Discussion
After a short time with an XF SV8 a few years back (4.2 Supercharged V8) I've always wanted to sample the delights of an XFR. Over a year in a wafty X350 XJ Tdvi only made me want one more- so I started hunting for something suitable late last year. Really wanted a dark colour with ivory leather and the Bowers and Wilkins sound system and DAB. It had to be an approved used to ensure I could get any niggly issues sorted (something I experienced a lot with the SV8).
Struggled to get something within spec/budget/mileage til eventually I spotted something in Maidstone. Few emails, a hefty chunk knocked off the asking price and an agreed value for the diseasel later I made the trek from Leeds yesterday - in the midst of some epic weather.
My only other experience buying from a dealer was less than satisfactory but I have to say this time they really went to town:
Car covered up in a roped off section inside. All books etc available to inspect. Fresh MOT, Service, two new rear tyres and a years warranty thrown into the deal.
Cover was whipped off to reveal:
Had a good nosy round every nook and cranny, went for a spin, all absolutely spot on. Tight as a drum having covered 21 thousand miles in four years. So I exchanged the requisite funds and signed over the XJ and hit the road.
250 miles, copious amounts of horrendous weather and a few awful jams on the M1 later I made it home.
I loved how shiny and clean it looked at the dealers but covered in road grime and crap from the journey back it just looks awesome. It has a few bits I'm not totally sold on, like the wheels and the bonnet vents, but they gave me the standard vents with the car so can always swap back. The wheels will most likely be swapped for the five spoke Volans from the SV8 in due course.
Impressions from the first day or so are a car that seems to have a split personality. Fells comfortable pootling around in town but if you prod the go faster pedal you get almost comic acceleration, seemingly in any gear and at any speed. Coming from a Diesel its mind bendingly rapid. The Fuel tank is laughably small, and despite expectations it managed a respectable 27mpg on the run home. Round town it seems to be around 17mpg.
Wheels aside the plan is to drive it as is. My younger brother (who you may know from a certain sheddy white MX5) is lobbying for a Spires exhaust system and that may come in due course. For now I'm basking in the warm glow of owning a phenomenal car.
Struggled to get something within spec/budget/mileage til eventually I spotted something in Maidstone. Few emails, a hefty chunk knocked off the asking price and an agreed value for the diseasel later I made the trek from Leeds yesterday - in the midst of some epic weather.
My only other experience buying from a dealer was less than satisfactory but I have to say this time they really went to town:
Car covered up in a roped off section inside. All books etc available to inspect. Fresh MOT, Service, two new rear tyres and a years warranty thrown into the deal.
Cover was whipped off to reveal:
Had a good nosy round every nook and cranny, went for a spin, all absolutely spot on. Tight as a drum having covered 21 thousand miles in four years. So I exchanged the requisite funds and signed over the XJ and hit the road.
250 miles, copious amounts of horrendous weather and a few awful jams on the M1 later I made it home.
I loved how shiny and clean it looked at the dealers but covered in road grime and crap from the journey back it just looks awesome. It has a few bits I'm not totally sold on, like the wheels and the bonnet vents, but they gave me the standard vents with the car so can always swap back. The wheels will most likely be swapped for the five spoke Volans from the SV8 in due course.
Impressions from the first day or so are a car that seems to have a split personality. Fells comfortable pootling around in town but if you prod the go faster pedal you get almost comic acceleration, seemingly in any gear and at any speed. Coming from a Diesel its mind bendingly rapid. The Fuel tank is laughably small, and despite expectations it managed a respectable 27mpg on the run home. Round town it seems to be around 17mpg.
Wheels aside the plan is to drive it as is. My younger brother (who you may know from a certain sheddy white MX5) is lobbying for a Spires exhaust system and that may come in due course. For now I'm basking in the warm glow of owning a phenomenal car.
Thought I would update this after a year of ownership for my own records if nothing else.
12 months on the initial impression still holds true, it has a split personality, comfy seats, smooth auto box, mountains of torque means if you want to take it easy it is a really nice place to be. But if you want to press on, the engine dominates proceedings, and at 50 ish at 3000 rpm when you press down on the throttle the acceleration is difficult to comprehend - 12 months on I still let out an involuntary giggle when I am on my own!
