XKR - An unpleasant car or maybe I got a bad one?
#41
08-26-2021, 10:00 AM
Veteran Member
If it's your first British Car, maybe you should have asked a seasoned owner to look at it before you bought it. Every British Car owner I know, me included, started with Triumph, MG, Austin Healey etc...Working their way up to a Jaguar. They are magnificent cars ...if you understand them.
The 1000+ RPM booming hits a nerve for me. I often hear and feel things others can perceive. I had a Porsche 928 that made a resonant booming over certain bumps. I tried new shocks, and tires. It turned out to be the rear hatch glass, I could reproduce it with a thud from my palm. I would grab others put them in the car, thud the hatch glass and say... "Did you hear that?" They'd say.. "Here what? Meanwhile, my head was ringing. That car was sold on and all other 928's I've had didn't have the same problem. I still have a 928 all these decades later. No idea why that specific one resonated like it did. Could be a minute difference in the thickness or tension of the glass or the way it was installed.
#42
08-26-2021, 10:01 AM
You noted that you had seen many great comments on the car, which should be your first hint that your issue is not with the car but (a) the dealer and (b) you. I have owned some of the cars you listed and then some (Porsche 911, BMW 735, Mercedes Coupe, 427 Corvette, etc.). This does not include the dozens of other cars I have owned at one time or another. I found some great cars (Porsche and BMW) and some pieces of sh#t (Mercedes, Corvette). I have also owned four different Jag's (XJ 6, XJ 12, XK 8 and XK X150). As with the other makes, some were great (XK 8, XK X150) some were sh#t (XJ 6, XJ 12).
Not wanting to suffer the huge depreciation you're hit with on a new car, I almost always buy used. Some cars I purchased locally, others online sight unseen (other than picts). No matter where or when you buy, if you have done your homework and studied the vehicle type online, you should know of any inherent problems with the car you are looking to buy. Make sure not only the car as a whole but also those issues are checked out thoroughly.
Why did I continue to buy Jag's even though my first two experiences (XJ 6, XJ 12) were so bad? Because out of all the cars I have owned (except for possibly my 911), when they ran, they were the most fun cars to drive that I have ever owned. BUT, the purchase of those two cars taught me two important lessons: (1) NEVER buy on emotion, (2) ALWAYS have the car checked out by a dealer who will qualify on paper that the car is sound.
When I purchased my XK 8 and later my X150 I was older and wiser and did my homework. I purchased my XK 8 with 83K on the odometer and put another 125K on her before she was hit and totaled. She gave me NO issues. NONE! If she wasn't totaled, I would have happily kept her until she died. I'm now driving my X150 which I purchased used with 16K on the odometer. I now have 40K without an issue. Both are great cars, that I love to get into simply to drive! They are also one of the only cars that I regularly look back at as I walk away. That's not something I can say about most of the other cars I've owned.
Don't write off the brand because you got screwed by an unscrupulous dealer and you didn't do your homework. Next time, do your due diligence, get the car inspected thoroughly and enjoy one of the finest automobiles ever made!
Not wanting to suffer the huge depreciation you're hit with on a new car, I almost always buy used. Some cars I purchased locally, others online sight unseen (other than picts). No matter where or when you buy, if you have done your homework and studied the vehicle type online, you should know of any inherent problems with the car you are looking to buy. Make sure not only the car as a whole but also those issues are checked out thoroughly.
Why did I continue to buy Jag's even though my first two experiences (XJ 6, XJ 12) were so bad? Because out of all the cars I have owned (except for possibly my 911), when they ran, they were the most fun cars to drive that I have ever owned. BUT, the purchase of those two cars taught me two important lessons: (1) NEVER buy on emotion, (2) ALWAYS have the car checked out by a dealer who will qualify on paper that the car is sound.
