RE: Sub-£10k super-saloons

[groomi]

Has any research been carried out for this article at all?...

Jaguar XJR -- Brute in a suit
Let’s start with the gloriously undervalued Jaguar XJR. I’m talking about the ‘X308’ model...(So why show a picture of the X300?)

It was the first Jag to stuff a V8 beneath the bubble bonnet...(No it wasn't, that was the XK8)...a revised dashboard...(A completely new interior and what about all the suspension changes?)

I owned several 1990 4.0-litre Jag XJ40s and loved them, but their Achilles' heel was always the Ford/Jag parts bin electronic dashboards...(XJ40 was designed before Ford took control, and the dodgy electronic dashboard was fixed and changed under their tenure)

Sifting through the Internet found me this nine-year-old XJR that’s perfectly useable on a daily basis. For under £3,000...(You are having a laugh - try double that for an early high-miler)...Most clean examples tend to linger between the £3,500 and £5,000 mark....(No, they're the rough ones, though where you find them for under £5k, or even £6k I have no idea)...and, if you fancy a supercharged straight-six version, go for a mid-90s ‘X300’ XJR which can be netted for even less...(Not for less than £3k!)

I do love these news articles, but on a site such as this surely a bit of research or prior knowledge would be worthwhile?

Regards,

Frustrated of Orpington

Edited by groomi on Sunday 21st January 11:06

[KUB3]

It depend whether you want a decent example, or just to smoke around the block once. I sold an ancient XJS coupe for 3500 a year ago, so these newer cars should be at least double that for the same condition.

[Crazy Don]

Years while shopping for a Sierra estate to cart the family around spotted a SAAB 9000 16v Turbo, 3 years old with 150,000 miles on the clock. Had full history which I checked out and bought it for 3.5k remembering at the time they were 27k new with options. I ran it for 70,000 miles servicing at indi SAAB man. Traded it in when service guy told me next service will need new discs, tyres, cam belts etc. Got 3k against demo V6 cavalier. The Cavalier cost more over 2 years than the SAAB which was a far better car which transported young family in great space and comfort over many high speed continental dashes. I now buy brand new vehicles through my business in Australia as expense is tax deductible but always fondly remember that SAAB as the best car deal I ever did.

[turbo tim]

groomi said:

Has any research been carried out for this article at all?...

...
...

Regards,

Frustrated of Orpington

OK, I was going to bite my tongue, but seeing as you're having a go, mind if I join in?

Lotus Carlton -- Original bad boy
Only 320 badged as Vauxhalls were ever made. badged as 'Lotus' surely....

Today, values sway between £12k and £20k. There’s one for sale on the Piston Heads forum now. Piston Heads classifieds possibly??



Regards,

Picky of Pontypridd

Edited by turbo tim on Sunday 21st January 13:44

Edited by turbo tim on Sunday 21st January 18:38

[seddi3.6]

Lotus Carlton by far the best super saloon in my mind. That car has turned more heads than anythin i have ever owned and i have had some pretty nice motors over the years. The parts arnt as bad to source as people say if you look in the right places insurance is good £600 clasic car and perfomance is mind blowing for a saloon and it does look better than all them cars on the list. I know its not everyones cup of tea but that car can still cut it with the best of todays supersaloons performance wise

[tom7]

Lotus Carlton -- Original bad boy
Only 320 badged as Vauxhalls were ever made. badged as 'Lotus' surely....

Nope, most of them were badged as Opels

[jimbeaux]

Check the XJR a little down this page:

www.paretti.com/batonrouge/Pages/preowned/brouge_used.html

Edited by jimbeaux on Monday 22 January 20:41

[Sharief]

tomtvr said:

Road_Terrorist said:

chippy17 said:

the new M5 granted is too lairy.

It looks identical to a 535d.

Only way you can really tell are exhaust pipes, front wing vent with M5 badge, lack of fog lights and badge, and you have to be really looking to notice all that. This does give the impression there are more of them around though, same with other M5s, they look so similar to the standard 5 series the shape is common to your eye, and because they sell zillions more 5 series than Audi A8s the S8 seems rarer.

Also the from bumper is one piece on the M5 rather than the bottom piece being seperate on the Sport models. I agree though i am a bit of a BMW buff and it does take a second glance to be sure. In that respect though in a way it does make the M5 discreet because every other 5 series seems to have the M kit anyway.

No-one else tells it from the wing mirrors, then? No?

Oh well.

