2008 Jaguar XKR, Part Two  The 2008 Jaguar XKR is a fast car.
With the added 'R,' the hood louvers inscribed with
"Supercharged" and the aggressive body work, however, that
probably goes without saying. Those visual cues hint at the
added performance. Power is up from 300bhp in the non-R version
to 420. It makes 413lb/ft of torque. Why, then, isn't it good
for driving fast?  Let's flash back quickly to yesterday.
Driving the XKR around town, I felt incredibly special. Hold the
start button down and you're rewarded with a deep growl as the
engine kicks into life. All the cues of a fast, rewarding car
are present. When it's not being pushed, the suspension feels
firm and controlled; the engine feels powerful and responsive;
the gearbox feels smooth and quick to change gear. The problem
is, it feels like the XKR has been designed to deliver
impressions, rather than actually deliver.  Up here, on the
tight, wet roads through the Catskills, what's needed for fast
driving is precision, not power; confidence and con