When I purchased my XK 8 and later my X150 I was older and wiser and did my homework. I purchased my XK 8 with 83K on the odometer and put another 125K on her before she was hit and totaled. She gave me NO issues. NONE! If she wasn't totaled, I would have happily kept her until she died. I'm now driving my X150 which I purchased used with 16K on the odometer. I now have 40K without an issue. Both are great cars, that I love to get into simply to drive! They are also one of the only cars that I regularly look back at as I walk away. That's not something I can say about most of the other cars I've owned.
Don't write off the brand because you got screwed by an unscrupulous dealer and you didn't do your homework. Next time, do your due diligence, get the car inspected thoroughly and enjoy one of the finest automobiles ever made!
Last edited by Jstephen; 08-26-2021 at 10:12 AM.
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khlee (08-26-2021)
#43
08-26-2021, 10:05 AM
Veteran Member
NAVTV is probably the answer. Would I like a backup camera in my 2011 XKR, yes. The NAVTV version, I'm not sure. You do have to put the screen in Navigation mode for it to work and the videos I've seen, it looks to slow down the Jaguar interface a bit. https://navtv.com/
I have a convertible so when the top's down, I really don't need it which is most of the time.
I have a convertible so when the top's down, I really don't need it which is most of the time.
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shemp (08-26-2021)
#44
08-26-2021, 10:07 AM
Senior Member
Sorry to here of the bad experience. I kept reading the posts, expecting a gotcha moment. Since it seems real, glad it worked out for you.
Seems most any vehicle, not in the Toyota family, will require huge expenses around the 100-125k mile mark. The badge will dictate the pain, the attention to maintenance or lack there of determines the severity.
A buddy of mine has a rule, buy it 60k mi or less, or 125k mi with documentation. 60k gives one time to enjoy, escape, and give the next owner 10-30k miles of enjoyment. 125k mi means most, if not all, of the surgeries have been performed.
Seems most any vehicle, not in the Toyota family, will require huge expenses around the 100-125k mile mark. The badge will dictate the pain, the attention to maintenance or lack there of determines the severity.
A buddy of mine has a rule, buy it 60k mi or less, or 125k mi with documentation. 60k gives one time to enjoy, escape, and give the next owner 10-30k miles of enjoyment. 125k mi means most, if not all, of the surgeries have been performed.
#45
08-26-2021, 10:17 AM
Well, I just bought a 2007 Audi S8 this morning. It needs some work (Ha ha ha) but the price was right and I'm fairly familiar with this model's quirks.
Re: Resonant booming. Interesting to hear your 928 experience. With the Jag, I tried putting sound deadening panels in the fender. I tried stuffing the rear seats with all kinds of foam to see if I could reduce it. I tried various combinations of Windows down and up. I tried jamming rods against the headliner to see if came from the roof. I tried strapping the cats with a band that attached to the gearbox. (Similar to the official resonance fix). I drove with the rear hatch open. Nothing worked. That's why I concluded that it was probably the tires. The tires being so fat and huge obviously have a large influence on the car. I did put a dial gauge on them and span each rear tire looking for flat spots or other weirdness. They both looked fine. And then I reached my limit of effort and money and said "goodbye".
Re: Resonant booming. Interesting to hear your 928 experience. With the Jag, I tried putting sound deadening panels in the fender. I tried stuffing the rear seats with all kinds of foam to see if I could reduce it. I tried various combinations of Windows down and up. I tried jamming rods against the headliner to see if came from the roof. I tried strapping the cats with a band that attached to the gearbox. (Similar to the official resonance fix). I drove with the rear hatch open. Nothing worked. That's why I concluded that it was probably the tires. The tires being so fat and huge obviously have a large influence on the car. I did put a dial gauge on them and span each rear tire looking for flat spots or other weirdness. They both looked fine. And then I reached my limit of effort and money and said "goodbye".
