So I make an infrequent hop onto a highway and get off at an unfamiliar exit that had a fabulous S curve in the dark that I entered much faster than anticipated but low and behold the XJ6 went to and fro with virtually no lean. What a pleasant surprise! Naturally I had to confirm this driving around to hit several other S curves. Fun.

My recently sold XKR coupe 2002 would have had far more body lean, and I paid $350 on that car to have manual override of the two-stage electronic shocks so I could put them into firm mode prior to hitting curves.

Uh oh, maybe I won't keep this XJ6 forever because I'm wondering about that suspension + more torque...(well, ok, not for a year or two, stay the course, stay...). Heh heh.

 

Loves the curves Just need you an XJR6 now

 

Your XKR did not have a LSD.

Your XJ6 "may" have a LSD as it was a factory option. All XJR/6 are equipped with LSD.

With a clutch type LSD, cars balance better in power on cornering.

The alignment on the XJ6 may be a touch better than that on the XKR.

Tires? Bushings? All kinds of reasons.

 

Can the local dealer here we bought the car from originally determine from the VIN if this car came with the LSD option? Seems unlikely as it doesn't have other upgrades such as the better stereo (not that I care about stereos).

Curious if rear axle change options for more oomph from stoplights naturally tie into an upgrade from open diff to LSD. By natural I mean small change in labor costs as I have to have someone else do the work.

 

My experience with my XJ6 is that it corners just like you describe and has since I have owner her for ten years. My Xk8 also corners maybe very slightly better. But again the coupe has a much stiffer suspension. I honestly can't say which car I like to drive better. I like them both but for different reasons.

 

The color code on the rear diff will have a black bar or X across it if it is a PowerTrac diff.

 

Doesn't look like my car has the limited slip differential (LSD) called "PowerLock". Photo attached of rear diff shows yellow and black bars but no black slash or an X to indicate LSD.

Nevertheless, I maintain the XJ6 is fun in the curves with a tendency to oversteer. Spent two hours driving canyon roads and a mountain pass just for the fun of it all. Early into the drive I had to brake hard in a tight turn and the rear came around big but pulled back smoothly. I don't understand why an XJ6 with H rated Yokohama tires has smoother behavior at the limit than my prior XKR on Michelin Pilot A/S. The XJ6 drifts smoothly at limit whereas my 2002 XKR would break and catch suddenly so you didn't want to do it again, in addition to massive understeer.

 

That's because the XKR has much fatter rear tire and rear anti roll bar. XKRs are fitted with 255 tires. Those features make the XKR under steered car. In the other hand, XKRs have much shorter wheelbase, so when the rear breaks it will always be a sudden.