Jaguar is seen as a bit of a pompous brand by non-Jaguar folk, a car for silver-whiskered, croquet-playing gents who are too pretentious to buy a German car, but I wonder how German-car drivers would feel after a few kilometres in an XKR?
It's Jaguar's most powerful kitty and I suspect they'd change their view of the Jaguar brigade whose facial foliage would become a little less silver and whose hobbies, alongside croquet, might also include the odd bit of bungee jumping.
The requisite stiff-upper-lip feel is there in this supercharged version of the XK but infused with a sporting edge that gets the heart pumping and the palms sweaty.
The XKR is available in the coupé version tested here and as a convertible, both selling for seven-figure sums. Morphing a standard XK into an "Arrr" involves fitting a supercharger to the 4.2-litre V8 to raise power from 224kW to 306kW and torque from 420Nm to a ridiculous 560Nm.
Outwardly the XKR differs from a run-of-the-mill XK with visual tweaks such as a mesh grille, vents in the bonnet and wings, and wagon-sized 20" alloy rims that suit the car's proportions without making it look like a pimpmobile. The quartet of exhausts also signals belligerent intent, visually and vocally.
The long nose and flat boot come straight from the hallowed Jaguar textbook, those muscular haunches have that ready-to-leap look and, even though the Hyundai-esque lights are somewhat jarring, overall the car will make an ideal accessory for a holiday home in Clifton.
Anti-wrinkle cream has also been applied inside the XKR where traditional burr walnut has been ditched in favour of aluminium weave while the car gets body-hugging sports seats with power adjustment for their bolsters.
There are "R" badges on the head restraints, tachometer, steering wheel and gearshifter just in case you need reminding what you're in.
There's no need to insert a key. It stays in your pocket while its transponder talks to the car as you approach; simply tug the door release and the door will open and jab a button to fire up the engine.
James Bond has seldom been a Jaguar man but features such as this might have enticed the agent into the feline fold. He'd also like the XKR's touch-screen that controls the audio system, satnav and air-conditioning.
Cornering headlights that illuminate the inside of the turn are available as a R5800 option.
Jab the red button
The spec sheet says the XKR coupé has four seats but those in the back are there presumably only to display Jaguar's upholstering finesse (which is fine indeed) because legroom there is almost non-existent; oh, and the flat boot won't accommodate too many croquet sets.
But all that becomes as meaningful as position-of-ashtray when you jab the red start button and hear that throaty V8 growl into life.
This is a muscular grand tourer that devours distance effortlessly and accelerates like a Rafael Nadal serve.
We clocked a supercar-like 0-100km/h sprint of 5.2 seconds up here on the Reef that actually matched the factory's claim.
Not only is this Jag quick but there's also no skill involved in blasting off, which means there's little chance of some cheeky blighter in a Subaru out-dicing you because you fluffed your clutch technique. With the automatic gearbox you just boot the throttle and go. And go, and go
Acceleration remains strong and lusty as the big Brit hauls ass towards its electronic 250km/h speed governor with stroll-in-the-park ease, backed by a V8 soundtrack that, under hard acceleration, is pure Guns 'n Roses but at cruising speeds quietens down to Cliff Richard levels thanks to an "active" exhaust that varies the flow of gases.
Self-blipping throttle
The dual-character exhaust symbolises the general nature of this car, which can be a refined luxury tourer one second and a fire-spitting sports car the next - all depending on what position your foot occupies on the pedal.
The six-speed auto fires through its gears as smoothly as strawberries and cream but there are F1-style paddles to play with if you want more driver involvement - and yes, it does hold your selected gear, unlike some cars with a nannified version of this feature.
The throttle automatically "blips" during a rapid downchanges for a racier feel but the shifts stay ultra smooth. Speedy but sophisticated, Yin and Yang.
The XKR has stiffer springs and dampers than the standard XK and uses Jaguar's "computer active technology suspension" (CATS, how appropriate!) to balance good ride quality with limited body roll through the bends.
Cornering prowess is good if you remember to treat the car as a grand tourer and not a lightweight Lotus Elise. The XKR has an aluminium chassis to keep weight down but, at nearly 1.7 tons, it's no scampering kitten.
Little clumsy
Also, with all that power going to the rear wheels, exiting tighter corners requires subtle throttle input or the car will simply wheelspin like a startled cat on a tiled floor. The traction control in this car is not a fun-spoiler but an absolute necessity...
The big Jag might feel a little clumsy through hairpins but becomes a flicking rapier through fast sweeps where it displays formidable grip and body control. The speed-sensitive Servotronic steering is also tuned to give the steering more weight and greater response.
The aluminium chassis is more than 30 percent stiffer than the previous XK and, overall, ride quality is fairly good even on the low-profile 20" tyres, though there is slight body judder on rougher roads.
VERDICT
Refined but racy. The XKR delivers high-performance thrills but with the pomp and ceremony associated with the Jaguar brand. Driving it is like bungee jumping in a tuxedo and screaming "By Jove!" on the way down.