So I was looking at Lotus again. I've tinkered with the idea before. But I'm just now to the point where I'm at that fork in the road. I want to hear from XKR/XKR-S owners who can tell me their experience with their choice. My main goal is to see which car will provide me with the best experience. I know they are two completely different machines and they have their strong and weak points, etc., I am not at all familiar with the Lotus so I just joined a Lotus forum so I can get feedback from there on those models. My model years are between 2009 - 2011. Thanks for posting.

 

I've moved your question from Jaguar Forums Advice / Feedback & Suggestion Center forum to XK/XKR forum. Advice / Feedback & Suggestion Center is for posts about the forum and not for technical questions.

Members here with the model years of XKR that interest you will be able to help.

Graham

 

Thanks !

 

Wow, they are completely different vehicles. I can't even imagine someone cross-shopping them.

If you're looking for a weekend/track car, go with the lotus. They are tiny, light, and have basically no creature comforts (carpet is an option in these cars). If you want something a bit more comfortable, check out the lotus Evora.

If it will be your daily driver, or take any trips longer than about 30 miles, go with the jaguar. They're not nearly as light or nimble, but the power on the freeway is addicting.

My XKR is my daily driver and I have a Porsche Boxster S for the weekend/fun car. Both very exciting to drive, but in very different ways.

Go drive the cars and see which you like better. I drove every roadster on the market before buying my Porsche, and drove every luxury coupe (audi R8, Maserati gran turismo, bmw M6, even a Nissan GT-R) before deciding that the XKR was the best choice for what I would be using it for.

 

If you even remotely consider the Lotus as a daily driver and not just a weekend track car I recommend a lengthy 45 minute test drive. It would be out of the question for me.

 

+1
i was looping for à lotus un t'il i cross an xkrs. Easy choie from then
Guy

 

Way too different to compare. Evora would be a good match. I hear the Evora drives sublime, but early examples are lower quality fit and finish. If you want a pure sports car, the Evora has it over the XK, but for a more practical and livable GT, the XK is hard to beat.

 

Yeah, I think we need to know more about what you want to use the car for - short commute, long commute, weekend blasts, track days, cross-country touring…

 

Where to begin...

I owned a 2006 Lotus Elise several years ago, and I am also a member of the Lotus forums. I no longer participate there since I have long sold my car, but it found it to be a great resource. If you search you may find some of my old threads where my car became a prototype/test car for the Vision Function air-to-air intercooled supercharger system.

My Lotus was stock when I purchased it, but I soon started to modify it as the stock motor is honestly lacking without any forced induction in my opinion. When I was done, I had a supercharged and intercooled Vision Function stage 3 setup that was very fast and should shoot flames out the back of the car. It was extremely raw, loud, and turned a lot of heads. My wife would no longer ride in the car and I ended up selling it to purchase a 911S.

Be aware this car will get constant attention. It is almost impossible to daily drive these cars unless you absolutely had to. They are extremely difficult to get in and out of, and especially awkward for women. These cars do not have power steering. If you plan to use this as a weekend toy or drive it once or twice a week to work, you might be okay. However if you have no plans to track this car you should not even consider it. It is much more at home on the track, but it is a difficult car to learn with so be prepared for that as well.





By contrast, my XKR-S is svelte, sexy, stylish, and extremely smooth. It is virtually the polar opposite of the Elise. I can drive it everyday if I want, and it is very comfortable and easy to get in and out of. It has more bells and whistles that the bare Lotus does not have. It is much heavier and rides better which is perfect for a GT, but not so great for a sports car. It also has way more power and would smoke the Lotus in just about any contest. Even the track times of the XKR-S are better than the supercharged Elise/Exige, although the fun factor would probably be less since the XKR-S is not as raw as the Lotus. The steering is better and more precise in the Lotus, but again the Jag is a GT and for that purpose I think the steering is great. Just get a good alignment and take the front toe out to zero and it will crisp it up a bit more.



For me this is no contest. If I were deciding between the two I would have to go with the Jaguar. Ultimately it depends largely on how you intend to use the car and what you are looking to get out of it.

Best of luck to you!

 

Matt - I may be asking you some questions as I'm looking at an Elise for a track only car. Any quick suggestions on year option etc?

BTW your looks great and seems to be a monster!

 

Yes, it was a monster indeed. The first person that test drove the car bought it on the spot. It was wicked.

As for the best years, I am a bit out of the loop so you should probably research a bit on the lotus forum. I understand there have been quite a few changes over the years, with the newest iterations with the latest stability control options that were never available back in 2006. Now they have an amazing system from what I have heard...


Honestly most of the guys I tracked with sold their Elises/Exiges and went for MX5's...Not near as exciting to look at, but properly tuned they are surprising quick on the track. And parts are a lot cheaper...

Feel free to PM me anytime if you have any specific questions!

 

Thank you, I'll take a look at the newer Elises, but was looking at 2006s as I want a raw track car that I can still drive to and from the track. The MX5 was my first choice but there are a million of them here. I'm trying to keep the car light with mods under 40k but I'm sure that will change.

 

I would also consider a cayman. It along with the Miata, is one of the most popular and recommended track cars.

 

The best way to describe the XK/XKR is that it's a car that makes you feel like a million bucks when you drive it. A Lotus won't do that!

 

I will look at one, thank you for the information and sorry for the thread hijack I just saw "Elise" and had to ask some questions and knew some forum members had them in the past.

 

Weekend and MAYYYbe track use, but don't plan to make any major mods for that...it would be just for the chance to push the limits of the car in a controlled environment. I have three other cars for long trips, dial commute and nights out. This car will be all for me. No one else will be allowed to even sit in the drivers seat....and no %^**#.ng car seat !!!!! Lol !!!!

 

I have the VDP for that. And it serves the purpose of a road trip car.

 

Well then the choice is simple. Pick the Lotus!

Variety is the spice of life.

 

OK, now the choice makes better sense to me - you want a fun car.

I think Matt has covered the subjective differences well. The XKR/R-S is a mighty beast - certainly quicker than the Elise, though not as sharp/nimble. The Elise is lacking in the creature comforts, though, so it won't be as pleasant when you're not in the mood or the place to wring its neck. I think you're going to have to do the taste test: suck it & see. A test drive (or several) should sell you on one or the other.

Can I just throw in a wildcard?: Nissan GT-R. Quicker than either XKR or Elise, has the creature comforts of the Jag but has a more track-oriented appeal like the Elise. I spent a long time assessing the merits of the GT-R and the XKR before coming down on the side of the Jag, but mainly on the basis that it's my main vehicle and the GT-R is just a bit harder to live with around London streets.

One final factor - being an existing Jag owner, you presumably have an 'ecosystem' of parts suppliers, dealers and independent specialists. With another Jag, you can leverage that; with a new make, you're starting from scratch. That was a significant issue for me; the nearest indy GT-R guy was an hour's drive away, with no public transport for a return, and the local dealer didn't get rave reviews.

 

Matt - I love that Elise! Its stunning and I bet it handles just the way it looks! Thats what I want