Jaguar XKR-S convertible

The Jaguar XKR-S Convertible is the most expensive car in the XK line-up, and costs more than £100,000. It's based on the XKR, which is no slouch, but with an extra 39bhp and revised body styling, the S has even more performance and visual clout than its less powerful stablemate. It also costs the price of a decent family hatch more than the XKR, so the S is a car for committed enthusiasts.


If you want a stripped-out track-focused cabrio, the XKR-S convertible isn’t for you. Yes it has revised steering and more power, but Jaguar's engineers have worked hard to maintain the comfort and refinement that has always been part of the XK package. Its sharper reactions and greater precision make it the car the XKR should always have been, while the exhaust note from its supercharged V8 engine is nothing short of sensational – you’ll want to drop its hood at every opportunity to make the most of its bellowing soundtrack.

The XKR-S is firmer than the standard XKR, but ride comfort hasn’t been thrown out of the window completely. At low speeds you can feel small bumps but at higher speeds it works effectively. Overall it's cosseting and its hood is impressively refined, too. Dynamic mode opens a valve in the exhaust for an even sportier sound, but if you disengage it you can enjoy a quiet and fuss free drive. The interior gets the full Jaguar treatment so you get lots of leather and plenty of kit.


Jaguar has enjoyed a steady improvement over recent years, and the firm rated third overall in the annual Auto Express Driver Power reliability survey in 2011. Better still, the XK was engineered to be a convertible from the outset. According to Jaguar, the extra 42kg in weight it carries over the Coupé is purely down the automated roof's electric motors, rather than any additional chassis strengthening. With the hood in place there's little in the way of scuttle shake.