- 109,454
- 2,700 below average
- 9,999 great
- Orlando, FL
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- autoshopper.com
- 2,700 below average 109,454 grey automatic
2005 jaguar xk8 review this car review is specific to this model, not the actual vehicle for sale. Its styling remains contemporary because it's so classically sleek and gorgeous, while mechanical and electronic upgrades, along with some sheetmetal tweaks, have enabled the big jag to keep pace with the competition. Although not much if any competition exists, because the car is pretty much in a class by itself. Not really because of its engineering (power, handling and brakes), but because of its exclusivity. Its jaguar-ness. the xk is a powerful sports car with two-plus-two seating and accommodations that are more luxury than sporty. It looks and feels like a luxury car inside, handles like a tight luxury sports coupe or convertible. Even the supercharged xkr, despite its 400 horsepower and brutally fast stance, can't be considered a fully track-worthy sports car because of the automatic transmission, not even with its heritage or its big brembo brakes. And while it looks like the ultimate sports car, it feels like a cross between a british gentleman's coupe and a big ol' american stock car. but maybe that's missing the point. Its lithe lines are breathtaking. Mild styling revisions freshen the xk models for 2005, but jaguar knew not to tinker too much with its work of art. Inside is a forest of rich burl walnut and leather. In some ways, it feels more luxurious than the xj, jaguar's flagship luxury sedan. Yet unlike luxury cars overburdened by technology and menu-driven commands, the xk is refreshingly easy to operate, with clearly marked buttons. The supercharged xkr is also available as coupe 81,330) or convertible 86,330). they all come with a 4. 2-liter, 32-valve, 90-degree v8 with aluminum block, heads and pistons, and a six-speed automatic transmission; both engine and transmission were introduced for 2003. The xkr, which jaguar also likes to call the super v8 4. 2, adds an eaton roots type supercharger which boosts horsepower to 390 and torque to a tire-smoking 399. The xkr also uses more deluxe 18-inch alloy wheels, and bigger ventilated brake rotors (14 inches vs. 12. 8 inches); not only bigger, but they're the famous italian brembos, with floating aluminum calipers. Also standard on the xkr are a computer-controlled active suspension that's unavailable for the xk8, and a dvd navigation system and xenon headlamps, which are $2400 and $675 options on the xk8. For the xk8 only, there are 19-inch alloy wheels 1200). Italian designers seem to get the credit for being the masters of sensuous automotive shaping, but there is no italian shape that can touch the xk8, or, for that matter, the occasional aston-martin coupes, also british, also now owned by ford. The three-dimensional depth of the smooth bulges needs to be seen for the sensuality to be felt. From the a-pillars forward to the open oval mouth, the fender lines look like the shoulders and arms of a muscular female swimmer diving perfectly into the pool to begin her race. There's a single horizontal chrome bar in the open oval mouth. The front bumper/dam is invisible, as if the nose of the car were molded; one short, slim seam trails back from the headlamps to the wheelwells, marking the only separation of bumper and hood. The xkr features a larger spoiler. the nose, tail and side sills are all revised for 2005, but few will notice; jaguar was wise enough not to mess with near-perfection. The sills are deeper, so from the rear there's an evident v shape, with the sides tapering down from door-handle level. It all seems to flow back to the tail, fattening as it goes but not making the car look fat; in fact, the tail seems to sharpen again, a brilliant design effect. that long tail contains a capacious trunk for a sports car, and inside the steeply sloped rear window can be seen a big tray behind the headrests of the rear seats, indicating more length. One can only imagine what the xk8 would look like, and handle like, if there were no jump seats at all. The space behind the front seats could be used for storage and the trunk, and many inches could be chopped off the long tail with its long overhang. But the coupe would then lose that stunning sense of proportion, wouldn't it?. interiormaybe the best thing about the interior is that everything thing is operated by old-fashioned and clearly marked buttons; and not only that, but they're good buttons. No menus, no touch-screens, no confusion, no doubt about function, just a panel full of buttons on the center stack. Even the dvd navigation, on a tidy small screen, uses buttons. overall, maybe ironically but maybe not, the xk interior feels more luxury-oriented than the flagship xj sedan. It's all the burl walnut, and especially the seats. The xj seats are both lusher and sportier, with more bolstering; the xk seats, as often criticized since 1996, are too hard and especially too flat. The driver slides around in them during hard cornering. This is a case where springing for the optional recaro seats makes sense, even for two grand. It feels like a luxury car steering wheel, so we'd love to see the optional performance steering wheel and momo shift knob, for $300. We'd probably go for it. Anything to get the xk8 feeling more like a sports car than a luxury car. In that mood, we'd also like to wipe out the vast expanse of dark walnut on the dash, and replace it with brushed aluminum. The driver's left knee can't even touch the door, while his right knee comes in comfortable contact with the tunnel that's padded by the leather. The 5-foot, 10-inch driver only had to slide his seat forward a couple inches, so he wasn't too cramped, and the kids found room for their knees and feet. And there was plenty of room for groceries in the trunk. Child seat tethers are standard. driving impressionwe tested the xk8 coupe for one week, after spending one good day in the new long-wheelbase jaguar xj sedan. Let it be boss, and don't try to argue with it. It's a likable beast. It's fun to drive fast, even if it's not terribly precise. The xk8 doesn't have a very long wheelbase despite its overall length. it even sounds like a stock car. The difference is really extreme, a clark kent/superman kind of thing, and it's nice. Cruise Control✔ Leather Seats✔ Navigation System✔ Alloy Wheels
9,999 Orlando, FLOrlando, FL at autoshopper.com