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IMHO, "modern" design wheels don't fit the X350/358.
The best ever were the one-off 21" wheels for the 2003 Concept 8 car:
Second in line are the OEM 20" Calisto wheels derived from the Concept 8 wheels.
Btw, the side vents/grills on the 2006 Super V8 Portfolio were functional and machined from an aluminium block:
Agreed, very nice looking wheels, they flattened the production wheel spokes to avoid curb scrapes, I prefer them.
I see that you have drilled/dimpled rotors, 5 spokes provide 5 large windows to inspect your brake set up, best not let them get rusty.
On the 2006 XJ350 they removed the side protection, this looks good too, a more pure style.
I think that I would still hide the orange bits and fit 2008 X358 side mirrors, the hole left by removing the side repeater could be covered with an 'R' or Union Jack badge.
On the SV8 Portfolio, the side vents are effectively venting the engine bay, allowing hot air escape through the rear sides of the engine bay.
I don't know how useful they are but I suppose that they could bring additional cooling in the most severe load conditions.
I also guess that in most situtations they are not necessary, being more nice (and costly) cosmetical addendums, hence their use in the high end luxury and performance SV8 Portfolio's.
Cost and maybe not essential function were also probably the reason for not keeping them in the X358 and replacing them by chromed plastic decorative elements.
Is the forward side vertical "slice" an actual vent? One year, I bought a new Viper because the vents are real. I was turned off by the 'fake' vents on Corvettes (I have two Jags, a Viper and a Corvette pimped with a $12,000 paint job. I like things to be "real," not fake.
^ those look great. I think there's a member here with very similar wheels. His tires had a taller side wall if I remember correctly though.
My Xjr has the sporty 16 spoke rims, but I have always been a fan of the 5 spoke/star pattern wheels. I used to have a nice set of staggered Ruff Racing wheels on my Xj8. I'll see if I can find a picture
This Xjr belongs to member OnebadassXJR. Been a while since I have seen him post, but I know he had some momentum with a few cosmetic and performance mods. As you can see he removed the door protectors like you suggested in one of your posts.
I guess I will add a comment as someone from the "old fuddy duddy" generation. Those larger-and-larger wheels with thinner-and-thinner tires (or tyres, even) may look cool, but they come with the penalty of a harsher ride and the risk of breakage. I saw a story recently about wheel breakage problems on the latest Corvette models, which now have fashionably larger wheels. I would be concerned about the same thing happening with some of the wheels shown above. Having a wheel break off at highway speeds or higher would not be pleasant. If I had those on a car, I would only drive them on a smooth road, without curbs or potholes.
Pneumatic tires were invented for a reason, and not just to "look ugly." Before that, vehicle wheels had solid rims with a narrow strip of solid rubber around the periphery. They gave what was called a "boneshaker ride." But I have been wondering if some folks might not be moving towards solid tires these days. No doubt some will try it.
My own 2006 XJ8 has 17" wheels, which seems to me to leave the cushion of air about as thin as I would want. My former 2001 version had 15" wheels, and, in my opinion, rode better.
Is the forward side vertical "slice" an actual vent? One year, I bought a new Viper because the vents are real. I was turned off by the 'fake' vents on Corvettes (I have two Jags, a Viper and a Corvette pimped with a $12,000 paint job. I like things to be "real," not fake.
These vents are a direct borrowing from enhancements seen on the Concept Eight car presented by Jaguar in 2003.
Presentation of the Concept Eight: https://www.supercars.net/blog/2004-...concept-eight/ "Exterior developments on the Concept Eight include brand new 21-inch five-spoke alloy wheels created especially for the project. Behind the front wheels sit chrome gills which aid engine cooling and also improve aerodynamic flow to the rear of the car."
Presentation of the 2006 Super V8 Portfolio: https://www.topspeed.com/cars/jaguar...lio-ar569.html "While the standard XJ had a subtle appearance that was did not exude opulence or aggressiveness, the Portfolio blended both characteristics thanks to its design being heavily inspired by the Jaguar Concept Eight. The sedan borrowed many of the features seen on the show car, including the sculpted aluminum vents in the front fenders, the mesh grille that replaced the standard vertical slat element, the polished, and 20-inch alloy wheels."
