RE: Jaguar S-Type R: Spotted

RE: Jaguar S-Type R: Spotted

Thursday 27th August 2015

Jaguar S-Type R: Spotted

Is it time to begin appreciating the S-Type R?



It says something of Jaguar's 21st century rejuvenation that we kind of expect the cars to be good now. When Jaguar says the F-Pace will be best in class dynamically you suspect it probably will be, or at least very close. This isn't just backing the home team bias either, with cars like the XE, XF and XJ really proving that Jaguar does ride and handling very well indeed.

Ooh, moody
Ooh, moody
The S-Type R was a surprise because it was dynamically talented at a time when Jaguar wasn't renowned for it. This was before the new XJ of 2003 and of course the Mk2 XK and XF too. Cars like the X-Type and XK weren't bad, but neither was a byword for great handling.

The S-Type R was different though. Reading through old road tests throws up reams of praise, the steering and handling balance in particular drawing many plaudits. Even as it was on the way out in 2007 it was competitive in group tests as the dynamics helped to offset the dated cabin and styling. It delivered on the promise of the S-Type to create a genuinely talented Jaguar sports saloon for the 21st century. It just didn't look like one.

There was a big problem facing the S-Type too: the E39 M5. To many the very finest of the M5s, it offered a more modern appearance and a slightly sharper drive than the Jaguar. There was the manual gearbox too, which will have appealed to some. That's before any alternatives from AMG, Audi or Australia are mentioned too...

Drives better than it looks!
Drives better than it looks!
It would be boring if we all liked the same thing though, and there's something quite tempting about the old Jag seen here. Perhaps it's the nice pics. There are in fact only four 400hp S-Types in the classifieds, all of them between £9,000 and £12,500; not the time for cheap ones at the moment! This car has low miles, one owner and is described as "immaculate".

However. What if immaculate condition isn't an issue but the idea of a Jaguar V8 saloon still appeals? The highly rated XF SV8 is still depreciating, the very earliest cars with the highest miles now the same money as this S-Type. For another £2K this XF looks fantastic. The S-Type's job gets harder still!


JAGUAR S-TYPE R
Engine:
4,196cc supercharged V8
Transmission: 6-speed auto, rear-wheel drive
Power (hp): 406@6,100rpm
Torque (lb ft): 408@3,500rpm
MPG: 22
CO2: 314g/km
First registered: 2002
Recorded mileage: 34,250
Price new: £45,090 (2007)
Yours for: £11,995

View the original advert here.

Author
Discussion

anonymous-user

Original Poster:

53 months

Thursday 27th August 2015
quotequote all
I'll go out on a limb and say the final facelifted cars from 2004 onwards were actually quite handsome beasts. It's amazing how a few changes improved the saggy tail and the pinched front quite dramatically.

I'd still buy an XJR instead.

paulyv

1,017 posts

122 months

Thursday 27th August 2015
quotequote all

corcoran

533 posts

273 months

Thursday 27th August 2015
quotequote all
Interesting Photos.

Love this; but that dash, etc: cannot get past it.

Gilhooligan

2,211 posts

143 months

Thursday 27th August 2015
quotequote all
paulyv said:
Love how Steve is more on the ball than the F1 driver.

Chris x

271 posts

187 months

Thursday 27th August 2015
quotequote all
paulyv said:
Side/Head airbags don't work very well!

3795mpower

484 posts

129 months

Thursday 27th August 2015
quotequote all
400hp and no LSD......

smilo996

2,754 posts

169 months

Thursday 27th August 2015
quotequote all
It was a bit of a crass design decision to retro fit the new cars with earlier Jaguar characteristics to try and rebuild the brand. However I saw an X Type Estate and one of these recently in dark colours and if nothing else they look distinctive and pretty nice. 4.0L V8 not to be sniffed at and the R looks more aggressive and less stuffy. If you like Chesterfields then why not.

martinmiller

2 posts

115 months

Thursday 27th August 2015
quotequote all
I've owned both a S-Type R (late model in black) and a XF SV8 (grey with spice leather) and can't recommend either of them enough. The S-Type is possibly the nicer to drive, it actually feels lighter / smaller. I say feels because I don't believe it is. However it takes a certain type of driver to accept that interior. Which of course is where the XF wins. The interior is truly innovative / modern / not Germanic.

