99-03 Jaguar XJ8/ VDP or XJR

Looking for a cruiser toy and was considering an early 2000s XJR with a supercharged 4.0. However, I found a clean 2002 VDP locally - nice rear tables, clean interior good maintenence history, etc. It seems like a classy cruiser.

Would I really be regretting it over a XJR? Wondering if the 80 or so HP will be a huge difference in "fun" factor when cruising. Also considering that the VDP has less plumbing and lack of supercharger would mean less maintenance.

Has anyone had the privilege of owning or comparing both?

 

Depends what you want the car for.

The VDP has better ride & 'waftability' for cruising in luxury. The XJR has a harsher ride (oddly particularly when driven slowly) but is much more sporty when thrown into bends. I had a 4.0 Sov before my XJR & it wasn't lacking in power when asked to go, just not silly quick as like my XJR feels.

 

XJR.

 

There is little doubt the XJR will provide extra power (and extra maintenance) that
a person might desire upon occasion. I also had to make this decision between performance
and elegance. My personal driving style is such that the sporadic desire for more power
than is needed was outweighed by the plush luxury and quiet manners of the VandenPlas.
The Duchess gives me all the power I would ever need along with the lovely sound of the
exhaust while doing that. The bonuses of the VandenPlas. with it's elegant yet functional
interior and upgraded materials made it a 'no brainer" for my driving style.

 

I can give you a power analysis and not a full ride analyis as never had a VDP that I think came with the comfort (black) shocks. Like @Hooli I had a XJ8 Soverign with sport shocks (green). I think it had comfort shocks (black) when I bought it that I replaced. Ride firm but not rough. My XJR-R1 has CATS and stiffer springs and it is very firm. As @Hooli stated hitting a pot hole at slow speed is jarring. As to power I'd describe the NA as spirited. The XJR is a bat out of hell.
The VDP is a good looking car but IMHO the extra length detracts from the lines of the SWB X308s. How often do you jave passengers in the back seat? For me the answer is rare.

 

I have a 4 year old and a 6 mth old. Although this toy will be mine for pleasure commuting, on occasion they may ride in my toy....

 

The Short Wheel Base is certainly aimed at the performance enthusiast and exhibits
it's abilities to that end. The VandenPlas is aimed more at the elegant side of the equation
and fulfills the style, grace and demeanor of a more refined automobile. The longer wheel
base ENHANCES it's aims to that end...it certainly does not diminish it. unless one is not
open to the preferences of others.

 

Get a supercharged Vanden Plas (or a Super V8) which is the best of both worlds. Mercedes transmission (722.6) in the SC’d engined cars is way more reliable.

 

Yeah, for sure...I wish a good one had been available when I was Looking.
The ones that were, when I was looking were not well kept or maintained.
Fortunately, the Duchess fills my needs as far as acceleration is concerned.

 

Is the market that large in the UK that you have a selection? Here in the first colony, we hardly ever see an XJ8 of any flavor on the used car lots -- when I see one, I check to see if it is better than the current -- haven't seen a supercharged car in years. But I think others have covered the basics - performance and handling, the R; comfort and style, the VDP. But the most important is service record and condition, more important than miles. Here in the US, they are dirt cheap.

 

The XJR is more fun, but it is a little more temperamental with the maintenance. Both are great for cruising but it depends on how much of an enthusiast you are. If you just want a nice car to roll around in the VDP is plenty and does the job well. The XJR is gonna be exciting and a total driving experience and you can race against most other street cars but you will need to keep a close eye on coolant levels and such.

 

im in Miami. There are a few of VDPs and XJRs available. XJRs moreso seem to be in rougher shape whereas VDPs seem to be older owned and well taken care of.

 

I’ve owned both XJ8 and XJR and if I’m being honest my preference would be XJ8, hence why I recently re acquired my 02 XJ Sport. This simply comes down to my personal driving style; I’m not fast driver these days and in so called modern Britain you are lucky if you find a stretch of road without a speed camera or average speed traps on them.

With an XJ8 though you’ll need to be careful with the gearbox and ideally get the Transgo modified valve fitted to protect the A Drum if it hasn’t already been done. A fluid change would help too.

Both cars are over 20 years old now and some interior parts can be a little fragile, so bear that in mind with children who may like to mess with things or clamber around. Same goes for the outside with regards to plastic parts fragility, especially if the car has been exposed to large amounts of sunshine.

 

Yes, I am with Stu and the XJ8 Sport . . . and for reasons that warrant some explanation, for they transcend the fact that the Sport variant offers a midpoint of ride comfort vs performance. If it's a compromise, then the Sport variant excels! Shod with its wider tyres/tires, it corners with passion and assurance, yet soaks up uneven roads without harsh jarring. However, this excellent formula comes at a price . . .

Check the factory build quantities. You will find that the XJ8 Sport variant is one of the rarer models that Jaguar produced, whether in 3.2L or 4.0L form. Down here in Oz, I searched painstakingly for 4 years trying to find one in any condition. Finally, I found one with a terminal transmission problem . . . that turned out to be nothing of the sort, and reported here in a thread of some years ago.

Ever since, I have been rewarded with a magnificent car . . . never short of impressive power, but without the stresses and added maintenance of the SC where, I admit, my sole experience was with the older 6 cyl. My further admission is pure selfishness . . . the XJ8 Sport is so good, but so rare now, that my search for an even better example continues.

Compared to what you might find over in NA, the few examples currently on offer here are asking huge price premiums . . . $30,000 (only average condition) to $60,000 (beautiful) . . . as compared to the many more $10,000 to $20,000 Standard and VDPs which were marketed here as Luxury variants.

Cheers

 

The OP has a choice between an XJR or a VDP which would be similar to Daimler spec in the UK. However in the UK it seems that 3.2 XJ Sport’s are the main survivors of the X308 model followed by XJRs. This is probably because of the popularity of the R and the fact the 4.0 cars lunched their gearboxes far more readily than the 3.2’s do.

There are some mint XJ Sports on the market here at the moment, maybe you could consider importing one, although I’m not sure what the complications would be for you to do that.

 

Agreed about South Florida. Bought my first one out of Ft. Myers. Lots of reitrees and snowbirds who were orignial owners bring them down. As years go by, fewer and fewer.

 

There were many factors that moved me to an XJR instead of an XJ8, but high on the list was the much more reliable transmission in the XJR. I have never owned an XJ8, so this is all secondhand reliability info. Do with it what you will.

Look for a car 2001 or newer and you should be able to avoid most of the more significant issues that tend to give these cars a bad reputation (plastic timing chain tensioners, etc).