#46
08-26-2021, 10:19 AM
That's Awesome ! I just bought a month ago 2007 XKR 15,000 miles, a few little stone hits on the paint, poor re-touch up close but standing back it's pristine in and out. It feels and looks like a new car. Some vibration at 66mph, lessens at 70, wheel balancing didn't help . It's a convertible and there is slight outside noise on the right rear so may not be a good seal ? Otherwise, it's a fun car to drive. I've owned 1960 MGB, Mercedes, Volvo all great cars. I'm just hoping this one is too.
#47
08-26-2021, 10:37 AM
The XK 8/R is not a car to be bought without doing an enormous amount of due diligence. My 02 bought new, serviced by the dealer and with 60K miles was falling apart after 15 years. Literally everything was failing. I couldn’t ethically sell it so I traded it in where a pro would get it for whatever it was worth.
#48
08-26-2021, 10:37 AM
The ride has just begun
I purchased my XKR without a test drive or PPI. I studied the pictures closely, asked some questions of the dealer, and put aside a budget of $5k to sort it out. At this point, I have pretty well used up the $5k. I also feel like I have a pretty well-sorted XKR with new suspension rubbers, new hoses, fluids, tires, etc. I am currently enjoying driving the hell out of it for around 20% of the cost to buy it new. In retrospect, I may have done things slightly differently, but I am happy with it overall.
are issue that they no longer wish to deal with. For anyone who is looking at a used car. You need to accept that you will find something wrong at some point. With a Jaguar, those costs to repair tend to
be a little higher than your average car. When buying any used car. One needed to go in with your eyes wide open and a realistic understanding of what you can repair on your own. Use a good plan
and good advice, and then you can enjoy the car. Don't you just love it when a plan comes together.
Last edited by Rearaxle; 08-26-2021 at 10:39 AM. Reason: didn't like the way it fit the page.
#49
08-26-2021, 10:47 AM
Veteran Member
#51
08-26-2021, 11:15 AM
2008 xkr
Very sorry to read this story regarding your experience with a 2008 XKR. As was posted/questioned above, clearly bought from a dealer whose reputation must be called into question - as, in everything in life, there are good and bad variations of the same. In my case, I will admit that when I chose my 2008 XKR I chose between two of them. One of them was from a similar type of dealer, a long distance from home, as you experienced - an experience that I left immediately after seeing the car (close up) I quickly left. Luckily, the second car in the same area was the car I ended up purchasing. It has been a dream to drive and own. Similar to other XKR Jaguar owners above, compared to other cars I have owned, this 2008 XKR is one of the best cars (and most fun!) I have ever owned.
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khlee (08-26-2021)
#52
08-26-2021, 11:27 AM
Sorry ya got a bad one, this is my 2nd Jaguar and first XK and I've been deliriously happy with it for almost a year now. Some expense and parts replacement, but it, and I, are all the better for it. I've owned both a Bimmer 325 and MB CLK430, both older models and I had them some years ago, as well as a 928 that was not exactly in pristine condition, but still fun to drive. I enjoyed all 3, but the XK in my opinion, is just in a different class. The BMW felt too 'tuner' crowd and the CLK just felt heavy and underpowered, though very comfy and good on long trips. Maybe if it had been a 55 AMG lol Anyways, maybe someday you'll give the XK another chance.
Good luck with the Audi. That one still on my list lol
Good luck with the Audi. That one still on my list lol
#53
08-26-2021, 11:32 AM
Our first Jag was a 95 XJ6. Got it with around 60K on the car. We just loved the car. The way it drove and the ride were awesome. Here's a large four door
sedan that drives like a sports car. It took a few years before the little issues began. Mostly, I kept losing ignition coils. They would crack. It was a easy fix.
The only real major issue was when the rear end bearing started howling. Rebuilt the rear end and the difference was obvious.
I've had a few electrical issues and then the car was rear ended and denting the trunk in. So the car now sits. I put a battery in it the other day and it started up
without an issue. I have five other Jags and too many other projects so I don't have the time to put the XJ6 back on the road. I repaired the dented trunk.
