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What has your XE been identified as or mistken for?
It seems like every time I'm out and about in this car, no one has a clue what it is.....
So far it's been mistaken for a Camaro, and then I asked if they'd ever seen a four door Camaro?
A BMW M Car of some sort is a common misconception.
A long time female acquaintance asked if I'd bought another SAAB and I told her they were out of business.....
Another woman at a gas station asked me if it was a new Hyundai, this when she could plainly see the leaping cat on the rear deck lid. When I said no, it wasn't a Hyundai, she said she heard they had ten year warranties now, to which I replied, "Have you ever seen a ten year old Hyundai?"
And then there was the crowning insult that was added to injury....
I'd had the R Sport for four whole days and decided I was going to take it to my old shop to show it off.
I was hauling *** in dynamic mode down a ramp and entering a local parkway when I saw the marked Taurus running laser/radar about an eighth of a mile down the highway....
I backed off, passed him and pulled over so quickly that when he pulled out, he passed me, pulled over and had to back up about a 150 feet on the shoulder just to get back to where I was.
Dude, he was unhappy.
His first question as he stalked past the driver's window on his way back to look at the rear tag (because the front tag was in the trunk) was, "Is this your car?"
I'm gonna' guess most of you guys don't wear a crusty black MSD Ignition ball caps and a jean jacket that looks like it's past due for it's 30K service and blue chambray shirts and jeans so it looks like you just escaped from the State Penitentiary or you're Jay Leno or something.
I told him, it was in fact my car, I just bought it after waiting 3 months for it to get here, and was dancing as fast as I could telling him I was on my way to the county shop where I used to work and how I kept all the Motor Cop's bikes on the road for eight years until I retired five years ago.
He grumbled something about 72 in a 50mph zone and walked back to his cruiser.
So there I sat, looking and feeling ashamed and wondering about all the crap I was gonna' hear about this incident, especially from my Lawyer, who I happened to be married to, not to mention all the grief I was gonna' hear when all the cops I knew got wind of this.
In a force of 2000 plus cops, I picked one of the few guys I'd never met or even heard of.
When he walked back my first question was "Did you write me for RD?"
"Nah", he said, "I wrote you for failure to obey a highway sign."
"Whew, that's $30.00!", I thought.
I signed my award in his summons book. He admonished me to take it easy and gave me my yellow copy.
I assured him I would and as he was walking away he asked, "Is this a Challenger or a Charger?"
I was flummoxed. He had my registration, after all.
I said, "it's a Jaguar", as I pulled away, still in dynamic mode.
It sounded great.
Last edited by Charles Calthrop; 04-19-2017 at 03:01 PM.
Reason: Paragraphs
I am prefacing this by saying I am sure all you new Jag owners love your cars and I don't want to upset you in any way. This is the reason I won't buy a new Jag! I bought a 2000 XJR and restored her to better then new condition because it's a classic looking Jag. I could remove the leaper, all the badging and people would still know my car is a Jaguar. I dreamed of owning a Jag as a kid and now that I am at a point in my life I can afford one I am giddy. My car didn't cost nearly as much as yours but I have probably more then doubled what I paid for it in restoration. (I stopped adding it up as it would most likely shock me what I have spent on a 17 yr old car...lol).
Haha, this is a great story man. So far I haven't had the XE mistaken for anything. It has gotten quite a few compliments though. Even had a motorcycle officer pull up beside me and give a thumbs up, just a few days after picking it up.
Not to say it hasn't had any close calls with the law. There's a nice roundabout on my way to work, which I was barreling down the first day I'd had the XE, tires squealing and just on the edge of oversteer... of course there was a cop waiting just a few feet ahead with a radar, which I didn't see until it was too late. I'm sure he heard me coming though. He pulled out, and followed me reaaally closely for about a half mile. I guess he decided either it wasn't worth his time, or he saw the paper license plate and thought "yeah I'll just let this guy enjoy breaking in his brand new Jaaaag", and sped past me. I like to think it was the latter.
Nice story. Its good to hear that you did not get a ticket.
People in the US have very limited knowledge of Euro cars. They will know BMW, MB and maybe Audi but that is about it.
I don't mind what people will mistake my car for. So far I have only gotten questions about what car it is. My friend though it was "Maserati".
I like to think that since my car is not R-sport and has a very plain silver paint job, it is relatively "under the radar" for cops. When I had MINI with two stripes and different color roof, It would get much more attention from cops, even when driving at speed limit.
The Jag looks so elegant, graceful and relaxed at the highway that you would need to be doing at least 20-30 over to attract cops attention.
