It's a warm Sunday morning in Malibu, California, and we're gathered on the grounds of a quaint little winery with manicured lawns, water fountains, and stucco white buildings. Suddenly, the peaceful moment ends as the deep growl from a supercharged V-8 fills the air and a matte black beast creeps toward us. Like a crazed celebrity being admitted into a ritzy rehab center, Jaguar's newest star has us captivated and slack-jawed. It's the 2012 Jaguar XKR-S Convertible, and everyone's eager to get one-on-one time with the drop-top version of the brand's fastest and most powerful production car ever created.
The pre-production XKR-S Convertible we took for a spin was adorned with a number of items typically found on test mules: thin strips of yellow stickers intersecting body panel gaps (to measure chassis flex), a full rollcage, fire extinguisher, Sparco racing seats, and four-point seatbelts. Those items obviously won't make it to production; the same goes for the matte-black paint job, which is unfortunate for those who favor the stealthy look.
Everything else was production ready, including mechanical bits identical to the car's coupe counterpart. That means Jaguar's direct-injected supercharged 5.0-liter V-8 rated at 550 hp and 502 lb-ft of torque is under the hood. We recently spent a week with the coupe version of the XKR-S which we put through our normal barrage of tests. Not surprisingly, that Jaguar left all of us impressed with its performance and looks (the test coupe was finished in French Racing Blue paint).
As expected, the 2012 XKR-S Convertible recreates the coupe's magic, but with a wind-blown effect. After a few minutes into the drive route, my driving partner and I approached a tunnel in which I reacquainted myself with the super Jag's exhaust note, one of the biggest selling points of the XKR-S. The enclosed road echoed and amplified the guttural groan from the Jag's active exhaust system. Not only does the active, free-flowing exhaust sound spectacular, it's also part of the horsepower-increasing equation (the other being remapped fuel characteristics) that amps up the power from the XKR's 510 hp and 461 lb-ft.
As we continued down the Pacific Coast Highway, the XKR-S showed off its softer side. Wind noise and buffeting was minimal, and normal chit chat voices were possible at 55 mph. Also the boisterous exhaust note was nonexistent at cruising speeds, which could be a plus or a minus depending on the driver's preference. The suspension is definitely stiff, but driving over freeway bumps and imperfections is never jarring or overly obtrusive. Like the XKR-S coupe, the convertible features a heavily reworked suspension that includes a more robust aluminum steering knuckle and Active Differential in the front. Out back, the damper top mounts have been stiffened and spring rates have been increased by 28 percent (same goes for the front).
The last leg of the drive route circled back to the twisty roads through the Malibu canyons where we caught up with a dark metallic blue Ferrari 575 Maranello. Within seconds of seeing our menacing matte black Jag in his rearview mirror, the driver of the Ferrari engaged in a fun game of British cat and Italian mouse. With no passing lanes up for miles, we were forced to literally eat the Ferrari's dust as it drove over patches of runoff dirt left over from the previous days of rain. However, the sticky 20-inch Pirelli PZero rubbers combined with Jaguar's Active Damping system kept the XKR-S flat, planted, and right on the V-12-powered prancing horse's tail as it powered through the tight corners. Downshifting the Jag's six-speed automatic was met with rev-matched throttle blips, exhaust pops, and plenty of power through the canyon inclines. Jaguar claims the convertible scoots from 0-60 mph in 4.2 seconds, the same time needed for the coupe.
As we parted ways with the Ferrari and ended our painfully short time with the XKR-S, a post-drive chat with a Jaguar rep revealed a bit of bad news for Americans who can afford the convertible's $138,875 price tag. Only 25 units are allocated for our shores and all have been spoken for. And if you think you could simply compromise by opting for the $132,875 coupe, think again -- all 100 units of that model have been snagged as well. Jaguar reps said they are still determining whether the XKR-S will live on for the 2013 model year. In the meantime, the lucky owners should revel in their Jag's rarity and bipolar personality that drives Italian horses to run for the hills.
