Ownership

The Original Owner purchased the Jaguar in March 2001 from H.A Fox Jaguar Worcester in March 2001 & was under his possession until 2007. The second owner had the Jaguar from 2007 until late 2012, Third Owner from 2012 to 2014. The Last Owner acquired the vehicle in October 2014, looking after it until autumn 2017. Now This Big Cat is looking for a caring new home.

Servicing & Maintenance

As previously mentioned this XK8 has a history file of over £8200 in Maintenance & Service receipts. Boasting 14 Services, 7 Jaguar Main Dealers (Inc. PDI) & 7 Independent Specialists with the last service & maintenance being carried at a cost of over £400. There are also previous MOT certificates.

Specification

As you’d expect from the ‘best of British’, virtually every creature comfort you can think of is included; 10-way Electrically Operated Heated Front Seats with Drivers Memory, Electrically Operated Adjustable Multi-Function Leather & Wood Steering Wheel, Climate Control, Stereo Radio System with Cassette & 6 disc CD Player, Electric Ariel,  Auto-Lights, Rain-Sensing Wipers, Cruise Control, Electric Windows, Electric Door Mirrors, Auto-Dimming Rear View Mirror, Trip Computer, Multi Airbags, Puddle Lights, Rear Parking Sensors & Much More.

Brief History

Jaguar is a part of British tradition. Just the mention of the marque evokes visions of classics such as the E-type & XK120 – cars that are rarely seen but live on in the memory. This reputation has been continued in recent years by the glorious XK8. This superb Grand Tourer, in every way a Jaguar as well as being a world class sports car. It was good enough to trounce the likes of BMW, Porsche & Mercedes that dominated this market for over 20 years.

The XK8’s (project code X100) stunning design was created by Geoff Lawson & was launched in 1996. It was the first generation of a new XK series & shared a XJS platform with the Aston Martin DB7, both cars tracing back in their history to an abandoned Jaguar development study from the mid-1980s, known as XJ41/XJ42, being mooted as the F-Type.

Compared to the old XJ-S, the XK8 body is 25% stiffer & with a powertrain stiffer than any other in the class. It’s not surprising that the XK8 feels a taut & very agile sports car.

The XK8 also features only the fourth all-new engine in Jaguar’s entire history. This 32-valve V8, betters Lexus, BMW & Mercedes Benz in all the crucial areas; power, performance & efficiency. It also costs less to maintain. Better still, it is partnered to an astonishingly smooth five-speed automatic gearbox that changes ratios so imperceptibly that you hardly notice. Set it in ‘Sport’ mode, floor the throttle & you’ll be hitting 60mph in just 6.4 seconds as it aims towards its limited top speed of 155mph. The supercharged 370bhp XKR, makes rest to 60mph in just 5.2 seconds. There’s no manual transmission or Semi -Automatic type systems, just the familiar ‘J’-shaped gearbox gate that enables you to enjoy almost all the same benefits. With excellent visibility the car seems to wrap itself around you, it is immensely user-friendly & again remarkably agile around the tightest of country lanes.

The earliest cars are recognisable by the lack of a third rear brake light, as this additional safety feature was not added until May 1997. In late 1997, Jaguar added light sensitive headlamps & an automatically dipping rear view mirror. In May 1998, the XK8 models were joined by the XKR Coupe & Convertible with a more potent supercharged version of the 4.0-litre AJ-V8 as used in the XJR saloon. Four months later, all versions were given an improved Servotronic II power steering system. From late 1999, the range also gained the option of a clever radar-operated cruise control which automatically prevents the car getting too close to a vehicle in front. The 2001 year models had minor styling changes including revised rear light clusters & new round front fog lamps. Inside, the main improvement was the passenger restraint system, which was able to sense where both front seat occupants were sitting & activate accordingly. Summer 2001 saw the launch of the XKR100 in both coupe & convertible, celebrating what would have been the centenary of Sir William Lyons, the founder of Jaguar. Only 500 examples of this highly sought after modern classic were created. Summer 2002 the engines were enlarged to 4.2-litres, generating 300bhp with the XKR developing 400bhp. Jaguar also revised the front end by adding Xenon clear lens headlamps & also introduced new paint schemes, different badging & a new choice of alloy wheels. There were more changes in spring 2004 with bigger wheels, bigger spoilers & a revised nose (Didn’t they do this with the late models of the E-Type?!). An all new XK coupe & convertible range arrived in early 2006 spelling the end for the beautiful long-serving XK8 model.

So, the Jaguar XK8 has the looks to die for, the most elegant & luxurious of interiors, with the performance to back it all up. Who says they don’t make them like they use too! It’s the best of British Power & Grace, which must make this Big Cat a serious contender for being very sort after & a classic of the future.