Discussion
A 4yr old XK means you will be buying the 4 litre model (all newer XK's and XJ's now use the new 4.2).
In XK8 form you have a very nice car with plenty of poke, in XKR form you have a supercar. The extra kick from the supercharger really does transform the car (something I didn't fully appreciate until I switched from an XK8 to an XJR)
Whichever you choose you will have a very rewarding car. Only things to look out for (from a non-tech perspective) are: ensure the bodywork is as close to faultless as possible, make sure it's got at least 18" alloys (the standard ones are ugly), ivory leather looks nice and adds a little to resale value, CATS suspension is a must, sat nav is not essential but again will add a little to resale value (but bear in mind that you lose the 3 lovely dials in the dash when this is fitted!)
Don't know about 911 rear seats but the Jag's are very small - only really for kids. This is mostly because there's no gap under the front seats - they fit flush with the floor so you can't put your feet under them.
In XK8 form you have a very nice car with plenty of poke, in XKR form you have a supercar. The extra kick from the supercharger really does transform the car (something I didn't fully appreciate until I switched from an XK8 to an XJR)
Whichever you choose you will have a very rewarding car. Only things to look out for (from a non-tech perspective) are: ensure the bodywork is as close to faultless as possible, make sure it's got at least 18" alloys (the standard ones are ugly), ivory leather looks nice and adds a little to resale value, CATS suspension is a must, sat nav is not essential but again will add a little to resale value (but bear in mind that you lose the 3 lovely dials in the dash when this is fitted!)
Don't know about 911 rear seats but the Jag's are very small - only really for kids. This is mostly because there's no gap under the front seats - they fit flush with the floor so you can't put your feet under them.
Just bought a late '96 XK8 - fantastic car!
Make sure you have the Blow-by check done at a Jag dealer/specialist(£40 well spent). While they are doing that, you can check to see the state of the suspension bushes at the same - XK8's tend to chew through these apparently. Listen for rattle after start up - could be chain tensioners, which is expensive...but not as much as a new engine if they fail!!
Apart from all the usual second hand buying tips, try out the owners club for advice at:
www.xk8xkrenthusiastsclub.com
they were very helpful.
Best of luck!
Rgds
Make sure you have the Blow-by check done at a Jag dealer/specialist(£40 well spent). While they are doing that, you can check to see the state of the suspension bushes at the same - XK8's tend to chew through these apparently. Listen for rattle after start up - could be chain tensioners, which is expensive...but not as much as a new engine if they fail!!
Apart from all the usual second hand buying tips, try out the owners club for advice at:
www.xk8xkrenthusiastsclub.com
they were very helpful.
Best of luck!
Rgds
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