Reliability wise there haven't been any major issues. A couple of punctures, one which required a new front tyre, and a set of rear pads were required over the last 12 months, and I have had a couple of random fault codes which cleared themselves up. It sailed through it's MOT and no issues were detected during it's first service in my ownership last week. One of the fault codes related to the gearbox, and having had ZF/Jag box issues in the past I was pleased when the dealership servicing it reported back that all was well and the code was due to a software update which they had performed.
The only other major costs were a parking ding on a rear wheel arch (due to my wife reversing out of the driveway as I was pulling in meaning I had to take evasive action, and a set of winter tyres which I thought prudent given I have a 30 mile daily commute and it is my only car.
The interior has held up really well despite my almost 4 year old little monster doing his best to stain smear and soil all manner of materials into the back seats - this was after a day trip to the sea side:
I managed to put on 15,000 miles in the past year. Highlights included a couple of spirited drives up in North Yorkshire, including one with some other PH'ers in a convoy of some very tasty metal:
As part of the day job I also got to go and have a look round the Jaguar factory in Brum and have a look at the F type line which meant the old girl got to go "home":
Despite my intention to keep on top keeping it clean I have only washed/waxed it a couple of times in my ownership, most of the time I have relied on the local £5 handwash so although swirled the paint does come out quite nicely with a bit of effort:
Although to be honest I think it looks just as good when it is filthy:
The only negatives to report are minor niggles. The touchscreen is a touch too laggy for me and the Sat Nav isn't the best, I find the paddles a little bit too small for my liking and despite the fact that the Engine dominates proceedings it is just too muted from within the Cabin. A set of Varex back boxes may be the solution.
I didn't like the wheel design when I first got the car and I am still not totally won over but will stick with them for the time being. Also the fact that it wasn't originally spec'd with a rear diffuser annoys me so I may just retrofit that at some point in the next year or so.
So this is how she stands after 12 months in my ownership;
Still not bored of it, and I honestly can't think of anything else that nails the performance/prestige/comfort/practicality compromise I need from my only car.
12 months on the initial impression still holds true, it has a split personality, comfy seats, smooth auto box, mountains of torque means if you want to take it easy it is a really nice place to be. But if you want to press on, the engine dominates proceedings, and at 50 ish at 3000 rpm when you press down on the throttle the acceleration is difficult to comprehend - 12 months on I still let out an involuntary giggle when I am on my own!
Reliability wise there haven't been any major issues. A couple of punctures, one which required a new front tyre, and a set of rear pads were required over the last 12 months, and I have had a couple of random fault codes which cleared themselves up. It sailed through it's MOT and no issues were detected during it's first service in my ownership last week. One of the fault codes related to the gearbox, and having had ZF/Jag box issues in the past I was pleased when the dealership servicing it reported back that all was well and the code was due to a software update which they had performed.
The only other major costs were a parking ding on a rear wheel arch (due to my wife reversing out of the driveway as I was pulling in meaning I had to take evasive action, and a set of winter tyres which I thought prudent given I have a 30 mile daily commute and it is my only car.
The interior has held up really well despite my almost 4 year old little monster doing his best to stain smear and soil all manner of materials into the back seats - this was after a day trip to the sea side:
I managed to put on 15,000 miles in the past year. Highlights included a couple of spirited drives up in North Yorkshire, including one with some other PH'ers in a convoy of some very tasty metal:
As part of the day job I also got to go and have a look round the Jaguar factory in Brum and have a look at the F type line which meant the old girl got to go "home":
Despite my intention to keep on top keeping it clean I have only washed/waxed it a couple of times in my ownership, most of the time I have relied on the local £5 handwash so although swirled the paint does come out quite nicely with a bit of effort:
Although to be honest I think it looks just as good when it is filthy:
The only negatives to report are minor niggles. The touchscreen is a touch too laggy for me and the Sat Nav isn't the best, I find the paddles a little bit too small for my liking and despite the fact that the Engine dominates proceedings it is just too muted from within the Cabin. A set of Varex back boxes may be the solution.
