Jaguar XK

Jaguar XK
Overview
Manufacturer	Jaguar Cars
Also called	XK8, XK, XKR
Production	1996–2014
Model years	1997–2015
Assembly	Castle Bromwich Assembly, Birmingham, United Kingdom
Body and chassis
Class	Grand tourer (S)
Body style	2-door coupé 2-door convertible
Layout	FR layout
Chronology
Predecessor	Jaguar XJS
Successor	Jaguar F-type

The Jaguar XK (XK, XK8 and XKR) is a two door grand touring two-seater manufactured and marketed by Jaguar Cars from 1996-2014 in coupé and convertible bodystyles, across two generations. The XK was introduced at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1996 and was last manufactured in July 2014.

The first generation was marketed as the XK8, replacing the XJS and was Jaguar's first 8-cylinder model since the Daimler 250, introducing the Jaguar AJ-V8 engine. The second generation XK, noted for its aluminium monocoque bodyshell, was launched in 2006 for model year 2007. Both generations were marketed in performance variants, as the XKR.

XK8/XKR (1996–2006)

XK8 Convertible

The XK8 was launched in 1996 to replace the XJ-S. Two body styles were produced - a coupé and a convertible. The car was the first in the Jaguar line-up to use Jaguar's newly developed V8 engine - the AJ-V8.^[1] In 2000 the supercharged XKR was added to the range. The XKR featured 370 supercharged horsepower, a subtle rear spoiler, wire mesh front grille, and red exterior emblems. The early XKR's motor was made in England, the ignition system was from NGK in Japan, the transmission was a Mercedes-Benz 722.6, the lighting system was by Valeo in France, and the supercharger was made by Eaton in the USA. So it was truly a world car. The 2000-2002 XKR's had the 4.0 engine which featured a plastic timing chain tensioner. The 2000 XKR received positive reviews from magazines including Road & Track, Car & Driver, and Automobile.

The XK8 came standard with 17-inch alloy wheels, while 18-inch (Standard on the XKR), 19-inch, and 20-inch wheels were available for the XK8 at an additional cost. Jaguar's Adaptive Cruise Control is an optional feature available on both models. Both models came with all-leather interior, burl walnut trim, and side airbags. ^[2][3]

XK/XKR (2006–2014)

XKR (X150) Coupé

The redesigned XK debuted in 2005 at the Frankfurt Motor Show in Germany, styled by Jaguar's chief designer Ian Callum.^[4] The X150's grille was also inspired from the famous 1961 Jaguar E-Type.^[5]

The standard XK model has a limited top speed of 158 mph whilst the XKR a limited top speed of 174 mph. An even faster variant, the XKR-S model was introduced at the Geneva Motor Show in 2012. The XKR-S gained an additional 40-horsepower over the XKR bringing the 0-60 mph time down to only 4.4 seconds and the top speed up to 300 km/h (186 mph) - making it the fastest Jaguar yet after the Jaguar XJ220. A convertible version of the XKR-S was released in 2012.^[6]

Production of the XK ended in July 2014 without a replacement model until the subsequent F-Type.

References

Notes

Bibliography

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External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Jaguar XK.

• Jaguar XK at Jaguar's global website