Also I did not buy XE to make sure everyone knew I was driving a Jag. Newer Jaguars have completely different styling from 2000s era cars so few people will know what they are. I do get a lot of stares on the street and at the stoplights though.
Everyone knows it as a Jag, but I miss the older styling of Jaguar cars over what they are penning today. The older styles were more austere with classic coachwork gleaming brightwork... You have to evolve and Jaguar did it the right away in that respect. Which they would offer a "Jaguar Classic" package that doubles up the wood, chrome, lambswool, etc...
I ordered and bought this particular car because it was very different from anything else I'd seen on the road and I expected lots of questions, especially from those who knew me well.
What I didn't expect was the surprise of complete mis-identification.
Really? A Hyundai?
There's a guy I've known for years and once worked with who runs his own independent Audi shop.
I rolled by to see him and he walked out to take a look...
He was nodding appreciatively as he strolled around the car and suddenly exclaimed, " Damn, that's a Jaguar?"
I had to laugh.
The next words out of his mouth were, "Get some miles on it and then let's get some pulls on the dyno!"
Anyhow, in the spirit of appeasement, I got this spiffy removable front tag bracket:
And added this Police Department motorcycle tank decal to the rear glass:
I'm having too much fun.
Last edited by Charles Calthrop; 04-20-2017 at 04:30 AM.
I am prefacing this by saying I am sure all you new Jag owners love your cars and I don't want to upset you in any way. This is the reason I won't buy a new Jag! I bought a 2000 XJR and restored her to better then new condition because it's a classic looking Jag. I could remove the leaper, all the badging and people would still know my car is a Jaguar. I dreamed of owning a Jag as a kid and now that I am at a point in my life I can afford one I am giddy. My car didn't cost nearly as much as yours but I have probably more then doubled what I paid for it in restoration. (I stopped adding it up as it would most likely shock me what I have spent on a 17 yr old car...lol).
Modern Jaguar owners shouldn't feel too bad. After all, most of the sedans made in the last 10 to 20 years have been very similarly styled. Not that they look bad, in fact many look quite good, just that there have come to be many aerodynamic, safety and functional requirements that dictate to the design and thus they all come out very similar.
Someone in another thread suggested that instead of concentrating on the similarities that you don't like, look for the details and you'll find aspects you do like. Wish I could remember the exact quote but I still like many modern Jaguar styling features over the others.
But eventually our classic Jaguar sedans will become too old for everyday use. New parts are no longer available, used parts becoming scarce. You could spend far more than the cost of a new Jaguar in restoration and it'll never be a new car again. We will ultimately have to upgrade.
We could buy any of the other sedans that the modern Jaguar is mistaken for, Lexus, Mercedes, BMW, etc. and then we'd have just one of a dozen others of the same make and model in the mall parking lot. Buy a modern Jaguar and even tho we may have to push our remote button to find it among a sea of common sedans, especially if we choose white, black, silver or grey, its still likely to be the only Jaguar in that particular sea.
There's a gent here who has a Series II XJ in excellent condition. He loves to show it locally whenever possible in conjunction with our local club.
He was busy re-polishing the fender for the 100th time one day when a 60ish looking gentlemen wandered up with several grandchildren in tow. The fellow explained with great pride that he at one time owned a car identical to this one and how it was a shame that Ford no longer produced the Crown Vics.
The fellow explained with great pride that he at one time owned a car identical to this one and how it was a shame that Ford no longer produced the Crown Vics.
Again, not an XE story, but when I first rolled into work in my '08 XKR the gate guard asked if it was an Aston Martin.
I will be honest though, at a quick glance the latest XF and the XE are VERY similar to me. That's kind of odd because when it first came out I thought the XF was about as distinctive as it gets.
Not mistaken for anything but I do have a buddy at work that is not exactly a car guy or one to notice things. Before the white XE I had a white Elantra and when we went out to lunch one day he was in the car still thinking its the Hyundai. Was talking about how his mom is giving him his Sonata in the summer and asking me how reliable I think it is . Didn't realize until I said I don't have the Elantra any more.
I did just go from a Hyundai to Jaguar but trying to say Hyundai is not reliable is way out of place they are a lot more reliable then Jaguars and actually on most reliable car lists last few years. They do sell more but I am certain % wise there is a lot more old Hyundai's on the road then Jaguars. That's not the reason anyone would chose a Jaguar over most other cars though.
never really got any questions on mine either but I see quite a few Jags in the area. I work in Mahwah, couple weeks ago went shopping at Oakland Shop Rite and there was 3 identical XE's parked in the front I see at least another Jag on my way to work probably every other trip. There is lots of rich folks in that area so unfortunately my car is not that unique in the area I am afraid. I must have seen about 3 Maserati's in the last week alone.