[carsnapper]

seddi3.6 said:

by far the best super saloon in my mind. That car has turned more heads than anythin i have ever owned and i have had some pretty nice motors over the years. The parts arnt as bad to source as people say if you look in the right places insurance is good £600 clasic car and perfomance is mind blowing for a saloon and it does look better than all them cars on the list. I know its not everyones cup of tea but that car can still cut it with the best of todays supersaloons performance wise

I agree...i remember having just got a new Griffith 500 about 6 years ago and I had just finished running it in and I was on the look out for a race. I was coming up the slip road of the A316 on to the M3 early one summer morning, looked in the rear view mirror and saw what I thought was some chav in a 'body kitted' Vauxhall about 2 inches from my rear bumper who obviously wanted to play....so I thought i'd teach him a lesson... I was in second gear at around 55MPH right in the V8's torque range, I let him know that I was up for it with a nod, he got up to speed and we nailed it. The roads were deserted and we were slamming through the gears, at somewhere around 140MPH the front end of the Griff began to get alarming light and wander around a bit (yikes!) so I backed off checking the mirror first, he was nowhere to be seen. Take that chav, I thought...as he shot by my near side accelerating from 140mph as if it was just warming up!! He changed up as he cut back in front of me, waste gate chattering, splattering little specks of oil all over the screen of the TVR. Needless to say I felt like a twit, gave him the thumbs up, grinning like an idiot I watched that Lotus Carlton vanish into the distance with the immortal number plate 450BHP!!! Brilliant. I sold the TVR on pistonheads classifieds a year later

[turbo-tastic]

Cant beleive no-ones mentioned any Jap cars

Sure the Europeans have got the super saloon thing right for quite some time now, and Jap cars are not the most inspiring places to sit, but if I were looking for a fast 4dr, it would be one of 2 choices

1) nissan Skyline R32 GTS-T.


2litre, 6cyl, single turbo. Can be bought from as little as £500 (up to about £3.5k) and with a few more spent on goodies can see the exciting side of 400bhp

Or a a twin turbo Aristo


3litre, 6cyl twin turbo from a Supra, plenty of gadgets and leather, and the one picture is currently for sale for £3k

Having owned an E34 (albeit a 525i SE) I'll never own another one. I spent 3 months trying to get the steering to feel as if the wheel was connected to the tyres via anything quicker than 2nd class post, and gave up in the end. Awful car, and has seriously tainted my previous love with large luxo barges

[NotNormal]

turbo tim said:

OK, I was going to bite my tongue, but seeing as you're having a go, mind if I join in?

Lotus Carlton -- Original bad boy
Only 320 badged as Vauxhalls were ever made. badged as 'Lotus' surely....

Today, values sway between £12k and £20k. There’s one for sale on the Piston Heads forum now. Piston Heads classifieds possibly??

Regards,
Picky of Pontypridd

While were on the subject then..... 284 were RHD Lotus Carlton's and 666 were LHD Lotus Omega's

They are indeed the daddy of all super saloons, but then I would say that being a tad biased

[dinkel]

I'm thinking mid-80s . . . I'm not that fond of electronics.

[justayellowbadge]

dinkel said:

I'm thinking mid-80s . . . I'm not that fond of electronics.

Here you go then, Albert.

[dinkel]

I thought we already understood eachother Rich

A truly great pair.

Are you going to make it for the Feb Fab Run? Which is the loudest?

[KUB3]

The Lotus Carlton is supposed to be one of the most unreliable ways to do 170 known to man. I suspect that will be the Lotus element.

[Harry Flashman]

I know someone with a Lotus Carlton. It is fabulous. But it breaks all the time. Just don’t, unless you have pots of cash and can pamper it.

My Pa ran a Quattroporte for a while. Fabulous, and that engine… But it broke all the time. Just don’t unless you have pots of cash and can pamper it.

I considered an E39 M5 as a nice, debadged, stealthy London car. But I didn’t really need a saloon, and after insurance/servicing/repair costs quote, I bought the Porsche, which is considerably cheaper to run, if rather slower.

[justayellowbadge]

dinkel said:

I thought we already understood eachother Rich

A truly great pair.

Are you going to make it for the Feb Fab Run? Which is the loudest?

Why, thank you kind sir!

Mondy is loudest, 8.32 sounds better.

Will be making an appearance on the Saturday I think. I'm flying on the Sunday unfortunately, but I'll be out to play on the Sat....

[dinkel]

Rich, did you get the Rari F1 ad thingy?

It's on the sat . . .

[dub lover]

HOW RIGHT YOU ARE BUGGER THE PASSAT ESTATE MY WIFFY WANT'S IM OFF TO BUY A JAG...............YEEEEEEEEEEEEHAAAAAAARRRRRRRR V8 POWER...

[D4V KC]

What a cool article, fantastic motors and that S8 looks the dogs dangleies. I'd love one, but would buy one if it had just had an MOT and service and then sell it on after 6 months in case it went wrong. That's £60K car when new that has big bills waiting to bankrupt me!