguar XKR is a beautiful car. The fenders flare out like a woman's hips to cover the wide rear track and flow into a pinched trunk equipped with the most complementary spoiler ever conceived. It evokes muscular visions of British sports cars from the '60s, or even cars like the Shelby Daytona Coupe. This is exactly how a modern Jag should look, demonstrating a clear appreciation for the past without shamelessly copying it. Jaguars are often criticized for looking too much like the current crop of near-identical Aston Martins, but that's not a... In pictures, the XKR's shape overwhelms the body's more subtle lines. It's a shape close in proportion and form to cars like the DB9, but up close and on the street, the Jaguar strikes a pose all its own — long and lithe where the DB9 is heavy and purposeful. Where the Astons have crystal start/stop buttons and a modern and luxurious swath of bamboo on the dash, the Jag is an awkward combination of nicely stitched leather and cheap plastic parts. The spokes on the steering wheel — parts you touch — are made from the lowest quality painted plastic. The airbag cover — a part you look at every day — is about five cents more expensive. Source: jalopnik.com
