I am sorry for hijacking this thread but this quote made me...

It made me laugh and realize how much I miss the REAL Top Gear. Ever since they put the imitation (poorly IMHO) on in the States I cannot get my fix.

Sorry. I will get back to my seat and turn the plane back over the real pilot...

 

BBC America airs a ton of UK Top Gear(I'd say at least 3 hours a day), so it might be worth the extra bucks on the cable bill for it. It comes with my Uverse U200 package so I watch it pretty often.

 

"Sport oriented" and "automatic" are two terms that should never be used in tandem.

 

Term is relative to an XK, hence the precursor of more. That said, I'm looking for a 6sp convertible.

 

Funny how I realized I've ALWAYS been attracted to the Jag body designs. My first real car of my choosing (not a family "hand-me-down"), was a 1970 Z-28. It was the RS, split bumper, style that attracted me most. Years later I came to find out that was the Jag influence on GM styling that yielded that design.

The XK8/R although being Ford owned, is so very similar to the Chrysler Seabring verts, in proportion and windshield rake, etc. Also, the Ford influence can be seen in the headlamps and catfish like, grill opening...as seen on the Tarus model.

Body lines have ALWAYS been what's attracted me most, in choice of motor cars. Companies like Pininferina have always romanced me.

My answer to the OP'S question in regards to 8 vs R, I find I get the most important thing to me, with each (the over all body lines). Honestly I prefer the 8's grill bar to the R's, however those hood louvers on the R, are very sweet. I really dis-like the GPS window, and strongly prefer the 3-gauge panel found only on 8's.

Naturally I would be happt with either, but feel the 8 is better suited to my current position.

 

Jazz Cat, with all due respect, I think that the grill and headlights were "influenced" by the XKE, not the Ford Taurus.

 

Ahh, certainly so... it was we Yanks, inspired by the Britt's design.









Am I crazy, or do you see what I see ???

 

I own both. My XK8 is sitting there undriven for the last year. I don't know what to do with it. Maybe I'll opt for the chevy engine and manual transmission in that one. Until that happens, the XKR is hands down a better vehicle in every respect. It's faster, it handles better, it brakes better, it looks better. Gas mileage is similar enough unless I'm lead footing the XKR.

The XK8 is great if you want that sporty look and the prestige of owning a Jaguar but don't have a lead foot.

And as for the XKR not being up to current standards? Yeah, at the very least it's a half dozen years old now. Compare it to cars that came out the same model year, it's very worthy. I smoke M3 and Boxsters all the time. They like to think they're sporty when they pull up to me, but I call them lawnmower engine cars. They may beat me on initial off the line, but that doesn't last for long. At 60-125 MPH I've only had a few cars able to match my power band.

My '05 XKR will keep up or beat almost any GT, and most other sports cars. After I get my Twin Screw from Avos, I'll be back up to current standards and other GTs, like the Mustang, Camero SS and other similar cars that are a good matchup with a stock XKR, will again eat my brake lights.

The XK8 drives more like an old muscle car than a sports car. The XKR drives more like a sports car, except you're a bit heavier and you'll push a bit more during hard cornering. Without an LSD I'm afraid to push it. With my XK8 I can drift at lower speeds and it's very predictable and really has an old-school muscle car feel when you break traction. The XKR has enough more horsepower that it's a little more scary.

And as for not being the fastest car on the road? Who cares. I love the body style and the way everything fits for me. It's my perfect vehicle that I'll drive till I'm not able.

 

The 3 gauge panel is available on the 2000 XKR at least. I know my 00 XKR has that over the navigation.

 

That similarity has been a topic of conversation before. In fact I once posted that I saw the rear end of a Sebring out of the corner of my eye once and though it was an XK until I looked over at it.

 

I looked for over a year before I found one and it was over 100 miles from me. I was looking for a coupe but there just weren't any so when I found my Rag top, I jumped on it. Glad I did because I haven't seen another one as nice since for the price. I have owned really fast cars (When I was in my 20's & 30's) and now I just want a car with class that has the important options like heated seats, (Old bones)auto matic, power steering, windows, brakes and a CD player.

