RE: Jaguar XJR: Spotted

[naki]

Benbay001 said:

Urgh, i was only looking the other day to see if i could find a manual XJR for sale.
I miss my old S Type R alot.
But im enjoying having a manual box.
Anyone remember the mega high mileage XJR manual that was up for sale about this time last year?

most of these XJR manuals are high mileage for a reason! because they are such fun drive, the owners actually use them. not just leave them in a garage to take them to a show once a year!

Edited by naki on Friday 1st August 12:40

[dbdb]

naki said:

i do like these, and manual jags are thing to behold. most people who slate them have never driven one in ernest! completely different animal than the waftastic auto. i haver both autos and manuals in my collection, so i can accurately compare both.

how about the original Manual XJR (XJ40). Fancy doing a feature on this car PH??)
1 of only 18 RHD ever made!
Black Cherry paint/ warm charcoal with red stitched leather interior, Mulberry Carpets! complete one off colour scheme.

1992 spec, 251BHP N/A 4.0 6cyl, LSD, Bilstein dampers, thicker ARB, Decat. subtle bodykit 0-60 6.7s

Edited by naki on Thursday 31st July 22:24

These early XJ40 series XJRs were much more bespoke than the later X300 XJR. Do you use this as a daily driver, Naki?

I would like to see PH do a feature on the XJ40; yours seems an excellent candidate! I'm not sure many of the writers here are really aware of the XJ40 series XJR. They never mention them.

Edited by dbdb on Thursday 31st July 23:02

[naki]

i don't think they do know about about the 40 version, no. Maybe this will educate them?

This is technically my daily yes, though i dont do a daily commute as such, as i am self employed, so the journeys are random. but ti is taxed and tested until November.
i have found it to be very reliable generally, since i put it on the road last November.
of course it has issues, its 22 years old and 159K on the clock. i have managed to rack up 6,000 miles somehow, but 1500mile of those were a stint over to Hamburg in April. Which i have to add, it swallowed up those miles rather well, without incident. I did not push it harder than 115mph on the autobahn though, as the missus was with me, and she is not keen on "excessive" speed.
i am currently working on getting the a/c working though. typical neglected item on the car. Wish it had been working on the German trip!

Edited by naki on Friday 1st August 12:46

[dbdb]

The Jaguar enthusiasts are very active in Germany - they put on some impressive events.

It's wise keeping the speed down to 115. Faster than that and you must approach other cars too quickly even in Germany, I should think. I have found mine is also drastically thirsty at real speed. I'll bet your XJR uses a gallon every couple of minutes once you're doing 140 or more!

Edited by dbdb on Thursday 31st July 23:37

[naki]

dbdb said:

The Jaguar enthusiasts are very active in Germany - they put on some impressive events.

It's wise keeping the speed down to 115. Faster than that and you must approach other cars too quickly even in Germany, I should think. I have found mine is also drastically thirsty at real speed. I'll bet your XJR uses a gallon every couple of minutes once you're doing 140 or more!

Edited by dbdb on Thursday 31st July 23:37

indeed. long periods at high speed is for emergency only, like rushing to make the ferry on the way back home! even then we only managed 100mph mostly due to heavy traffic. but from cruising at 28mphg ish, it will half that doing 115mph+.
still it was fun trip, though more time was needed as ever.
still the point being, these cars are capable of long distance conformable travel, with a good dollop of fun at the drop of cog.

[r4_rick]

naki
your jag looks very menacing with the black grill, many years ago as an impressionable cavalier sri driver i remember meeting with a Tesco RMD who had one of these ! i was suitably impressed.

i just bought the german equivalent, the e34 m5 3.8...something about the big engine and manual gearbox, although shes in the garage having a misfire investigated at the moment, i just hope i havent bought one with a dodgy engine

[tali1]

soad said:

Needs to be V8-engined.

Manual box stopped at X300 - so no V8s with it afaik

[Kolbenkopp]

More I look at XJ40s, more they appeal. Outside is a tad more modern, inside a tad less so. Perfect.
Isn't helping though, bet finding a good one and keeping it that way is more difficult (general age, tin worm).

