I know that I'm the pariah around here, but yes.

IMHO, it looks like an unwanted appendage that might be discovered on a first serious date.

It takes away from the clean lines produced by Jaguar, and has not been included since way back when.

But, if folk want to include a useless handle on the front of their otherwise sleek cars, far be it from me to criticize.

Each to their own. And best of all, get out there and buy Jaguars.

 

I guess I forgot that you are from Europe. The 2004-2007 XJs had the hood ornaments in the US.

I guess it's not a dealbreaker--I do like it without the hood ornament as well. It is still unmistakably Jaguar.

 

Nope, the leaper looks dandy on XJs not goofy at all lol

 

i think that silver XJ with the leaper and chrome mirrors/vents looks great. just chrome the wheels and that car will look amazing

by the way texas cars direct is a great dealer with great prices, its actually where mine came from before I was in the car business and maintain a great professional relationship with them now. they used to be all jaguar but have gradually moved to being mostly mercedes now.

 

This is gorgeous. I'm thinking of doing the facelift on my '04.

The only thing holding me back is the $2,000 price tag.

 

BLASPHEMY!

 

I sure miss the hood ornament on my 2008XJR. I think I am going to go ahead and fit one anyway. You can buy them on Ebay but I wonder if there is anything that would stop me from fitting one?

 

Don't you have to drill into the hood?

 

I would assume so. its the underside that I dont know about

 

Chuck, if I had your car, I'd be sorely tempted to add the leaper as well.

 

HMmmm... I think I'm going to go test drive an '08 tomorrow. I am kinda curious to see how well the cooled seats work. Also want to try out the bluetooth phone system.

 

Go for it Al!! I've always thought they saved the best for last with the X350. The aggressive front end treatment just makes me think Jag when I see it. Way more so than the '04 -'07's.

I'm with Translator on the leaper, actually. But if there's one there it is sure no deal breaker.

BTW, anyone thinking about installing one, I would advise letting an aluminum qualified body shop do it. The exposed aluminum left when making the holes has to be treated with an aluminum sealant to prevent corrosion from setting in.

So Trav.........I take it you took the plunge, yes??

Cheers,

 

Haha, yeah, I guess if it didn't already have a leaper on it, I wouldn't have one installed just because of the potential problems with corrosion and such.

I probably won't buy until spring at the earliest, but could jump in earlier if the time was right.

 

Hmmm... did they have British Racing Green in 2008+?

 

Oh my, yes I did! What think you of THAT? Thanks, XJR guy. And, mechanically, the car seems TIGHT. Squared away. The only thing I've noticed is that after it sits unused for several days, there's a slight ticking at idle. It goes away after a few minutes, as soon as it reaches operating temps. I would attribute it to a tensioner pulley, or some other accessory, and not internal. Unless someone tells me I should troubleshoot that issue immediately, I'm going to let it ride, unless it gets worse.

BTW, I like the lower valance of the 08, but I still prefer the tighter wire mesh and body colored surround of the 04-07 R's. I also am still undecided about the gills, even after all this time. Ambivalent. If the right 08 had come along, I would have bitten. To me they each have their pluses and minuses, stylistically. I couldn't be happier with mine, in the end.

 

If you are a shorts wearing guy you are in for a thrill on the seat cooler. The bluetooth is one of the best things since sliced bread. This is the first auto that has had it and I love it.

 

I think the gills look OK in chrome if the car is silver, but on all other colors it needs to be body colored or else it looks too blingy.

I did a car payment calculator thing and I don't know if this is such a smart idea. I am already quite upside down on my current vehicle. I can definitely afford the new monthly payments if I traded the Mustang in on an '08 XJ, however, the thought of being that upside down on a car is very unsettling! I think I am going to wait a least a year so.

 

Alan,

The other thing about waiting a year is that XKs are just starting to be available at resonable prices with less than 30 k miles. The XK is soooooooooo hot. Must have one.

 

Haha, I was thinking of test driving one, but IMO a GT or sports car must have a manual transmission!