I didn't like the wheel design when I first got the car and I am still not totally won over but will stick with them for the time being. Also the fact that it wasn't originally spec'd with a rear diffuser annoys me so I may just retrofit that at some point in the next year or so.
So this is how she stands after 12 months in my ownership;
Still not bored of it, and I honestly can't think of anything else that nails the performance/prestige/comfort/practicality compromise I need from my only car.
It's not too bad on fuel in my opinion- 17-19 around town depending on how I drive and 25-27 on a run. Being a pre facelift it has the older 6 speed box so not as good as the later models. As for residuals it's an old jag so not expecting much, but from others that are on sale at the moment it doesn't seem to have dropped like a stone.
The first significant modification has been made. 
Mina Gallery Stainless Steel exhausts courtesy of Ebay. Wanted a set of Spires boxes originally but these were too good to turn down in terms of price.
The sound is nice and meaty, a slight drone around 2000rpm but it has certainly opened up the voice of the V8.I do find myself travelling via a lot more tunnels than before
https://vimeo.com/157043105
Gave it a wash and a clean, it definitely adds a bit of visual aggression to the back end
Finally a couple of snaps with my younger brothers V8
Mina Gallery Stainless Steel exhausts courtesy of Ebay. Wanted a set of Spires boxes originally but these were too good to turn down in terms of price.
The sound is nice and meaty, a slight drone around 2000rpm but it has certainly opened up the voice of the V8.I do find myself travelling via a lot more tunnels than before
https://vimeo.com/157043105
Gave it a wash and a clean, it definitely adds a bit of visual aggression to the back end
Finally a couple of snaps with my younger brothers V8
Your XFR looks great
The sound of a supercharger and a V8 must be addictive
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fa5ivpJwmIQ
The sound of a supercharger and a V8 must be addictive
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fa5ivpJwmIQ
Took advantage of a Rolling Road day at RS Tuning in Leeds over the weekend to see if the exhausts and filter panels had added any horses (or indeed taken any away). Must admit was a tad apprehensive as the car was strapped down...
But I was more than happy with the result:
Surreal to think I have that much power in my daily driver.
I've now clocked up almost 20000 miles since buying the car last January. I appear to be piling on the miles much more quickly than I had expected. But it is working faultlessly and now with the sound of the V8 turned up a few notches, it is pretty much perfect. A Spires mid section may come along in due course but as tempted as I am to find some way of adding 6.6 bhp to get to a nice even round number, I doubt I will be chasing any more power.
But I was more than happy with the result:
Surreal to think I have that much power in my daily driver.
I've now clocked up almost 20000 miles since buying the car last January. I appear to be piling on the miles much more quickly than I had expected. But it is working faultlessly and now with the sound of the V8 turned up a few notches, it is pretty much perfect. A Spires mid section may come along in due course but as tempted as I am to find some way of adding 6.6 bhp to get to a nice even round number, I doubt I will be chasing any more power.
I got given the standard vents by the dealer when I bought the car so thought I would fit them as a bit of a change. Changing the vents and swapping the air filters out for K&N items is about the limit of my mechanical skills!
Also toying with the idea of having all the chrome on the car wrapped in black or brushed chrome effect vinyl to make it look a touch more stealthy so took them off to see how easy it is to wrap the chrome bits.
Also toying with the idea of having all the chrome on the car wrapped in black or brushed chrome effect vinyl to make it look a touch more stealthy so took them off to see how easy it is to wrap the chrome bits.
There are lots of reports that the engine is underrated from the factory and others have seen 530-545ish bhp in stock form. Comparing figures with my brother and his ISF which was on the same rolling road on the same day we suspect the figure is optimistic by about 10bhp. So the gains from the exhaust and filters I'm guessing are more like 40-45bhp which seems reasonable to me. It is f
ing quick whichever way you measure it 
ing quick whichever way you measure it Gassing Station | Readers' Cars | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff