2008 Jaguar XJ Super V8 Road Test Review
XJ Super V8 Photos
I don’t know about you, but I have a number of favorite cars, a sort of top-10 list that forever jumbles around in my mind, with some models moving up the pecking order and others down depending on my mood, immediate need, or some other stimuli. Although the list is a lot longer than 10, and I’ve had a car or more enter that list only to get booted off after owning or driving it or just having it stay there for so long that it became dated and slipped into the abyss of my much maligned memory.
On my list are three Jaguars, the most desirable a toss-up between a pre-’67 E-Type, with its beautiful enclosed headlamps and 3.8-liter straight-six, in fixed head coupe form preferably, and a late ‘50s to early ‘60s era Mk.II saloon, quite possibly the best executed four-door of its time and prettier than anything since. The Series 3 XJ came pretty close to upstaging it though, and through the years has aged marvelously. It’s on the list too, and I’d probably go for one of the last 100 made in model year 1992, V12-powered and adorned with a brass plaque on the glove box door, console or omitted (it was not mandatory) and, surprisingly, only sold in Canada. Pity.
When I bought my first Jaguar it was a pre-owned 1990 XJ40 Sovereign, not as pretty as the Series 3, but wonderful to drive and perfectly reliable other than the rear shocks and their constantly depleting mineral oil supply. Actually, compared to the three BMWs I’d owned prior, the Jaguar was bulletproof (not literally… although, if that matters to you, you can pick up an armor plated one pretty cheap in Sao Paulo). Actually, I’m sitting in a funky open-air bar next to Av. Brg. Faria Lima in Sao Paulo right now, having just seen a late model Series 3 drive by, reminding me that I’d better get this story finished before Jaguar stops selling 2008 models and my time spent with the car becomes moot. What a beautifully elegant design, the Series 3 I mean, with ideal dimensions for a large car and perfectly balanced proportions.
The X300 series cars (X300, X305, X308) that ran from ‘95 to ‘03 were a step backwards in that they looked much closer to the Series 3 XJs, and sold very well for doing so, although they weren’t heavily changed under the skin. The interior was nice, as always, and overall refinement up, but as attractive as it was it still fell short of the Series 3’s visual grace.
And then Jaguar launched the all-new X350 in 2003 as a 2003.5 model, complete with a state-of-the-art stressed aluminum monocoque/chassis bonded together with aerospace-grade epoxy adhesives and 3,200 self-piercing rivets, plus much more advanced componentry. But as brilliant as the engineering was I just happened to be at the auto show reveal, and remember having trouble making out the new model from the previous one, at least at first. You can’t really blame Jaguar for wanting to stick with a tried and true design that was universally loved, but hardly straying from the X300 meant that new luxury buyers, wanting the latest and greatest, and most importantly wanting their friends, colleagues and passersby to know they were driving the latest and greatest, didn’t get a lot of bang for their image buck. Not surprisingly, Jaguar’s XJ faithful bought the car, and equally assured, the brand didn’t have much success attracting new luxury buyers to the model, despite the many improvements over its predecessor and competitive edge over its German rivals. The rest, including Jaguar’s continually slowing sales and eventual relegation to the bottom of Ford’s priority list, is history, although that slow decline has ironically given the brand new life.
The new Jaguar, now purchased by Mumbai, India industrialist Ratan Tata, Chairman of Tata Motors, should still enjoy fresh investment and a renewed focus on global markets despite the current economic downturn. Although financial markets are in disarray, and Tata is hardly un-bruised, it’s a powerful company with deep pockets and even more important, much to prove on the global stage. Most Westerners don’t give India credit, not realizing how large its middle class is and just how much wealth is generated there. India shocked those not familiar with its space program by sending a mission to the moon a few days ago, stirring pride in Indian nationals and expats the world over, and in the same way Tata wants to show those chagrined that the storied Jaguar marque, beleaguered after decades of British and US mismanagement, is now Indian owned, will thrive under his tutelage. It’s a question of pride.
Fortunately for Ratan and company, Jaguar handed over some strong assets. Its new XF is a good seller, pointing the brand in a totally new and exceptionally appealing direction, while its XK sports cars are as beautiful as they’ve been since the XKE, and stunningly good drivers to boot. And while the XJ is the oldest of the lot, and therefore an anachronism by default, it’s still a superb car besting its German and Japanese competition in many respects, especially in supercharged XJR trim or better yet, the Super V8 in these pictures.
