Okay, I feel like this is an incredibly dumb question but it would be better to hear the specifics from other people... Im seventeen and I have the 2005 Jaguar S type 4.2 V8. The car has great power, great acceleration, and great handling as all of us owners would most likely agree. I will not lie, I drive the car pretty hard at times... Afterwards I feel pretty dang guilty about what im actually doing to the motor and components. I love this car and at 50,000 miles it should have a lot of life left and I dont want to jeopardize that. So how bad exactly is it to really drive a Jag to its performance levels?

 

Lol, not the ideal car for a 17 year old eh? I'm surprised you like the styling at that age. When I was 17 I was into muscle cars. I'm 32 and still get weird looks by people because I look 25 haha.

Anyway, it shouldn't hurt it as long as you change the oil and use good stuff like Castrol Syntec or Mobil 1. Have the trans fluid changed by the dealership soon also, and that will be about a $400 service but worth it. These cars are well built and will last as long as you aren't doing stupid stuff like neutral drops or powerbrake burnouts (something I was good for at your age). Don't redline the motor every time you drive it.

 

Lol you wouldnt think of it and well weve had it since new and since resale is so low and we only had 38,000 miles on it at the time we kept it around as an extra car and so i asked if i could have it, Although its not the typical teenage car all my buddies love it, I can kick their mustangs and cameros around and have the wood and premium sound system . Thanks for the advice no neutral drops or powerbrake burnouts here!

I see you have the ZO6 my dad had the 2010 one and loved it, crazy fast car ha ha how has your experience with it been?

 

Mature car for a 17 y.o., but for your age have concern for the car? You take better care of how you drive her than I do my 03 STR at 50 y.o.? Very impressive.

 

Lucky when I was 17 I drove a 79 Ford econoline van with a straight 6. I wouldn't worry about it I've got a 2000 LS with a 3.9L V8. I rod the *%€£ out of it. I power slide corners do burnouts when I take off from stop lights. I drive 3 miles to my work and when I get there all 4 tires are smoking and so hot you can't put your hand on them. I've done this for 3yrs to it no problems and I'm sure they built your AJ just as well my AJ motor.

 

LOL! Way to go skipracer. Was wondering when i was to bump into my alter ego.

 

Ha ha thats one way to motivate you to go to work .... Theres a canyon road about 3 miles up the street from my house that no one is ever on at night, theres curves, long straights, and you can see if another car is coming forever away. Thats were I love going out, you can stay right about 90 mph and really feel the car grab onto the road in the curves, it really brings out how well the car preforms.

 

Well I drive my car hard from time to time. What is the point of owning one if you don't get on it? It is a car, not a precious moments figurine.

 

1. LOL!
2. Exactly! It's not a museum display, it's a car, and a nice one. So sure, drive it hard, but don't drive it stupid. Keep the maintenance up - know your car, that's what Saturdays were for when I was your age. I'd be under the hood, under the car, checking the brakes, etc. Get to know every little nook and cranny. Approach your limits carefully, the last thing you want to do is "run out of talent" on some isolated road and stuff it into a tree or worse take out another motorist.

I will say that after I beat the snot out of mine for a while, I'll got easy on it for the last few miles before i reach my destination - trying to allow the car to cool down some. Now without a supercharger then that's not quite as big of an issue, but it is still something to consider. If you get it good and hot, then cruise for a bit at decent speeds, lets the tranny cool off some, and the engine as well.

And finally, thank your lucky stars you have such a cool car at your age. I started out with a 1979 Toyota Celica GT that was 3 shades of blue and one shade of brown, holes in the seats large enough to swallow most of a butt cheek, a blown clutch, and a quart-an-hour oil consumption habit.

 

Mike and Chris...LOL! Hadn't the faintest we came from meager means. My first ride was a 65 VW Beetle. The floors and subframe rotted, allowing the chassis to jump and jerk to one side when traveling over uneven road, a death trap, but at 17 y.o. I didn't give a hang. Eventually blew the motor. Bench pressed a used motor into place. Though I've advanced myself through life, never forgot where I came from.

 

My advice would be to wait until the temp is fully into the middle of the gauge.

This is the only way you can permanently damage the car. Prepare to destroy
rod bearings, etc. if you rev this car over, say, 3-4k while it isn't fully up to temperature.

A kid at my highschool did this to his 4.6 Mustang on every cold start. I told him
when he had developed rod knock, and he thought it was just a cool sound from
his new exhaust system. (Moron of epic scale)

Drive it as hard as you want... once it is at temperature! I never paid attention to
this until I was 16, so that is my advice to you.

My first car was a 2002 XJ Sport 4.0 Cheers!

Ian

 

Thanks for the advice and poor mustang ha ah, Surprisingly it has been a great first car, and you always have to crack a bit of a smile when people say you've got a Jaaag? (lol im sure that goes for any Jaguar owner). Btw has anyone had theirs over the electronic limiter? I swear Ive gotten between 127-129 it was only for a split second then I think the car shifted and I felt it give a little...

 

Mine has a limiter at 155mph, that would be pretty ambitious!!

If my limiter were at the same place as yours (128?) I may/may not have
approached that in an overtaking manoeuvre, and had no limiter there!

DavidN has had his XJ Sport 4.0 up to 155, and he said it had a bit more
go under the pedal. They really have the legs, and the 4.2 even more so!

Ian

 

very nice, I believe the limiter is 121 mph in the S-type 4.2.. its a bummer but its not exactly very often that you need over 100 the 155 limiter would be nice though

 

Oh yes, I should have included that. I never get on it hard until it is fully warmed up. I wish these cars were like the ///M cars in that they tell you when everything is warmed up.

 

A good WOT pull to redline every now and again is actually good from what I understand. Burns carbon build-up off the valves and such, just not something I do at all often though.

Yesterday was the first time I really stomped on it in past couple months.

 

^ The famed "Italian Tune Up"

Definitely better than a "Youngstown Tune Up"....aka car bomb.

Hmm, last time I really stomped on it was about 7:15 this morning. I don't have much self control.

 

Ha! Never knew there was a name for it.

 

Just wondering but what cars can the S-type 4.2 take on and have some fun against?

 

I wouldn't run an M5, it would be hopeless. The fact that even my friend's Camry V6 will kill me is annoying. I have the slowest car of any enthusiast I know!

You could pick on an E39 540i, kill any 6+year old V6 luxury car, and put up a good and close right against a G35. Northstar Cadillacs, maybe 430 or 500 Mercedes would be a fun one. I'm just spitballing but maybe an E36 M3 too.

I see you're going through the proper 17 year old thoughts... don't screw up though,
collision costs are excessive and if you hit anything you have a good chance of totalling your car.

https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...goodbye-66731/

Here is an example of that!

Also, I wonder if a CL500 would be a good kill.

For my car, I think a 740i, S430, S500, and 745iL would be interesting picks.

Tell us the results?

Ian