[naki]

Kolbenkopp said:

More I look at XJ40s, more they appeal. Outside is a tad more modern, inside a tad less so. Perfect.
Isn't helping though, bet finding a good one and keeping it that way is more difficult (general age, tin worm).

if you must have a manual XJ40 XJR, you cant afford to be fussy about condition!, let alone colour. years of relentless searching finally paid off for me (yes, YEARS!), but with only 18 made in RHD, you will be hard pressed to find one, let along a solid, MOT'd minter.
even finding a good standard XJ40 4.0 or 3.6 Manual is a supreme challenge now.

the X300 versions are far more abundant by comparison. there are a few conversions floating about too, but if you want a real one, i reckon 5-6 come up in a year, (at varying prices)

[dbdb]

Kolbenkopp will want a left hand drive car though, which whilst not exactly abundant, are more common than the RHD equivalent aren't they?

[naki]

Kolbenkopp said:

More I look at XJ40s, more they appeal. Outside is a tad more modern, inside a tad less so. Perfect.
Isn't helping though, bet finding a good one and keeping it that way is more difficult (general age, tin worm).

for me 40s represent the best combination of classic appeal/ character, but with everyday usability/ reliability.

[dbdb]

That's much of their appeal for me, too. The XJ40 has the feel of a classic car - particularly its interior, but with the drivability of a modern car. I like the X300 and it has the major advantage of the supercharger, but I find their styling a little too self consciously retro. The XJ40 tried to look modern - just a long time ago!

[YoungRestorer]

I just bought an X300 manual, and can echo that it is a completely different car to the auto. The 'box is a little challenging, but so much fun!

[Clivey]

Never knew there was a manual version. - Like it! There's just something to be said for having 3-pedals...especially with RWD and enough power to be a hooligan once in a while.

[timmeh2k]

naki said:

i don't think they do know about . maybe this will educate them.

this is technically my daily yes, though i dont do a daily commute if you know what i mean, ass i am self employed, the journeys are random.
i have found it to be very reliable generally, since i put it on the road last November.
of course it has issues, its 22 years old and 159K on the clock. i have managed to rack up 6,000 miles somehow, but 1500 of those were a stink over to Hamburg in April. which i have to add, it swallowed up those miles rather well. though i did not push it harder than 115mph on the autobahn, as the missus was with me, and she is not keen on excessive speed.
i am currently working on getting the a/c working though. typical neglected item on the car. wish it was working on the German trip.

Top marks for using it properly naki! outrageous amounts of want

[HaylingJag]

mull1974 said:

Think I've put most of the bids on that but sure it will go for more than I'm willing to pay. If so I'll look for an auto again hoping I can pick a decent one up for under £3k.

Seem to be lots of ropey ones that tempt me but think they could be ruinous :-(

PM me

[chungasarnies]

Amazing, so much want, but I don't think I could. Me old dad had the next gen XJ8 ('98 model) around 10 years ago and some of the running costs were simply eye watering. Cylinder head went after 50k, and local specialist asked 'is it on its second engine yet'!

[HaylingJag]

Kolbenkopp said:

More I look at XJ40s, more they appeal. Outside is a tad more modern, inside a tad less so. Perfect.
Isn't helping though, bet finding a good one and keeping it that way is more difficult (general age, tin worm).

Just to cream you up a little more, sadly not manual but the switchable auto is sublime.
Liking yours Naki, interesting to see a late one with quad headlamps??

D

[HaylingJag]

[JaguarsportXJR]

HaylingJag said:

Just to cream you up a little more, sadly not manual but the switchable auto is sublime.
Liking yours Naki, interesting to see a late one with quad headlamps??

D

I didn't realise there were so many of us on here! No pictures of mine available (at work at the mo), but it's good to see there are several on here being used. Would be tempted with this manual, but there's no way I'd trade in my 40 for anything, even with the auto. The sound in Sport Mode is almost worth it alone.

Also, I don't think the X300 came with an LSD. The XJ40s did but the X300s I've driven had the traction control fitted instead. Bloody cost cutting...