But the car really needs a paint job now. I have to admit that it's really weird to drive a Jaguar when it doesn't look perfect. It's like leaving the house half
dressed.
I've had issues but I have never had an issue with this resonating sound you are hearing. Of all the problems I've dealt with. Body sound issues is
not one of them. We have three X-types here. All three have the same road noise issues from the low profile tires. Most low profile tires will put out road
noise. One of the features that I am most impressed with on a Jaguar, is the body. The body structure is solid. All my cars are over 15 years old and none
of them squeak or rattle. The bodies are solid. So I know that I can repair everything on the car because I will always have a solid body platform to built onto.
It's really too bad that you had this poor experience. Regardless of all the issues I have had on my cars. I can't imagine driving anything else. I just know I
wouldn't be happy. If I went to a BMW or a Mercedes, or maybe an Audi. I just know I would have the same problems.
It would just be a different brand.
sedan that drives like a sports car. It took a few years before the little issues began. Mostly, I kept losing ignition coils. They would crack. It was a easy fix.
The only real major issue was when the rear end bearing started howling. Rebuilt the rear end and the difference was obvious.
I've had a few electrical issues and then the car was rear ended and denting the trunk in. So the car now sits. I put a battery in it the other day and it started up
without an issue. I have five other Jags and too many other projects so I don't have the time to put the XJ6 back on the road. I repaired the dented trunk.
But the car really needs a paint job now. I have to admit that it's really weird to drive a Jaguar when it doesn't look perfect. It's like leaving the house half
dressed.
I've had issues but I have never had an issue with this resonating sound you are hearing. Of all the problems I've dealt with. Body sound issues is
not one of them. We have three X-types here. All three have the same road noise issues from the low profile tires. Most low profile tires will put out road
noise. One of the features that I am most impressed with on a Jaguar, is the body. The body structure is solid. All my cars are over 15 years old and none
of them squeak or rattle. The bodies are solid. So I know that I can repair everything on the car because I will always have a solid body platform to built onto.
It's really too bad that you had this poor experience. Regardless of all the issues I have had on my cars. I can't imagine driving anything else. I just know I
wouldn't be happy. If I went to a BMW or a Mercedes, or maybe an Audi. I just know I would have the same problems.
It would just be a different brand.
#54
08-26-2021, 11:40 AM
Veteran Member
Pointless. A modern XKR has nothing in common with a Triumph, MG or Austin. There is nothing to suggest a seasoned owner could have anticipated a subjective booming noise or head gasket failure down the road a bit. The owner just didn't like the car and that's OK, he's just sharing his story. Sales people often say there's an *** for every seat and I guess in this case this XKR needed a diffrent one. It's great that the owner was able to sell and recoup their investment and can get on with the hunt for a new automotive experience. So whats' it gonna be?
The 1000+ RPM booming hits a nerve for me. I often hear and feel things others can perceive. I had a Porsche 928 that made a resonant booming over certain bumps. I tried new shocks, and tires. It turned out to be the rear hatch glass, I could reproduce it with a thud from my palm. I would grab others put them in the car, thud the hatch glass and say... "Did you hear that?" They'd say.. "Here what? Meanwhile, my head was ringing. That car was sold on and all other 928's I've had didn't have the same problem. I still have a 928 all these decades later. No idea why that specific one resonated like it did. Could be a minute difference in the thickness or tension of the glass or the way it was installed.
The 1000+ RPM booming hits a nerve for me. I often hear and feel things others can perceive. I had a Porsche 928 that made a resonant booming over certain bumps. I tried new shocks, and tires. It turned out to be the rear hatch glass, I could reproduce it with a thud from my palm. I would grab others put them in the car, thud the hatch glass and say... "Did you hear that?" They'd say.. "Here what? Meanwhile, my head was ringing. That car was sold on and all other 928's I've had didn't have the same problem. I still have a 928 all these decades later. No idea why that specific one resonated like it did. Could be a minute difference in the thickness or tension of the glass or the way it was installed.