It boils down to what you want or think you need from your car I guess. I need comfort far more than I need zero to 60 times. (First signs of getting old I guess)

 

I have a 6 speed manual C5 Corvette convertible and an XK8 convertible - both 2000's - and, from experience, ageee with your observations. The C5 is a simpler vehicle and has proven to be perfectly reliable for 100K miles.

On the other hand, I have over $1,000 in DIY maintenance for the Jaguar's top alone! The complete timing chain rebuild, ABS controller, Throttle Body, Brake Switch, MAFS, Coils, and conversion kit to make the gauges worth something and hours and hours of my time doing diagnostic work were just icing on the cake.

Flat out, the Jaguar hasn't proven to be as "good" a car as the Corvette in many measures but it is a different sort of vehicle I guess. I like them both for their own merits and enjoy the compliments I receive for each.

 

Welcome Jazz Cat! The lighting in this iPhone shot (outside my favourite bar) is pretty poor but I see a strong link back to the E-type.

Anyway, back to the topic at hand. I am very happy with my car and I have never driven an XK8. I just love the look of these cars and we don't have a lot to choose from here, so if an XK8 had come along in the right colour, wheel, age, milage and price combo, I would have bought it.

 

That's what caught my eye when the XK was first introduced. There was a lot of media and a lot of hype on the car when it came out.

My first thought was "OH MY GOD, JAGUAR IS RETURNING TO ITS ROOTS!!!!111!!one!!! A REAL GT!!!!!111". Yes, that looks childish, and that's how I felt, I was giddy as a school girl seeing them come out with something so beautiful.

See, I never thought of Jaguar as being an old man's luxury 4 door. I always thought of Jaguar as a racing/touring car, and when I saw this I shart bricks. I think the XK modernized the E-type perfectly. Sure, you can say there are other cars that have similar style features.

I guarantee you that none of those cars are as beautiful as the XK and none of them have the same timeless quality a nearly 20 year old body style has that can trick people into thinking it's a brand new car.

 

I couldn't agree more! Beautiful ......

 

And that's the thing, with all this convo of "vs corvette". Take a 1996 Corvette and a 1996 XK. One looks like a 16 year old car, the other doesn't.

And as for the XK not being as reliable, take an '03 and compare it to an '03 Vette. I bet the XK is more reliable, or at least on par. And it still will look like a brand new car and the vette will noticeably be a decade old.

lol

 

The Ford-era XK8/XKR does indeed seem timeless. It is amazing how many folks at gas stations and restaurants comment to my wife about the stunning looks of her "brand new Jaguar"....

 

The running cost of XK8 is perhaps cheaper ... ?

The X100-gen R starting from MY 03 has standard Brembo brakes with more expensive rotors than XK8, fuel pump on R cost a lot more.

The BBS trim ring that was designed specifically for the R, I thought, cost a fortune too.

The highway-passing/overtaking prowess on an XK8 is perhaps good enough for most situation also. I drove a rental G6 GXP (V6, 260-something hp) and it was plenty quick, so an XK8 (albeit with added weight than a G6) with 290+ hp would do fine.

There is no supercharger-whine, obviously - even though some like the runaway-teapot-sound of the blower.

 

I have owned both a 97 XK8 coupe, and now own a 2000 XKR coupe. The advantage of the 97 XK8 coupe was that the driving position seemed to be a little bit lower than the XKR, which helped make the XK8 seem to be more of a sports car. The XKR is more of a GT car compared to my 97 XK8. The XKR seems to get better fuel mileage then the XK8 though, and the torque of the XKR is effortless compared to the XK8. I used to own an 85 XJS V12 coupe and the effortless torque and power delivery of the XKR reminds me of the V12 in that car.

Jim

 

I owned corvettes from 1984 to '02. In '03, I leased an XK8 and bought an 07XK when the lease was up. The handling in the Vette is far superior to the Jag and I miss that when cornering.
I switched to Jag because of the looks. But I wished I'd have kept the '03, it looks like a Jag. The '07 XK doesn't have the Jag look and at the risk of offending '07 and later Jag owners, it looks like a lot of other cars on the market today.