Is the use of a staggered setup on an XJR R1 (i.e., 18 x 8.5 front, and 18 x 9.0 rear wheels) something necessary for the handling or balance of the car, or is it merely for the sake of appearance?

Jon

 

The stagger setup is used on the XKR, not the XJR...or at least on mine. My Pentas shoes are 255 all around.

 

I don't think anyone will know the real answer to your question .. but I guess it is / was a combination of things;

- Technical,
1. A rear wheel driven car,
2. A market moving to larger brakes / larger rims / wider rims,
3. Simply less technological advanced tires 20 years ago.

- Marketing,
1. A car in the later years of its lifespan, juiced up a bit for a better presentation.

For me personally, I am only interested in the aesthetics, and a 9" rear rim with some 275 tire is about perfect on a x308.

 

I did find this earlier thread with much helpful information:

https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...up-not-204660/

I'm not sure why it didn't show up using the forum's search feature -- I was simply googling.

Jon

 

The site Search has a lot to be desired since an upgrade a couple years ago. I've lost threads and pics as many others have. I've found threads as you have, but when I try again on site again, ..no good.

 

You will have no issues with this staggered setup. The handling (steering geometry) is only affected when using a different offset than the factory, especially on the front wheels. Small (say about 5 mm) deviations from the specified offset do not really matter. So, the staggered wheels are basically for show and somewhat better grip on the wider rear wheels. In the case of the combination of 8.5 and 9 in., the "stagger" is rather small and will not really be noticeable.