The older styles were more austere with classic coachwork gleaming brightwork... You have to evolve and Jaguar did it the right away in that respect. Which they would offer a "Jaguar Classic" package that doubles up the wood, chrome, lambswool, etc...
Mr. Calthrop, Sir? I’d like to preserve your post and keep it on my computer to re-read like a worthy poem or novel. Excellent!! With your permission, I’m copy-pasting it this very moment.
My Jaguar ownership is a solitary one.
I drive in the NY city boroughs every day. I drive the early morning and again at sunset time, in the famous commuting hours. Commuting New Yorkers don’t “drive” anything, when they get in their cars. They “go to work”, and---a car, what’s that?
They don’t move like a driver at a steering wheel. They practically climb over each other on a road, the way they practically climb over each other going up the stairs in any subway station.
--When a guy going up the stairs accidentally slows down a bit, the woman behind him lands with her head halfway through the seat of his pants. The third person behind HER, practically skids over the top of her back while she’s still pulling herself out the seat of the first guy’s pants. It’s hilarious.
--Hence on a road, when the first NYC driver accidentally slows down a bit, the woman behind him lands halfway in the back seats of his car, and a 3rd, 5th, and 6th person practically leaps onto the roofs of the first two drivers. It’s flabbergasting, and tomorrow you hear about us on the news.
Only after they pile up, do they notice they were “driving cars”, that actually have different shapes and brands.
…So I’m not expecting NYC drivers to really notice I have a Jaguar until they wreck my Jaguar. Right now, I really doubt that more than 3 of every 20 drivers going by notice if my car was an Audi, Alfa, Mercedes, Genesis, what…
I have had a ton of looks from PEDESTRIANS along the sidewalks. And my neighbor did walk over and ask “what kind of car is that?”. I’m not sure if I cherish those reactions the most, or if I more cherish those times I get implied challenges and dares from individuals in BMWs, ugly ghetto-customized wrecks, and muscle cars who feel insecure when they see the masterful side-profile of my car and perhaps can’t identify a Jaguar, and can’t understand quite WHY they are feeling insecure.
Mosesbotbol, I like your idea. I’ve admired (only admired) Jaguar’s X-type bodies of over a decade back. And the delicious wood trim and glossy metals. I would love to see the XF (no, not the XE) capture as much of those signatures and touches as possible in the future. Don’t let anything that was made in the name of elegance get left behind. Cars should always celebrate being humanly beautiful, more than mechanically perfect.
The XE is a bit too much of a roadster (something to always be getting road dust on it) to try to decorate with all that elegance.
And the XJ is far too much a “wealth estate” vehicle for me to get my thoughts around.
I think the XF is the right car to fit and carry on all those recognizable Jaguar motifs.
Last edited by NewLester de Rocin; 04-26-2017 at 03:34 PM.
Mr. Calthrop, Sir? I’d like to preserve your post and keep it on my computer to re-read like a worthy poem or novel. Excellent!! With your permission, I’m copy-pasting it this very moment.
By all means Lester, knock yourself out.
Again, today, at my local Sunoco station, pumping 93 octane into the XE......
On the other side of the island, a twentyish hipster type who is pumping fuel into his clapped out Mitsubishi sedan (those same wonderful folks who brought you the Zero) asks me with a grin, "Hey man, is that a Tesla?"
I kinda' cocked my head to the side and looked at him for a beat to make sure he wasn't messing with me. I mean, if it was in fact a Tesla, why would I be pumping fuel into it?
He was sincere, far as I could tell, standing there nodding at me with a dopey grin on his face.
"Nah, Dude", I said, "This is a Jaguar XE".
"A Jag, huh?, That's cool", he said.
I thanked him, racked the nozzle back into the front of the pump, got into the R Sport, and drove away.
Last edited by Charles Calthrop; 04-26-2017 at 04:54 PM.
Reason: Because I can
04-19-2017, 10:20 AM
What has your XE been identified as or mistken for?
. Didn't realize until I said I don't have the Elantra any more.
…So I’m not expecting NYC drivers to really notice I have a Jaguar until they wreck my Jaguar. Right now, I really doubt that more than 3 of every 20 drivers going by notice if my car was an Audi, Alfa, Mercedes, Genesis, what…