Well, I just bought a 2007 Audi S8 this morning. It needs some work (Ha ha ha) but the price was right and I'm fairly familiar with this model's quirks.
Re: Resonant booming. Interesting to hear your 928 experience. With the Jag, I tried putting sound deadening panels in the fender. I tried stuffing the rear seats with all kinds of foam to see if I could reduce it. I tried various combinations of Windows down and up. I tried jamming rods against the headliner to see if came from the roof. I tried strapping the cats with a band that attached to the gearbox. (Similar to the official resonance fix). I drove with the rear hatch open. Nothing worked. That's why I concluded that it was probably the tires. The tires being so fat and huge obviously have a large influence on the car. I did put a dial gauge on them and span each rear tire looking for flat spots or other weirdness. They both looked fine. And then I reached my limit of effort and money and said "goodbye".
Re: Resonant booming. Interesting to hear your 928 experience. With the Jag, I tried putting sound deadening panels in the fender. I tried stuffing the rear seats with all kinds of foam to see if I could reduce it. I tried various combinations of Windows down and up. I tried jamming rods against the headliner to see if came from the roof. I tried strapping the cats with a band that attached to the gearbox. (Similar to the official resonance fix). I drove with the rear hatch open. Nothing worked. That's why I concluded that it was probably the tires. The tires being so fat and huge obviously have a large influence on the car. I did put a dial gauge on them and span each rear tire looking for flat spots or other weirdness. They both looked fine. And then I reached my limit of effort and money and said "goodbye".
Good luck with the S8; its an amazing to drive car, but specifically that platform is a mess. I owned my 04 A8L V8 for 5 years and rebuilt the air suspension pump, replaced 2 air struts, starter (way harder than it sounds), MMI screen gear, MMI knob, CD changer, replaced the alternator, the intake flap links, throttle body, crank sensor twice, fixed sunroof drain leaks, fixed the rear motorized sunshade, trunk motor, blower motor, and hood latch cable. This was a low mileage 7-12yo car in the time I owned it with full service history, and I ran it 25k miles; bought with 67k miles. The W12 car was shorter lived since thank god a buddy really wanted it and I sold it after a relatively uneventful year of ownership (I think I did only one or two minor things) and 4k miles. I am 100% DIY and had VCDS HEX+CAN in that time and did EVERYTHING myself. Still was quite a bit of change and time spent to keep it going nice. I've owned my 07 XKR for 3 years and 25k miles; I've done a coolant reservoir, VVT solenoid, both drive belts, reconnected a washer fluid line, replaced TPMS sensors, and that's it. I bought it at 11yo and it's 14 now. It did have some cosmetic issues (curbed wheels, foggy headlights) but $500 at a detail shop and no effort from me and they were fixed. The car has been objectively better at being a functional car.
Not to crap on the D3 A8, the style, the performance, the room, handling, braking and quality of the AWD system are amazing. Those cars are insanely great in snow, handle well for a 4300lb sedan, and are engaging to drive; even the lowest V8 cars, the S8 being the most fun.
#55
08-26-2021, 12:23 PM
Veteran Member
................... Not to crap on the D3 A8, the style, the performance, the room, handling, braking and quality of the AWD system are amazing. Those cars are insanely great in snow, handle well for a 4300lb sedan, and are engaging to drive; even the lowest V8 cars, the S8 being the most fun.
Never ever BUY an Audi. Ever.
Last edited by Cee Jay; 08-26-2021 at 12:27 PM.
