Well, this is semi-appropriate for this area since the story revolves around my X350 so here goes:

A buddy of mine happened to have picked up an 04 745i about a month ago and today we decided to swap autos for about a 30 minute trip which led us to the inevitable straight stretch and lightbulb above our heads. Well, we even up, neck to neck and let 'em go, he in my XJ and myself behind the wheel of the big Bimmer.

I must say, the results were not pretty for the beastly 7 series as my XJ quickly sped away, leaving Germany's finest to stare with it's Bavarian mouth gaping in awe. It truly was no contest, which admittedly surprised me a bit. I knew the bargelike BMW could possibly be a bit lethargic but I didn't expect such a resounding victory for the Jag.

Thought everyone might enjoy

 

Nice victory for the Jag there goobe
What'd your mate say?

 

I wonder what the Dyno boys have to say about Jag power-- as I get the feeling that my 05 XJR and similar models are a lot more powerfull than the spec sheets read. Either Jags are under specked or Bimmers are over specked.
There are some threads on this forum that go on and on about the number of high performance clocks cleaned buy XJ Jags in rolling 40 mph starts.I'm too old, too smart an my car is too pampered to engage in such foolishness myself but the seat of my pants says there are a lot of dust eaters behind me.

 

Good ! The world needs an occassional reminder that there's more to Jags than just elegance :-). Too many are driven as though there was a bowl of goldfish on the front seat.

Having an old-school 6 cylinder XJR I have to be selective in choosing my victim, lest I become the hunted rather than the hunter. Still, though, I have enough ooomph to dispell any notions of being all style and no substance.

Just the other day an over-confident 90s-vintage A8 driver was trying to be a road warrior and bully his way thru traffic. Discretion and conditions eventually dictated that I let him prevail....but I made him work for it :-)

I should clarify theat the car, not the driver, was 90s-vintage :-)

Cheers
DD

 

Nice story, just made my day!

A few years back when I drove an 87 SIII XJ6, I found myself at a stoplight next to a newer model BMW 3Series. My side of the road was blocked off up ahead by some construction and I was the only poor fellow who didn't see it in advance. I had two choices: be polite and wait for someone equally polite to let me into their lane, or try and smoke the BMW. The guy in the Beamer didnt want to let me in, so he floored it, but I still smoked him with my 20 year old XK 4.2L V6 engine. I blew about half my gas tank in the process, but it was worth it!

 

The Jaguar is much lighter than the BMW, being made of aluminium, so should accelerate faster, assuming engines are about the same power. The BMW may actually be more powerful.

 

Correct, more powerful does not always equal faster!

 

Glad everyone has enjoyed my lil' story.

My pal didn't quite know what to say and had what I so eloquently call the "didn't know whether to sh*t or wind his watch" tone in his voice.

I must concur that the X350 feels insanely quicker than any 4.0L powered Jaguar I've ever driven. I've probably been behind the wheel of over two dozen X308s and 00-03 S types and there truthfully is no comparison between the two engines. 4.0-290bhp 4.2-294bhp?? Given. the previous car is sans 6 spd tranny but damned if it doesn't feel like a 40 or so hp difference. The XJR? Well, that's a whole other rocketship avenue.

I have to say, the big 7 has its pros but they are few and far between. It is solid and very comfy, yes. Lethargic and annoyingly equipped with the infamous iDrive system are two very big minuses in my book....

.....not to mention the fact that when I owned my M3, I was sitting in the dealer showroom, waiting on an oil change and I see this big, beautiful 760Li hauled in on a rollback and low and behold, out of the wrecker comes an elderly couple and their visibly annoyed golden retriever. All 3 had their trip deterred because their mighty V12 powered Bimmer decided to have a computer failure and shut itself down in the middle of I-75 South.

When mans best friend says don't buy, ya better listen

 

Lol sure XJ can beat the 7.45i but 7 series offer a better ride quality for sure. The acoustics in the car is just awesome and you don't hear any road noise or something. Try 7.50i and see if you can beat that monster with the XJ

 

Compare apples to apples ....750 against xjr

 

You just made my night, do you even think you can compare a 750 with an XJR? 750 is naturally aspirated unlike XJR.So you are comparing a banana with an apple now =) compare 760 with XJR and see what happens. and you will probably end up saying "well 760 has 12 cylinders!" xD

 

One positive to either the 8 or the R is the fact that the iDrive won't leave me stranded in the middle of one of the nations busiest interstates, nor did Jaguar have to offer an extended warranty to buyers of the X350 upon its introduction due to the multitude of issues it presented.

Ride quality better? Yes, I'll give the 7 the edge there. Sex appeal and downright eye candy? Nod to the Brits instead of the beefy Bavarian beast.

Besides, how cool can one look whilst thumbing the shifter, attempting to get the car to proceed forward

 

Yeah I do, Mr Condescending! (no appropriate emoticons available)

 

LOL , they are both good cars let's put it that way =)

 

Just catching up on the forums and I saw this thread. I spanked a late model M3 yesterday in my 04 XJR. When he caught up to me, he just smiled and gave a thumbs up. I just nodded. Love this car.

 

Agreed!

May I ask, what is the point of all this constant bickering?

As far as I am aware we are all automotive enthusiasts around here and it would be nice for a change to see something positive.

If all we want to do is to say 'xyz' is quicker, better equiped, nicer ride, than, 'abc'.... then where does that go?

Love your car.

Love your ride.

Respect each other.

 

Amen.