I guess I will add a comment as someone from the "old fuddy duddy" generation. Those larger-and-larger wheels with thinner-and-thinner tires (or tyres, even) may look cool, but they come with the penalty of a harsher ride and the risk of breakage. I saw a story recently about wheel breakage problems on the latest Corvette models, which now have fashionably larger wheels. I would be concerned about the same thing happening with some of the wheels shown above. Having a wheel break off at highway speeds or higher would not be pleasant. If I had those on a car, I would only drive them on a smooth road, without curbs or potholes.
Pneumatic tires were invented for a reason, and not just to "look ugly." Before that, vehicle wheels had solid rims with a narrow strip of solid rubber around the periphery. They gave what was called a "boneshaker ride." But I have been wondering if some folks might not be moving towards solid tires these days. No doubt some will try it.
My own 2006 XJ8 has 17" wheels, which seems to me to leave the cushion of air about as thin as I would want. My former 2001 version had 15" wheels, and, in my opinion, rode better.
You're right, sometimes tyres have such a low profile they look like they don't have any space left for air: Like I said in my original post, I think that there is a sweet spot size for different cars, jaguar's largest OEM fitment size of 20" - 21" is the right balance of modernity, style without too much comfort sacrifice.
These Jags have depreciated so much that they have become affordable by younger generations, if their 'old fuddy duddy' image can be erased with some subtle styling enhancements that brings some modernity, they can become a very desirable and cool vehicle to own which will result in an increase in value, sooner rather than later.
As Mr Sabarras notes, its truly the really great looks which make our old Jags interesting.
Big wheels can be used to tart up any old car; in many cases, transforming them into a caricature. Given a genuinely attractive vehicle, however, I believe that this needs to be done carefully. Example, old air cooled 911's - which I love - almost always look best with the original Fuchs.
Of all the combinations shown, I feel the red jazzyjag XJR wheels look best. Tasteful, classy, and not a caricature. (Bit like an elegant older woman knowing that garish is for young girls)
And, yes - if you actually use your Jag - I must say that modern US roads may make short work of big wheels. I've had the OEM 19" "sabre" wheels on my XJR straightened twice, and know better than to travel heavily trucked interstates (eg, I 40) for this reason. And, really short aspect sidewalls require careful suspension tuning to achieve reasonable ride comfort - something beyond the ken of an old Jag (particularly if you've gone to coilovers, being fed up with air leaks, etc).
In a life of interesting cars, I've only had a few which consistently draw interest and praise from "non car" people. This, perhaps, is the litmus test of automotive design - and high praise for the XJR designers.
This Xjr belongs to member OnebadassXJR. Been a while since I have seen him post, but I know he had some momentum with a few cosmetic and performance mods. As you can see he removed the door protectors like you suggested in one of your posts.
I believe that this split 5 spoke style is the optimum shape to combine both strength and lightness.
Wald have perfectly filled the Jag's wheel arches with their wheel fitment.
They have pushed the front wheels outwards by 9 millimetres with an offset of ET +40 (compared with OEM 20" x 9" ET+49).
I wonder how much this small change will effect steering and handling, can it be felt by the driver? @jazzyjags Your front wheels are ET+32, so pushed outwards even more. Did you notice anything different? Normally braking demeanor will be altered as you reduce the offset, in the worse case scenario, it will be difficult to brake in a straight line.
Rotiform have a range of 80s retro style aero wheels, this CCV design looks a bit like Corvette C4 wheels with some Group C hot air venting.
In side view they work quite well on the Jag, the widest possible tyre fitment might be required to reduce scuffing of those protruding cooling vane spokes however.
These look great, they have an OEM robustness to them, they immediately make the Jag look 10 years younger and you can buy left and right side versions so that the dynamic spokes look right whichever side of the car you see them from.
These look great, they have an OEM robustness to them, they immediately make the Jag look 10 years younger and you can buy left and right side versions so that the dynamic spokes look right whichever side of the car you see them from.
I have a good friend here in Tampa that has wheels that look similar to these. We used to be at the car shows together all the time.
02-09-2021, 06:39 AM