#56
08-26-2021, 12:38 PM
Member
Cee Jay,
I hear you about German car repairs. I have friends that have some and they talk about things like $1,500 brake jobs (all four wheels on my Lexus is maybe $500). I asked my mechanic what is going on. He smiled and said “They’re German”. Said they are over-engineered, have to tear apart half the car to get to the repair area, over priced parts, unique, expensive tools required, etc. He refuses to even work on them. My brother-in-law had a new Mercedes which he took in for warranty service (supposedly free). When he came to pick up the car they presented him with $1,500 invoice. After he regained consciousness, they explained that a new fuel filter was due and not covered by warranty. A $1,500 FUEL FILTER?! Last time I replaced one on a “normal” car it was about a $10 item and three minutes to install.
Needless to say, I have stricken German vehicles from my future car purchase wish list forever!
I hear you about German car repairs. I have friends that have some and they talk about things like $1,500 brake jobs (all four wheels on my Lexus is maybe $500). I asked my mechanic what is going on. He smiled and said “They’re German”. Said they are over-engineered, have to tear apart half the car to get to the repair area, over priced parts, unique, expensive tools required, etc. He refuses to even work on them. My brother-in-law had a new Mercedes which he took in for warranty service (supposedly free). When he came to pick up the car they presented him with $1,500 invoice. After he regained consciousness, they explained that a new fuel filter was due and not covered by warranty. A $1,500 FUEL FILTER?! Last time I replaced one on a “normal” car it was about a $10 item and three minutes to install.
Needless to say, I have stricken German vehicles from my future car purchase wish list forever!
#57
08-26-2021, 12:41 PM
I live in the Pacific Northwest. I bought my 2008 XK online from a dealer in Boston MA. I flew to Boston, jumped in the car and proceeded to drive the daylights out of it for the 3000 mile trip home. The car performed flawlessly. It was everything I could hope for. There are just two issues: the Yokohama tires are very loud. There is still a lot of miles left on them so I will put up with the noise for a little while longer. The other issue is when it is time drive the car home. I sometimes end up 40 miles further away from home than when I started.
Last edited by Andwell; 08-26-2021 at 12:51 PM. Reason: add a photo
#58
08-26-2021, 01:18 PM
It's a little different when you just look for reason to go somewhere.
When you get around to replacing those tires. Go for Continentals. They are the best for wear and low noise.
Michelins aren't bad either. Everything else just wears out to quickly. Some of these new cars just tear up tires.
When you get around to replacing those tires. Go for Continentals. They are the best for wear and low noise.
Michelins aren't bad either. Everything else just wears out to quickly. Some of these new cars just tear up tires.
#59
08-26-2021, 01:33 PM
I have to say, like many others, you should have had someone inspect it for you or drive it yourself. I looked at an XKR 2010 a while back. The car obviously was not kept in pristine condition and I felt rumblings in the engine which wasn't smooth, the suspension was also a bit loose, so I chalked it up to something I wouldn't buy. Same thing with an F-Type, the engine leaked oil and smoked. For the most part Jaguars from 2007 have gotten much more reliable. Most people who had the XKR's kept them in great condition and typically were not their daily drivers. I'd have to say you got duped by the dealer.
#60
08-26-2021, 03:47 PM
Junior Member
I love my 06
Having owned a 2008 XKR for most of this year, I thought I might add my impressions, quite disappointing I might add. Maybe it was just me and my particular car or maybe not.
I'm usually a German car enthusiast but on investigating the beautiful XKR from the late 2000's I found that it was affordable and had a decent reliability rating.
A lot of owners spoke highly of their ownership and I didn't need to be convinced of how gorgeous it looked.
In January I bought one remotely from a classic car dealer in another state for a great price and flew down to pick it up.
That's where the illusion was shattered. The car was no where near fit to be sold. It certainly wouldn't have passed any safety inspection in my state.
Wheel nuts were missing, headlamps pointing only 5 feet in front of the car, and I later found out that most of the suspension joints were split. OK, so the dealer later paid out for some of these repairs but it left a bad taste in my mouth for remote purchases.