I regret selling both cars and if I ever need a 5 seat car to cover ground (very fast) again I know I'd be back in either of them.

Martin


Clivey

5,108 posts

203 months

Thursday 27th August 2015
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Is it just me that prefers the pre-facelift (though both look pretty classy IMHO)?

sideways man

1,306 posts

136 months

Thursday 27th August 2015
quotequote all
Money pit.

But would still love one. Had my eye on one with an lpg conversion for £1.5 k, but wasnt quite brave enough.

daemon

35,720 posts

196 months

Thursday 27th August 2015
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Cant get my head around that price, when you can get an admittedly higher miles car for a third of that.

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2015...


kambites

67,460 posts

220 months

Thursday 27th August 2015
quotequote all
It's funny, I always liked the E39 at the time but looking at the S-Type and E39 together now the Jaguar looks far, far, better to my eyes.

That seems crazy money for a 2002 car, though.

James Junior

827 posts

156 months

Thursday 27th August 2015
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A friend of mine bought one cheap in the last recession and ran it for a few years. He loved it and it looked mean in black.


iacabu

1,348 posts

148 months

Thursday 27th August 2015
quotequote all
Strange, I was just scanning the classifieds for these the other day while spending my Monopoly money. Came across a couple of nice ones for 4k and 6k. Couldn't see myself parting with 12k for an s-type, although I'm sure it's very nice.

Clivey said:
Is it just me that prefers the pre-facelift (though both look pretty classy IMHO)?
ETA - I'm with you on this one

Edited by iacabu on Thursday 27th August 19:22

Quhet

2,409 posts

145 months

Thursday 27th August 2015
quotequote all
The normal S-Type wasn't exactly a stunning car but neither was it a munter, I've always been puzzled at why they are talked about as they are. In black the R steps it up a level and looks fantastic imo cool

monthefish

20,439 posts

230 months

Thursday 27th August 2015
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Gilhooligan said:
paulyv said:
Love how Steve is more on the ball than the F1 driver.
And what a gent Steve is for being really concerned about how the driver is. Many others would have lost the head, and been effing and blinding at the driver for almost killing him.
Much respect to Sutcliffe. bow

S-Type R's are properly quick. I had a shot of one overnight and took it down the M40 to London in the evening. Came back about 2am, motorway almost completely empty and reached 140mph without really realising, so slowed right down to <100.

But then the devil on my shoulder had a word, and I started to wonder what 155mph would feel like (having been so close) so I floored it. 155 came and went and I was way past 165 (indicated) before I bottled it - so much for the limiter!!

Was totally paranoid for the next few weeks in case I'd been spotted and got a summons. copjudge (I didn't thankfully)


Baryonyx

17,990 posts

158 months

Thursday 27th August 2015
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These are fantastic looking cars. I've always thought the S Type was quite handsome though, it was the X Type that was the real dog of the range. Once the S Type got the benefit of an interior restyle, it looked considerably better.

jwilliamsm3

283 posts

128 months

Thursday 27th August 2015
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On of my close mates had an 02 s type r in grey with black leather with red inserts. I loved it, the whine of the supercharger was so cool. He hated it though, couldn't get used to the 14mpg. He'd it for, wait for it..............a diesel vectra

405dogvan

5,326 posts

264 months

Thursday 27th August 2015
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The S Type is hard to love in any guise - even if you get the looks (and they're always been contrived IMO - I think the Rover 75 probably did a better job in overall shape, if not quality perhaps!) the drive is just underwhelming in most cases

There's a place for everything of course - old chap a few doors down from her indoor's grandparents has a BRG one which he cleans pretty-much every day and it looks 'right' on his drive, in front of a bungalow, next to the perfect lawn etc.

It will never be cool - painting it in modern metallics is putting racing stripes on a pig - even a big engine just isn't going to be enough to make it cool (esp when the same power package is available in much more appealing cars - e.g. XJs)


ThePurpleBeemer

47 posts

194 months

Thursday 27th August 2015
quotequote all
Owell that went well, I paid 4k for mine 2 years agobiggrin nice to see that there's other people out there who appreciate how good it is!.