Engine & Gearbox

The guttural roar from the active exhaust is intoxicating. My best memory of the XK-R is driving through a tunnel with the top down and accelerator pedal mashed to the floor

All the bells and whistles aside, the drivetrain is the real heart of any sports or GT car. And this is where the XK-R leaves you in no doubt about the seriousness of its intentions – the engine and transmission are very much in keeping with the aggressive visual nature of the car. The propulsion provided by the 420 horsepower supercharged V8 is nothing short of epic. The power delivery isn’t manic as you’d expect in a car that produces this much power, instead it’s linear and refined – very much like a naturally aspirated engine. Its feels effortless at cruising speed.

At first, you begin to question if it really produces the claimed 420 horses. It’s only when you display a real sense of urgency with your right foot that the character of the car completely changes. The guttural roar from the active exhaust is intoxicating. While it’s normally very silent, on hard acceleration butterfly valves in the quad exhausts open to provide sensational sound. In fact, my best memory of the XK-R is driving through a tunnel with the top down and accelerator pedal mashed to the floor.

The transmission, which is a regular torque converter automatic, is, surprisingly, even better. It features a sport mode that allows higher shift points and more driver adaptation, which means the transmission adjusts to your driving style. It also offers the now ubiquitous paddle shifts, allowing you to change gears manually if you so choose. Like a semi-automatic gearbox, the XK’s transmission blips the throttle on downshifts, which is a nice touch. The shifts themselves are also just as quick, taking only 600 milliseconds. And thankfully, unlike several semi-automatics, gear changes are extremely smooth and comfortable – offering the best of both worlds.