- coupe 154,000
- 1,302 below average
- 5,990 good
- Maiden, NC
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- autoshopper.com
- 1,302 below average coupe 154,000 green automatic
1997 jaguar xk8 review this car review is specific to this model, not the actual vehicle for sale. Sublime. introductionwhen ford acquired jaguar cars, ltd., in 1989, a veritable greek chorus of doomsayers lined up to forecast the demise of legendary make, which would surely follow its amalgamation into a great gray corporate monolith. events have obviously proved otherwise, and with the arrival of the stunning new jaguar xk8, we think it's time for those gloomy prophets to turn in their robes. Not only is jaguar back on track in terms of quality and reliability--a turnaround directly attributable to ford's stewardship--it's also back in the sports car business, the wellspring of jaguar legend. walkaroundconsidered from the heroic perspective, the xk8 arrives none too soon, because the legend was becoming somewhat brittle. Not counting the ill-starred xj220 supercar, jaguar's last real sports car--the sublime xk-e roadster--went out of production in 1974. The subsequent xj-s packed the prestige of a v12 engine, but it left a lot to be desired in terms of agility and balance, as well comfort and convenience. the xk8 isn't an xk-e. It lacks a manual transmission, for one thing. That notion went away with the last triumph tr-3. let's talk specifics. The foundation of the xk8 was the xj-s, but the rear-drive chassis has been stiffened and tweaked almost beyond recognition. Like most cars that characterize themselves as two-plus-two, the xk8's rear seat area is essentially a nicely upholstered parcel shelf. the xk8 has rear seating because jaguar product planners believe the demand for two-seaters is exactly equal to the market for eight-track cassettes. The xk8 isn't about passenger capacity. This is a jaguar engine, developed from scratch, and at 441 pounds the lightest in its class. That's pretty brisk for a car in this weight class--3673 pounds for the coupe, 3867 for the convertible--and the xk8's stopping power is just as brisk. stimulating acceleration is only half the story. The xk8 also delivers an inspired blend of ride and handling--decisive response combined with limited body roll, excellent weight distribution and impressive grip from its 17-inch pirelli p-zero tires. jaguar's chassis and suspension engineers have done exemplary work here. The xk8 has the supple feel the luxury market demands, but it also has the right-now reflexes that separate sporting machinery from ordinary cars. the key to this, as always, is chassis rigidity, and the index of how well the development team did its work is the convertible's handling performance. Through it all, the xk8 never missed a step. if we could add one thing to the xk8's dynamic recipe, it would be a manual transmission. Jaguar's j-gate automatic shifter allows the driver to select specific gears, but like all automatics and semi-automatics, it's just not the same. On the other hand, jaguar product planners feel there isn't enough demand in this market to justify the substantial investment required for a new manual transmission, and they're probably right. for all its back road competence, high-speed stability and high-tech power, the xk8's number one appeal is its head-turning good looks, a factor that figures high in the driving experience. If there's any fault to be found, it's in the color pallette, which doesn't include a true red but does include a couple other metallic hues--an electric blue and dark green olive--that seem inappropriate to us. aside from that, though, the xk8 ranks as one of the best-looking cars on the road. Amazing grace on wheels. naturally, the convertible got lots of attention in sunny santa barbara, particularly when we raised or lowered the top with the car in motion. the top--a power-operated affair (with a glass rear window) that latches itself automatically--will go up or down at speeds up to 10 mph. Jaguar has done a masterful job of meshing the spirit of a legendary past with the high-tech present.
5,990 Maiden, NCMaiden, NC at autoshopper.com