The first thing I noticed was the horrible resonant booming that began after 1000rpm. It never went away, making long journeys incredibly tiring. I never was able to fix it in all the 8 months I had the car. People who came to buy it off me never noticed it, but everyone in my family would say "What on earth is that noise?"
On the way home the check engine light came on. Then I had misfires from cold. Then the top-hose burst before I diagnosed a blown head gasket. I though the car was supposed to be fairly reliable so I'm not sure what the previous owner did to cause a blown gasket at only 105K. The supercharger, sounded like marbles rattling around and even after I rebuilt it with new bearings, it was only marginally improved.
After a couple of months when the head gasket was finally fixed and the heads rebuilt, I though I would finally enjoy driving it. But the suspension and tire combination was pretty awful. The car would jiggle around like there really wasn't much of a suspension. On a perfectly smooth road at 70mph it just about OK. But from cold in the morning it was pretty obnoxious. And I'm not a Cadillac driver! I'm comparing it to some of the other cars I've had, Porsche 911, 924 turbo, BMW M6, Audi S8 which were all ten times better.
Fortunately, it looked fantastic on the driveway, so when buyers came to look at it, I think they had already made their purchasing decision before putting it into gear.
I wanted to like the car but the driving experience was very unpleasant. The adaptive cruise control and paddle shifters were fun but a great car makes you smile often in simple regular driving. I smiled often looking at it from my window and especially when a buyer finally reversed it down my driveway and left me with quite a bit more than I paid for it!
I'm usually a German car enthusiast but on investigating the beautiful XKR from the late 2000's I found that it was affordable and had a decent reliability rating.
A lot of owners spoke highly of their ownership and I didn't need to be convinced of how gorgeous it looked.
In January I bought one remotely from a classic car dealer in another state for a great price and flew down to pick it up.
That's where the illusion was shattered. The car was no where near fit to be sold. It certainly wouldn't have passed any safety inspection in my state.
Wheel nuts were missing, headlamps pointing only 5 feet in front of the car, and I later found out that most of the suspension joints were split. OK, so the dealer later paid out for some of these repairs but it left a bad taste in my mouth for remote purchases.
The first thing I noticed was the horrible resonant booming that began after 1000rpm. It never went away, making long journeys incredibly tiring. I never was able to fix it in all the 8 months I had the car. People who came to buy it off me never noticed it, but everyone in my family would say "What on earth is that noise?"
On the way home the check engine light came on. Then I had misfires from cold. Then the top-hose burst before I diagnosed a blown head gasket. I though the car was supposed to be fairly reliable so I'm not sure what the previous owner did to cause a blown gasket at only 105K. The supercharger, sounded like marbles rattling around and even after I rebuilt it with new bearings, it was only marginally improved.
After a couple of months when the head gasket was finally fixed and the heads rebuilt, I though I would finally enjoy driving it. But the suspension and tire combination was pretty awful. The car would jiggle around like there really wasn't much of a suspension. On a perfectly smooth road at 70mph it just about OK. But from cold in the morning it was pretty obnoxious. And I'm not a Cadillac driver! I'm comparing it to some of the other cars I've had, Porsche 911, 924 turbo, BMW M6, Audi S8 which were all ten times better.
Fortunately, it looked fantastic on the driveway, so when buyers came to look at it, I think they had already made their purchasing decision before putting it into gear.
I wanted to like the car but the driving experience was very unpleasant. The adaptive cruise control and paddle shifters were fun but a great car makes you smile often in simple regular driving. I smiled often looking at it from my window and especially when a buyer finally reversed it down my driveway and left me with quite a bit more than I paid for it!
I love my 06 that I bought in December 2020. It's the victory edition coupe and I found out by writing to Jaguar heritage that they only made 53 coupes with the regular V8. I purchased out of state also with only the pictures provided. I had a great experience with my out of state dealer.
06 victory edition in satin silver
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2ndeagle (08-27-2021)