I picked up my Liquid Silver SV8 from the front of my Monterey, California hotel and headed for the hills, knowing a few serpentine mountain roads close by that would suit a sport sedan like this to a tee. Settling in, I’d forgotten how resplendent the cabin is, this particular car not all that different in visual feel at least to my old burl ensconced Sovereign that I enjoyed so much day to day in what now seems like a previous life. Mine was swathed in gray leather, while this car featured black, in a much more supple grain and perforated for effective cooling.
The same J-gate shifter sits in about the same location on the lower console, although now it’s much more capable of rowing through the gears than before, and its six-speed automatic transmission is a dream in comparison and equal to most of its rivals for refinement and shift speed.
It connects to a much more sophisticated powerplant than my old car’s four-speed transmission did, eight cylinders strong, rather than six, but still 4.2 liters in displacement. The regular 4.2, at 300-horsepower and 310 lb-ft of torque is pretty strong and good enough for most luxury buyers. The Super V8 designation, just like the XJR, adds another 100-horsepower and an additional 103 lb-ft of torque for a total of 400 and 413 respectively, found at 6,100 and 3,500 rpm. And believe me, it moves. Not only is the engine powerful and the transmission efficient, but the flagship XJ is lightweight compared to the full-size Germans at only 4,001 pounds. Just the same, according to Jaguar the SV8 sprints to 60 mph in the same 5.1 seconds as the slightly lighter XJR, and is quicker still than its similarly priced premium competitors. Likewise for highway passing it leaves dawdling traffic in the slow lane like its traveling backwards, and if you’re on the autobahn, somewhere in Montana or just plain living life on the edge, is capable of a 155 mph top speed.
I didn’t even attempt anything resembling its terminal velocity, as it just wasn’t in the cards, but I did take the opportunity to throw it through the corners of Laureles Grade Rd on my way down to Carmel Valley, and then after a quick U-turn at the bottom, take it through faster still on the way back up. What a tremendous car in the tight stuff. It slaloms with the best in the biz, remaining almost completely horizontal to the road surface and completely unaffected by bumps and dips that (I know from experience on this particular stretch of tarmac) would upset lesser cars. Transitional response is exacting and steering feel superb. This is a real sports sedan, despite the luxury amenities, as good as or better than any of the German rivals, 7-Series included.
And while light on its feet the Super V8 rewards in so many other ways, including a wheelbase stretch of 5.0 inches and an overall length increase of 4.9 inches compared to the base XJ and XJR, translating into more interior room to enjoy all of its wonderful Britishness. And yes it is fully stocked with most of the convenience features and technology expected in this class of car, so you and stretch out and enjoy the ambience.
On that note the new front seats are a big improvement, offering more side-to-side strength to hold the backside in place during aggressive maneuvers, and greater comfort, plus they’re now heated and cooled, standard in the Super V8 (as well as the Vanden Plas and XJR). Those in the rear get more foot room too, which is always welcome, and this stretched wheelbase XJ is limousine-like.
Also new for 2008 are larger wheels across the line, the Super V8 fitted with 20- by 9-inch alloys wrapped in 255/35 ZR20 performance rubber, which highlight the styling updates quite nicely. No, nothing dramatic here, but the changes made give it a more assertive look that should keep Jaguar lovers in the fold and maybe attract some fence-sitters bored with their 7s and Ss. All new XJs get revised bumpers, front and rear, a new grille design, attractive side fender vents, like the Portfolio model, lower rocker panel extensions and a new spoiler on the rear deck lid. All subtle but effective changes that will help the XJ extend its tenure until its new management can bring its replacement to market.
So, does it make sense to buy a car that, despite the updates, looks so classically inspired? Well, that certainly comes down to your own priorities and personal style, doesn’t it? If you like it and area just putting off buying one because all of your friends drive Bimmers and Mercs, with the radicals opting for Audis and Lexus LSs, go down and get one. It’s a fabulous car that deserves much greater success than it enjoys. It’s wonderfully reliable too, much more so than the Germans according to J.D. Power and Associates recent testing data, and as mentioned it’s a fantastic driver, fully capable of not only keeping up with the best in this class but surpassing them. And topping it all off, it’s priced a heck of a lot lower, feature for feature.
And lastly, what might even be the best part of the equation is that you won’t see one coming down the road at you every time you turn a corner. The Super V8, or any XJ for that matter, delivers an exclusivity that you simply can’t get with any similarly priced rival. And how do you put a price on that?