Ok this might cause some division, but would you guys get nice mag wheels installed on an XJS or would you remain a purist and go with originals?

If you would go aftermarket rims, how many inches you think would look nice and what style?

I have seen a few of the 90s models with nice mags (low profile) and i am brainstorming for what type of XJS i end up buying, and whether or not to get them added.

The picture attached i think doesnt look factory standard (i could be wrong). It is a 95 model.

thanks guys

 

Ive been wondering that to. With most pics I see with big rims just dont look right. I guess I like the big tire sidewall look. Keep looking and you will find the tire and wheel combo best for you on your car.

 

I have seen some very tasteful aftermarket wheels on different XJS'. That being said I do not care for many either but just a personal taste thing. I will say that the larger the rim the less likely I will care for the look on the XJS as it seems like any thing over an 18" wheel starts to look odd on the XJS to my eye. I think it comes down to the age, color etc. of the car and then more then anything personal taste.

If I had an older XJS with the 15" stock wheels I would most likely upgrade to at least a 16" newer wheel because the 15" wheel looks undersized on the XJS and I would think options on tires at 15 inches would be limited.

 

I'm ordering 18" coventry whitleys with 235/45 tires this week and will post pics when I get them installed. I think the facelift models are more complimented by aftermarket wheels than earlier models. Bernard embden put 17" Ronals in his early xjs and they look great. You just have to choose the right style and more importantly, fit.

 

I would personally like to find an inexpensive set of 17" or 18" 3-piece BBS Super RS clones with GOLD anodized centers & the screw-on center cover over the lug nuts, just like the 15 inchers from back in the day. I'd like about 33mm backspace on 10 or 11 inch widths. Of course that may not work for everyone, due to clearance issues, but, I plan to modify my sheet metal, and employ hub centric spacers, if necessary.

The fly in the ointment with all this wishing, is what I mentioned in that last sentence. The XJS requires hub-centric wheels in order to be properly, and safely mounted. Few wheel manufacturers produce them, and the ones who do, don't do so inexpensively, nor with great variety of styles.

 

I have the bbs lm replicas and they look pretty correct on my car. 8/9 withs and 245/275 tread

 

Here are some pics

 

Yes, I like the bbs Im replicas on your XJS. If you did not know what wheels came with the XJS you would think that is a stock wheel. To my eye does not distract from the look of the car. I also like the one that JagZilla showed as that gold insert seems to fit the 80's look. What drives me a bit bonkers is the 22's on a XJS. To my eye makes the car look clownish or silly. Not too many cars look good to my eye with a way over sized wheel, one I can think of is the Chrysler 300.

 

Agreed. If I could have gotten the rs rims in the size I wanted I would have.

And agreed about the 300s. I cant tell you how many I see with 20+ chrome rims and the rolls royce grill on the front

 

like many i'm sure, i looked around a lot at options for upsizing the wheels. my intent was to allow for more tire options, and provide a bit more solid handling than can be gained with a smaller sidewall tire.

i'm sure you'll find too that the bolt pattern + offset requirements + hubcentricity (is that a word?) lead to the only simple and economical option are factory wheels from the XKR.

i was intent on a 17 inch wheel, as i think it suits the car perfectly visually, allows for a huge selection of tires, and would add considerable increases in handling stability.

i looked at corvette factory, cadillac slr, camaros. all of them would require bolt-on spacers to achieve correct offsets. which is fine, but adds another $2-300 per pair. plus, if youre going to add a large spacer, why not change the bolt pattern while youre at it, to increase the options. this calculus was too much for me, so i decided to stick to jaguar wheels.

unfortunately, i was not impressed with the design of the XK8/XKR 17 inch wheels, notably the "revolver"--although others here use them and enjoy them. i did like the 18 inch "impeller" wheels but these are staggered, and i'm not sure if they'd fit in the rear.

the XJR wheels from mid 90's through 2002 offered some nice options. The "penta" is nice, but not my choice for the XJS, there is another 5-star type wheel from mid 90's XJR's whose name i forget. they're nice wheels, but again not my taste.

i settled on the asteroid. these had the correct hubcentricity, correct bolt pattern, not-staggered, and correct offsets (albeit VERY close in the rear). the two downsides are the 18 inch size (wanted 17, 18 might be just a tad too big) and the requirement of a small spacer in the front to clear the grease caps.

all in all, i'm very happy with the improved handling of the larger wheels, and i really like the look. they look modern, yet not flashy, and definitely still british.

 

1978 roadster, fitted with ENKEI 18" 5 spoke, 9 wide front,10wide rears.

tires BFG-KDWs, 275-35-18.

most seem to say it makes the car look smaller.

 

wow nice shots guys. Cant wait to own one for myself. My mate sent me a pic i was going to share. You guys ever see these type of rims on an XJS before? Looks real nice but maybe has more of a novel effect.

 

thats a replica of the world touring car championship winning XJS by tom walkinshaw racing (TWR).

there's a nice writeup on that replica at bring a trailer.
Track Day Trump Card: 1988 Jaguar TWR Replica

the wheels are similar to, but not the same as the twr racer. the BaT writeup says they're compomotive TH Motorsport Wheels
but i think they're probably HREs
Wheel Landing | HRE Performance Wheels

i did see the HREs priced at (if i remember correctly) ~$5000 for the set. I could be totally off. theyre not cheap, but at least they custom make the offset and bolt pattern, so you get exactly what you want.

 

Esm wheels in California makes a replica similar to these if you're interested

 

I was going to say Asteroids, but Dr Scientist beat me to it

I think the X308 XJR Asteroid wheels are the best, period.
And you can see from Dr Scientist's photos that 18" is plenty big enough. More looks silly..imho

Steve at sbwheels.co.uk had some new boxed Asteroids last year - he may have some left.

 

I'm in favor of retaining the original look of the car, so I always try to keep the original wheels, or another type but in 15 or 16" size. Never more than this, keeping original car's aesthetics

 

i would even say that 18s might be a bit much visually. as the tire tucks under the rear wheel well, and the trunk is loaded with gear, you sometimes lose almost all of the visible tire.

i do like the asteroids, but would like them more if they were an inch smaller.

i've also looked into the coventry whitleys, good looking wheels. more classy than sporty. they are also spot on for sizing and bolt pattern. 17 inches at ~$200 US per corner.

 

oh heh guys might of posted this before but cant find where:

That silver 78 roadster above, beautiful car. That would have to be a customized convertible thought right? As I remember the convertible didnt come out until 1989 right?

Damn it looks nice though. I think the 18 " suits that particular car. Oh and the Jag badge on the side looks nice. (All after market im guessing?)

 

Heh guys

Any of you seen the XJS with low profile rims? anybody like them? How low profile would you go on yours?

i heard having low profile can greatly reduce comfort as well. Any experiences here?

 

Tastes vary, naturally.

Low profile? Heh heh, how low is 'low' ? For example, 50-55-60 series tires are not considered low profile these days. But 30-35-40 series tires are.

Personally I think many people go overboard in this area. I simply don't like the 'tires with no sidewall' look. And, the style/appearance of most modern wheels simply doesn't compliment the design of the old XJS...which goes back to 1975.

Others will chime in.




In some cases and to some degree, yes, it's true.

The other downside is the greater chance of tire and wheel injury with the lower profile tires.

Cheers
DD