“What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.” In the abstract, that Friedrich Nietzsche saying almost sounds romantic. But in the context of real life experience, it’s more than just a cliche. Racing Jaguars on an unexpected wet track definitely falls into this second category.The XKR and XFR are the automaker’s attempt at offering a practical luxury sports car with some real road gravitas at a decent price.
To try the stunt I traveled with R Performance Academy, Jaguar’s driving school, to Monticello Motor Park, 90 minutes northwest of New York. I’d never driven on that track, a challenging road course full of elevation changes and twisting turns, nor had I driven the cars: Jaguar’s two-door XKR and four-door XFR.
Formally introduced in 2009, the machines come from a long line of X-types dating back to the mid-20th century. Last year marked the 50th anniversary of the classic XKE (also known as the “e” type), considered by auto purists as the most beautiful of all Jags. The XKR and XFR are the automaker’s attempt at offering a practical luxury sports car with some real road gravitas at a decent price (the cars start at $97,500 and $82,000, respectively).
Both are powered by a 5.0-liter, 510 hp supercharged V8 engine. In manual mode, paddle shifters on the steering wheel (like an F1 car -- upshift on right/downshift on left) bring you through six gears without a clutch. Four-wheel 15-inch disc brakes stop you faster than you can accelerate, which is pretty quick; the XKR goes from 0-60 mph in 4.6 seconds, the XFR in 4.7 seconds. As with most advanced sports cars today, a traction control system (computer software that corrects driver errors) is included.
With production XFR and XKR models, top speed is electronically limited to 155 mph via a governor, but the cars are capable of more. In a special prototype test in 2008, Jaguar took an XFR to the Bonneville Salt Flats and, sans governor with weight reductions, ran the thing at 225 mph. You and I are not able to do this, but it does show how powerful the engine is. Heck, that's quicker than the much pricier Lamborghini Aventador.
The day of my scheduled Monticello event dawned overcast, and the weather just got worse. A dense fog turned to heavy rain by the time I arrived at the track. It was so bad that, at one point, I thought they would cancel, even though you can race on a wet road course up to a point.
R Academy's team of instructors is an impressive group. Ours included Roberto Guerrero, a Formula 1 veteran with five top-five finishes at the Indianapolis 500; sprint car racer Adam Andretti, a nephew of Mario; and Davy Jones, who placed second in the 1996 Indy 500.
First, we congregated in a dry classroom, as is the usual start for events like this. Racing is all about physics, we quickly learn, whether on a dry track or in the rain. Only brake in a straight line otherwise you upset the balance of the car. Slow enough before a corner, then accelerate out -- much faster than barreling in too quickly, then having to scrub speed in the turn. Use the entire track to maximize turning radius and hold momentum. And look far out to where you want to go, not where you don’t.
This sounds like common sense until you encounter a problem at high speed and have to do it all at once, as may be the case on a track -- or the highway. And rain, well, it only exacerbates the challenges.
After class, we paired into groups and headed to the parking lot. Instructors wanted us to feel the power of 510 hp in close quarters. A series of autocross, figure-eight and small ovals defined by orange cones became our miniature tracks. While we all made mistakes and knocked over cones, the cars handled surprisingly well on the drenched pavement using the traction control systems.
Lest we become too confident, the instructors occasionally turned off the TCS, and quickly we realized we were so not Lewis Hamilton. When Andretti secretly switched mine off on the figure-eight, I spun wildly. Better to do this in a parking lot, though, than on-track where soft cones are replaced by a heavy steel guardrail. We quickly learned that in the rain, everything must be smooth and done at three-quarters speed.
Following lunch it was decided that, despite the continuing downpour, we would head to the main track. But because of puddles, some four inches deep, we only would use the 1.6-mile south course (the entire track is 4.1 miles). With 12 separate corners, some more than 90 degrees, the smaller venue would be challenging enough.
Most of the early afternoon was spent in a lead-follow situation, with a pro out in front of four students. The arrangement ensures maximum safety because, first, speed is regulated by the leader, and second, a student following theoretically runs the same line as the instructor, the quickest (and safest) way around the track.
As we circled, we gained confidence and the instructors picked up the pace. We got to know where the really wet spots were and generally avoided them. And, of course, as we became more comfortable we began to think about what we were doing. Sure enough, you really can go faster by "apexing" (hitting the inside sweet spot of a corner) and exiting with a wide arc. Yes, if you are patient, braking correctly before a corner and accelerating out makes it easier to keep up with the speeding instructor in front of you.
Despite ACS and safety procedures, it is possible to push the cars beyond the limit, especially in the rain. My "big" moment was with Andretti coaching me from the passenger seat. Coming over a hill at fairly high speed, the car suddenly began hydroplaning. I started to panic but Andretti, in a calm voice, coaxed me to relax, told me to look where I wanted to go (I, of course, was fixated on the scary guardrail!) and handle the wheel gently. I'm not exactly sure what I did, but after three interminable seconds I was able to save the car and continue on-track. Andretti was right: Once I looked ahead, where I wanted to go, my hands magically corrected the line.
Unfortunately, two other students were not so lucky. Both had separate encounters with the guardrail hard enough to deploy air bags. Thankfully, just sheet metal was mangled, and the two students were soon back with our group after being cleared by track doctors.
At the end of the day, we all got to ride on a hot lap with the pros. Here, we could see what the cars were really capable of. Guerrero, in a red XFR, waited for me, smiling. He said this was his "revenge" lap after having had to endure the mistakes of students all day. Suffice it to say, after that run I could see why he held the qualifying record at Indianapolis -- 232.6 mph -- for four straight years (1992-1996). I also was able to more fully appreciate the potential of these magnificent machines.
Afterward, I felt I had really learned something. While I have driven the real supercars -- Bugattis, Ferraris, Lamborghinis -- at over 200 mph on long straights (check out my article on what it's really like to drive this fast here) or big ovals in good weather, I had never pushed a sports car so hard in the rain. Surprisingly, I found the machines (and, gulp, myself) up to the task.
(The one-day basic R Academy program is offered at no cost to purchasers of new XKRs and XFRs. Regular folks can take it, too, for $1,850. The program is a good way for owners to experience a track environment, but also for those who never have driven a Jag to give one a spin -- pun intended!)
Common Sense Wet-Weather Driving Tips
- Slow down and concentrate -- on everything.
- Use headlights, even in day hours.
- If you have a traction control system (TCS), use it.
- Do everything smoothly and gently -- accelerating, cornering, braking. With the brake and accelerator, pretend an egg is between your foot and the pedals.
- Leave more space between the car in front, both for hampered visibility and braking reasons.
- The less tread on your tires, the more these rules apply. Deeper tread channels more water, adding to stability.
- If you start to lose control, don’t panic. Always look to where youwant to go, not to where you do not.
Read more : http://www.askmen.com/cars/car_tips/jaguar-xjr-xkr-test-drive-2.html
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