Ha ha I love Greg' s explaination too. A true gentlemans car so I better drive it like one.

Actually Grant I seem to recall you did exactly that in the Red Devil around Oz? That would of been a cool story. Was that pre Jag forums?

 

Yep.

First jaunt was in 1998, we took 8 months off the radar, and did it Anti-clockwise.

Second was in 2001, and we did it clockwise.

The trips were about 18000kms each time.

Then the constant interstate jaunts ever since, but the XJ-S got retired in 2009, coz I simply could not get into it anymore, so the X300 replaced it, then the S Type.

 

A week ? the first cannon ball run was 83mph average back when the national was 55mph (about 37hours) if you ran at 83 while driving 8 hours a day it should take 4.5 days (sorry I was made Rally master for the region at age 15) now the record is 29 hours... there putting the avg.
at 103 (which with the 70, 75, and 80, speed limit is not that big a deal)
I am stopping here before I violate my 5th amendment rights...

a week if you take in some really good sites for the wife... and she takes a nap while you ease it up in the MPH.... bring the plastic and let her shop..

 

I have trouble equating the Grand Touring concept with pissing in a bottle while driving.
YMMV

 

good description,gotta love it!

pix enclosed

 

Wow the maths have blown a fuse in my brain lol!

Grant thats cool. Actually my wife is only 35 and she complains about getting into the car lol! Although she did say its comfortable as a co pilot. She has long legs so heaps of room to stretch out.

I think the only ones that could complain about long distance would be the poor legless soul or munchkin who has to sit in the back!

 

Those were the days.

We got dumb 110KPH, and a lot of 100KPH, MAX speeds all over this island, and if you go over they WILL get you.

My/our jaunts are always scenic, this is a massive island and so much to see and do.

My meaning, blurred in the interpretation by me I suppose, was that the XJ-S is such a comfortable car (once in the damn thing) that the "Touring" part really kicks in.

The "G" is for Grand (or Grande), maybe, but I liken it to GO, which that car has plenty of.

I/we still miss the XJ-S's terribly, but reality is I can no longer live with one. Even the XK8, which we looked at long and hard, were impractical for me.

If it were not for that "sill hump" it would still be the daily driver.

 

a true gentlemans car so drive it like one,(or like a hoodlums car),LOL.

 

My bad, after reading the article they stated the only avg 98 MPH

which is lower than I thought...

 

Space, PACE, and Grace!
Or, more historically accurate: Grace, Space, Pace.
Which to me means the ability to consume vast distance at a prodigious rate, in reasonable comfort, with great driver confidence. I believe that every post-WWII Jaguar 2 seater and 2+2 epitomize this definition of a GT. Subjectively, the 3 other cars I've owned that met these criteria, in spades, were the original BMW 630CSi, Porsche 928S, and Ferrari 365GTC/4. The final test, to me, is that after high speed driving each for hours, and then climbing out, I couldn't wait to get back aboard for more.

Mark

 

At least you are in SA Grant, Victoria is a bad joke with drivers getting pinged by the cameras for 43kmh in 40 zones now all in the name of ROAD SAFETY. (I have never personally been booked so not sour grapes)
I remember heading off to a wedding in Alice springs years ago in my manual O/D XJ12 and made it as far as Marla Bore (1010miles) where floods stopped me. Left home at 10.30pm and fueled up at Marla at 10.am.
Those days are gone but I am certain my '89 XJRS would do it with even less effort and more comfort.

 

Greg, a beautiful tribute to your bride an XJS

 

I think the origin of the term is from the Italian Gran Turismo.

 

oh....so is Grand Tourer a direct translation? Hear that alot in racing circles.