It’s rumored that Enzo Ferrari once referred to the Jaguar E type as the most beautiful car in the world. Well, it’s hard to disagree with that – fifty years on, the E type still looks brilliant. And that brings me to the Jaguar XKR, whose E type inspired styling lends itself to being one of the nicest looking cars on the market today. Though the XK has been around for a few years, it still looks as fresh as when it was first introduced in 2006. It has a timeless style element that makes one appreciate well executed automotive design. The latest XKR has a distinctive and purposeful new front-end design that incorporates the chrome grill from the XF and XJ series. The rear lights are now LEDs and there’s a subtle spoiler on the boot. With its low slung aggressive stance and sleek lines, the XKR has tremendous street presence.

Inside the cabin, the XKR now has the innovative Jaguar Drive Selector that was first seen in XF. The drive selector is a rotary gear selector that rises from the centre console when you start the vehicle. The multi information screen is an improvement as well, but it’s time Jaguar introduced in the XKR the digital gauges that so impressed me in the all-new XJ. That apart, as one would expect, the interiors in the XKR personify luxury, and the quality of the leather is simply fantastic. However, the switchgear, specifically the climate control switches, are a letdown – again, an area where Jaguar should leverage the great work that they’ve accomplished on the XJ. Nevertheless, the overall fit-and-finish is excellent, and this is especially evident in the way the convertible roof is lined. Sitting inside you simply can’t tell that this is a convertible. From the outside, with the top down, the XKR looks even better, and drew admiring glances wherever it went.

The big news, though, is that Jaguar has installed the 5.0-litre supercharged V8 engine, which was first seen in the XFR, into the XKR. It’s a brilliant motor that delivers 510bhp, and an astonishing 625Nm of torque that propels the XKR to 100km/h in just 4.6 seconds. This new unit is surprisingly efficient as well, and I managed just over 7km/l in a mixed driving cycle.

Unlike other cars that use welds during the chassis construction process, the XKR’s body shell is riveted and bonded together using aerospace industry techniques. This construction produces a body-shell with very high structural integrity, which, according to Jaguar, is the lightest in its class. Massive power coupled with a lightweight body shell, constructed from a combination of aluminum alloy components, gives the XKR astounding performance.

Fire up the engine, and the XKR’s quad exhaust pipes give out a menacing burble. Select first gear, press the throttle and the XKR leaps forward as a Jaguar would. This supercharged motor is an absolute delight, with seamless acceleration right through the power band. And with all that power on tap, traction control is kept on it’s toes – however, the driver does have the option to disengage it. The XKR is equipped with an active exhaust system, in which valves open at higher speeds to provide an even more powerful note. In addition, a special acoustic filter at the rear of the engine feeds the intake sound to the cabin under hard acceleration. The acoustics are brilliant, and help enhance the driving experience. The engine is mated to a six-speed automatic gearbox with steering wheel mounted paddles that provide quick gearshifts. I was actually impressed with the smoothness and speed of the gearshifts, and not once did I miss not having a twin-clutch automatic in the XKR.

In addition to the new engine, the other big improvement in the XKR is the inclusion of Jaguar’s adaptive dynamics system that optimizes handling agility and ride comfort. The system monitors body movement 100 times per second, and wheel position 500 times per second, and automatically increases the damping rate as the suspension approaches the limits of its travel. Adaptive dynamics also controls wheel hop on uneven roads by rapidly varying the damping to move any wheel out of a natural bouncing frequency, benefiting ride comfort, handling, and tire grip. The system works brilliantly, and gives the XKR excellent handling characteristics. The XKR has an active differential control that helps optimize traction to the rear wheels, improving acceleration on low grip surfaces while enhancing cornering grip. Steering feel on the XKR is good, which gives the driver the confidence to push through the corners. For even more excitement, the driver can select dynamic mode that provides more responsive accelerator pedal reaction and quicker gearshift responses.

In India, unfortunately, you don’t have the option of the XKR convertible – but you can get your hands on the XKR coupe at just south of a crore. And, while it does cost a pretty penny, and then some, it’s still about 40% less dear than the Aston Martin V8 Vantage – a car that it can outpunch on performance. So, if you have the money, and are looking for a car with stunning looks and phenomenal performance, this is it.