GTP Cool Wall: 1997-2002 Jaguar XJR (X308)

[Tornado]

I should buy one. 100k mile examples are only $4000-5000. I used to work on them at a Jaguar repair shop and recall them being pretty solid as long as you updated the timing chain tensioners. Cheap speed.

You mean I could have had a Jaaaaaaaag?



D:

While I agree from a purely stylistic standpoint (this generation XJ is still one of the most elegant sedans evyer, IMO, and the one that followed was pleasant but not quite as well-proportioned), it was still a bit of an anachronism.

Perhaps (especially when it went out as everyone started going crazy with designs), but there is an admirable honesty to this generation that I think the followup car betrayed by trying to awkwardly shoehorn modern design ideas into (like the horrid M5 grill in the facelift one) and generally poor styling details (like the greenhouse shape). The 2003 car is also the one where it became clear that they just didn't know how to style a successor, even after all the clean slate engineering.

 

[SVT Cobra GT]

SZ. It's one of those Jags that looks like it's exclusively driven by old farts but it can dance and take on M5s and AMG Mercs.