Jaguar XJR 100 (X308) | Spotted
Hard to think of a better 100th birthday present than four litres of supercharged V8 thunder
We’re still none the wiser on whether or not an XJ (or something called an XJ) will ever grace the Jaguar lineup again. The British marque’s plan to axe the piston-powered X351 generation in 2019 to focus its efforts on an all-electric model to rival the likes of the Mercedes-Benz EQS and BMW i7 seemed like a no-brainer. Dropping said electric XJ when it was thought to be nearly done, and replacing it with a whole load of nothing - when it intends to have a full EV line-up in the not-too-distant future - was a sad reminder of the dwindling luxury saloon market. Thanks, SUVs.
On the one hand, we’re still a little sore at the demise of the XJ. It had been one of Jaguar’s longest-standing models and, for the patriots, was the last British (with Indian investment, we know) luxury limo that didn’t cost Bentley or Rolls-Royce money. That being said, it’s hard to see how the XJR, a car that has no doubt featured as a classified saved search for many PHers, could retain its thuggish charm in the EV era. So to the used car market we must turn for our XJR fix, which is no bad thing when peak XJ was arguably a couple of generations prior to the run-out version.
We’re talking about the mighty X308, of course. While not vastly different to the previous X300 on the surface, the big appeal of the X308 is that introduced eight-cylinder propulsion to Jaguar’s flagship saloon. Specifically, a then-new 4.0-litre supercharged V8 developing 370hp, 387lb ft of torque at 3,600rpm, and one heck of an exhaust note. Yes, yes, you could only have it with a Mercedes-sourced five-speed automatic gearbox, but that’s sort of the point of the XJR. Expeditiously fast when you’re running late to a meeting at the golf club; utterly effortless for the journey home.
Buying an XJR solely for its cornering ability is a bit like replacing a Lotus Elise with a Porsche Cayenne. That being said, Jaguar did at least try to keep the X308’s 1,775kg kerbweight in check with stiffer suspension, bigger brakes and wider wheels. Those wanting an even more focused drive could spec the R1 pack on later models, featuring even beefier brakes from Brembo and a suspension tweak. But if you’re after the crème de la crème of XJRs, then we’ve got just the thing for you.
Built to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Jaguar co-founder and all-round motoring legend Sir William Lyons, the XJR 100 featured all the performance upgrades of the R1 pack plus a bunch of a host of visual changes to set it apart from the base car. Namely, bespoke birdseye maple veneer (these things are important in the XJ world), which is paired up with a charcoal leather interior with contrasting red stitching. XJR 100s were only available in Anthracite for that extra lethal look, though the easiest way to tell them apart from a regular R is that they were fitted with 19-inch multi-piece BBS wheels.
Jaguar limited production to just 500 units worldwide, of which 82 are said to have been earmarked for the British market. That makes this example exceptionally rare, making the asking price of £14,995 seem all the more tempting. Don’t be put off by the claimed 110,000 miles. This XJR 100 has been with the same owner for the past 11 years and looks to have been kept in top condition, with the ad listing only minor work such as a new power steering pump last year. If well looked after, these V8 Jaguars can go on for many more miles without major upset. Even if the XJ name never returns, we’ll still have corkers like this to keep the legacy alive.
SPECIFICATION | JAGUAR XJR 100 (X308)
Engine: 3,996cc V8, supercharged
Transmission: 5-speed automatic, rear-wheel drive
Power (hp): 370@6,150rpm
Torque (lb ft): 387@3,600rpm
MPG: 22
CO2: 313g/km
Year registered: 2001
Recorded mileage: 110,000
Price new: £50,675 (standard X308)
Yours for: £14,995
I'd only want to pay half that for a wildcard that I could try to tell-the-wife-it-was-£2k sort of car. I bet this no doubt needs some spendy maintenance too. Think you'd have to really want one of these and specifically be in the market for one to pay this sort of money.
The XJR 100 is a great all round package indeed: The looks, the performance, it has got it all.
Also credit to the late Geoff Lawson who was responsible for the restrained yet perfectly executed exterior design.
Things to watch out for: Best to buy one without sunroof (cleaner looks), the Brembo discs are quite expensive if replacement is necessary and the grey birdseye maple tends to turn greenish if left exposed in sunlight for too often. Otherwise, buy the best you can afford. The one featured here looks like a good one.
Some of the original press shots. There is really hardly a bad angle of that car:
"... it`s good to be bad !"
So whilst this looks great here are 2 cheaper alternatives,
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202302174...
and
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202207027...
The key risk with these as all cars of the era is rust and significant works in the past doesn't mean more not needed in the future
Mechanically solid cars as all early AJ-V8 issues resolved with these late cars
The Montreal wheels are lovely to look at but they do slightly degrade the ride compared to the normal 18" wheels
Lovely, lovely cars and the XJR-100's a just that tad more special due to their unique and rare position
My experience is that they ride like crap on these very large wheels though, despite how good they look. The X308 was never a magic carpet like the X300 on that front, which itself was never quite as good as the XJ40. They're an awful lot of fun to drive fast once you tune into the smooth inputs, controlling the shifting mass of the car, and trusting that it won't let you down.
But you need to recognise that "may" in the line above, the killer for these is the rust at either end of the sills. I did an old one up during last summer, a none S/C V8, and the sills and surrounding floor areas at either end were either missing or starting ot get a bit holey. I managed to do enough repairs to get an MOT and moved it on sharpish.
But even without the S/C it was a lovely car to waft around in.
But with the S/C they really were something special!
But, I would be more than happy with a late 90s Black XJR, Ivory Leather, with black carpets, dash and piano black wood trim with 18" Penta wheels. To my eyes, that is one of the best-looking Jaguars ever made.
The one thing for me though was that they seemed to me to be powerful and handled well with good control but didn't seem so happy to be made stiff and get the big wheel treatment. It's a bit like the E39 never seemed quite as correct when hit with an M spec. Jags USP was surely the soothing pace thing that just fell out of favour when everyone wanted even low powered cars to be suspended like a touring car or turned into an SUV. So I would love to drive one of these to see if the essence that I see as 'Jag' is lost. (oddly the 's' line XJ40s did work ok, but the word 'sport was perhaps a little optimistic.
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