Jaguar decided to introduce a facelift for its XK8 GT range, and, along with the rest of the stable, the XKR was improved to offer more power and better smiles per mile.
After more than two decades into production, the old XJS was retired in 1996 and made room for a modern GT developed together with Ford and Aston Martin. But soon, the German brands were recovering with new GT vehicles.

Sleek and powerful, the XKR was the fastest quickest production vehicle of the family. At the front, the apron-mounted oval grille resembled old Jaguar models, and the cat-badge was installed on the upper side of the bumper. On the hood, a pair of slats used to cool the engine made the most striking aesthetic difference between the XKR and its less-powered brothers, the XK8. The red Brembo calipers and the specific 18” five-spoke light-alloy wheels were signs that the XKR was not just a regular cruiser.

Inside, the Jaguar was designed in the typical brand’s fashion with wood and leather all-around. The rear seats were big enough for a briefcase or a toddler without a safety seat since it was almost impossible to fit one inside. For the 2003 model, the XKR was available with a navigation system offered as an option and a 320-watt Alpine sound system.

The 2003 Jaguar XKR lost the old 4.0-liter V8 and gained a 4.2-liter unit that offered almost 40 ponies more. Thanks to a 6-speed automatic transmission that sent power to the rear wheels, the car rocketed to 100 kph (62 mph) from standing still in 5.4 seconds. To not disturb the record held by the Jaguar XJ220, the 2003 XKR was electronically limited to a mere 155 mph (250 kph).