According to this:

https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/a...9-11public-pdf

there will be no more caramel interior for the XKR - it will only be available for the XK. I read the same thing in a 2012 ordering guide I recently saw posted on a forum.

This seems like a really bad move. Certain paints - British racing green (offered again in 2012), dark blue, white - simply work best with tan interiors. Light interiors can also add a sense of space. And you can get Caramel on the less powerful XK! Not sure who was in this marketing decison, but time for them to be fired...

Had to vent - I was planning on ordering a 2012 - the exterior changes in this pdf are subtle but nice - but now on the fence. A white or green with caramel interior was high on the list.

 

Sorry, but I only envision black interior in the R. although in any car I've owned there has only been black interior sooooo might be a biased

 

Are you sure that's not just referring to the R performance seats?

 

Jaguar has had many other "tan" colors that are more attractive than caramel. To meet it's a bit orange looking. I much prefer biscuit to caramel.

 

Unfortunately it' not just the performance seats; the luxury seats don't have the option either.

I'm not altogether opposed to black, especially on the silver/gray/black models, but the jag black just didn't do it for me. I have a black interior on my 2011 Cayenne that I love, especially with the piano black trim. My SL55 AMG I'll be trading in has a black interior as well. Something about the mix of materials on the XKR didn't work as well for me; maybe I'll like the new interior better with the black buttons. I kind of wanted this convertible to be a little more "airy", and it just seems like it's a step backwards to not offer ANY beige. Perhaps a white XKR with the ivory seats/warm charcoal interior and a black top would look sharp...I just don't think I'd like a green with black seats.

RJC - how did your ordering of the 2012 XKR go? My dealer seemed a bit clueless so I thought I'd wait until they're in the showroom to place an order (or perhaps decide on a used car with beige!)

 

Verbow,

Car was ordered with expected Sept launch delivery but when I changed the order for 20" Nevis rims it got pushed back to Oct. The new 12 looks awesome in white but we saw an 11 parked outside and some of the exterior lower plastic panels were already starting to yellow a tad so I went for blk. I think the 12 will be the best looking XK yet but the 13 XE will be a game changer and most likely kill the already poor resale value of the XK's. As I had written previously, the Jag rep was present and actually ordered my car and told me the new XK for 14/15 will be a larger car with more rear seat room and moving even more upscale. The piece you posted is not the ordering guide but product brief, I have it somewhere and look for the Carmel option on the R for you.

 

I heard the same thing about the 14/15 from a dealer in tampa. He said that the new XKs are supposed to be 5-8" longer

 

Here's the actual order guide

 

Thanks - confirms no beige interiors. Performance seats look cool, but I'd want them heated AND cooled!

 

You're welcome, agreed about the cooled/heated seats. One of the reasons I went for a Jag is the thermoelectrically cooled seats; most other brands are just vented. What are you going to get an 11 or 12, R?

 

And a lot more upscale/expensive, I think the new XE will suit most XK type owners. I wish I knew for sure if the new XK will be a 14 or 15. I also think the 13 XK's will get a new 7/8 speed trans which will boost acceleration and mpgs...

 

I could never have a convertible with a black interior OUCH

The caramel interior is pesky to keep clean, even more so than the ivory in my old VDP...

 

As long as you raise the top when leaving the car and use the cooled seats when driving it's all good...

 

I was apprehensive about the black seats as well. I test drove my second XKR with black seats - both in 88-90 degree heat - and I was amazed how enjoyable it was. Between the air conditioning and the cooled seats it was a marked improvement from my SL55 AMG. That has black seats, but the big AMG engines give off a lot of heat, transferred right back through the body. The seats are ventilated but not cooled. It's the main reason I'm trading it in. I really love the car with the top up, but the Jag is certainly more comfortable with the top down (and top down is why I have the car!)

Dealer did say caramel could be special ordered for the XKR, but it's an extra $1000.

RJC, I think I'm going to pick up an untitled '10 (there are a few around). My original thinking was that a used SL63AMG is close to $100K, so if I'm spending that much I may as well get a new XKR. But I seem to change "weekend" cars way too much - probably every 2-3 years - so I don't think I want the depreciation hit. Too much stuff comes out in this segment of the market to keep us drooling - unfortunately I'm their target victim...

I'm still on the fence, but if I can save nearly 20K and get a car close to what I want, I think that's the way I'll go. If you don't mind me asking, what kind of discount off MSRP were you seeing when ordering?

By the way, I was a bit disappointed with the SL63 AMG. It certainly drove well - handled better than my SL55 - but the drop in torque was noticable, especially in a car of that weight.