Because nothing improves the demeanor of a grumpy cat better than sunshine and a fresh breeze, Jaguar rolled out the new 2007 XK Convertible during the 2006 North American International Auto Show, to be sold alongside the automaker’s slightly controversial and notable XK coupe, which goes on sale in March.

It’s amazing what a little sunshine will do for your coat.
In this case, the Jaguar XK convertible transforms Jaguar’s new coupe into a free-spirited cruiser that seems to do what people expect from a convertible: be easy to operate with natural looks up or down, and offer a virtually identical driving experience.

Expectations met – we think. Without driving or inspecting, we’re giving Jaguar the benefit of the doubt, based on what they say and what looks to be a stylish convertible, one that will likely help sooth Jaguar’s frazzled bottom line. As with the coupe, the XK Convertible has an all-aluminum body. On the convertible model, that translates into a 50 percent improvement in stiffness over the previous XK convertible, while being a lighter and presumably more nimble car. Jaguar says that the top goes down in 18 seconds, and slides under a lovely aluminum tonneau cover. Coupe and convertible have the same powertrain, a 4.2-liter V8 engine that produces 300 horsepower, and is mated to a sequential shifting six-speed automatic transmission. Prices for the XK coupe start at $75,500; the convertible starts with a price tag of $81,500.

Photos by Ron Perry