XKR?

Try to find a XKR with the R pack ( stiffer suspensions and Brembo brakes. ) . Plus with the Silverstones 20' wheels, they are gorgeous !
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

I drove the previous gen XJR and loved it ! lots of power and actually fun in the corners.

 

Drove an XK-R and it had plenty of power and felt great, but the interior is pretty cramped considering the size of the car. Kind of like the XJ-S in that regard.

 

I still have my '98 XK8 convertible and it is a great car to drive. The XKRs are even better but they are not sports cars...an SL is a sportier car in my opinion but that does not mean they aren't fun to drive around twisty bits.

 

...i think only coupe really does the XKR's form justice, but they're not easy to find in any colors other than silver or black...seductive engine note and cozy interior - i very nearly closed on one last month before another buyer swooped in unexpectedly while my salesperson was on lunchbreak...

 

That's a really nice car. You'd be suprised at how well they handle. I have a 97 XK8 coupe, and I was really suprised at how well the car handles it's weight. It's a more of a sports car, than a tourer, although it is a great tourer. I do wish the car came with a six speed manual though.

Jim

 

My brother is actually shopping for one of these right now. Great cars, and thanks to that wonderful Jaguar depreciation, for the money you can not beat it nowadays. I have driven an xk8, but not an xkr. I thought it drove very nicely. It is a GT, not a sports car. But what a great GT it is! I would imagine the R is even better with about 100 extra hp and stiffer suspension. General consensus is it is better to go after 2000 and newer models. The 97-99's have nikasil cylinder liners that were prone to problems. If gasoline with high sulfer content was used it would erode the liners. Many BMW's from the same period had similar problems. Jaguar quit using it in mid 99 I believe. If you do consider an early car a leak-down test is a must. All gasoline now sold has low enough sulfer to not cause further degradation, so if they have made it this far they should be good to go. The cars also had plastic cam chain tensioners and water pumps which are prone to failure. It is strongly recommended that you change over to the later steel designs. Many cars have already had this done.

I love these cars, and will have one soon. I am working on saving up about a $15K semi-daily driver fund to use towards interesting daily drivers that won't depreciate. The plan is to wait for a good deal to come along, buy a car, drive it for 6 months or a year, and sell it for about what I paid for it. Then move on to the next interesting car on the list. There are a lot of fun cars in this price range whose depreciation has either bottomed out or at least slowed way down: XKR, XJR, 80's 911' C5 Corvette, 10 year old M3, fully restored MGB GT, 300ZX Turbo, 3rd generation RX-7, hell even a 20 year old Bentley! Point being you can drive a neat car for close to free. Of course you have the cost of consumables, gas, oil, and insurance. But whatever tiny amount a car like this will depreciate will be way cheaper than payments on a new car or the rapid depreciation of even a 1-2 year old used car. And if you wait for a good enough deal when buying it you may even make a few bucks. The first one I am going for on this list however, is going to be an XKR coupe in BRG or black. I am afraid I might like it too much though, and be unable to sell it to continue my little car-swapping scheme!

 

...you can avoid the nikasil and plastic issues altogether by going for a 2003 or newer XKR...

 

These cars look much better in person than they do in pics IMHO.

Nathandarby67 - we think alike! A few years ago, I bought a barely used (less than 9,000 miles per year) 2000 Lexus GS400. Since I am a husband/father, I needed a 4-dr daily driver, but wanted to still have fun.

0-60 in 5.7 seconds, .85g's on the skidpad, and can carry a family of 4 in style - all for $15K (which is what I paid for it)!!!

 

I had an XK8 coupe for a few months. The looks are incredible, the sound of the engine is nice, and the ride is a good balance. The interior is trimmed very nicely but too snug for my tastes. The rear seats are useless as well unless you are three feet tall.

I'd buy another one, but treat it only as a two-seater.

 

Used car dealer, sold a few XKR's and XK8's, they are very fun cars for the money but for similar money you can get an 02-03 Maserati Coupe which is 100x more fun.

 

...the old maserati coupes are far too pedestrian for my tastes, especially around back, and i imagine their maintenance is considerably more expensive...

...of course, if the granturismo ever depreciates that much, it'll present a very compelling argument for ignoring its cost of ownership...

 

Thanks...have added the Maserati to my list!

 

I have the newer version. great car. a gt with very little to fault.

 

I also have a newer version, 2008 XK. Truly GREAT GT car. I bought it in 2015 with 24,000 miles in Oklahoma and drove it back to Raleigh. When I got home my face hurt terribly from grinning so much. It was great fun going through the NC mountains. Have since been to Key West, DC a couple of times, and Maine. 30,000 miles and the only problem has been a broken wiper switch which took all of 15 minutes to replace. It has been my daily driver since I bought it.

 

I have a 2012 XKR convertible and think it's a great GT type driver. It handles well and with the 5L 510 HP engine it takes off like a rocket. Very comfortable ride in normal drive mode but go into sports and open up the active exhaust and the smiles and fun begins. Unfortunately due to personal issues I have just listed the car for sale. It has 26K miles and has been dealer maintained. So If you want a 0-60 4 sec rocket then these cars are something to look at . Also the depreciation is pretty steep so you can pick them up at a bargin price. Enjoy the ride.
Image Unavailable, Please Login