Hi all,
Just signed up as I've moved from an Audi S5 and am now wanting a Jag.

I'm looking to buy an XJ8 3.2 V8, and have a few questions about them before I bite the bullet.
1) What is the difference between the Sports and Executive trim?
2) What should I look out for in the car? Within my budget (2.5k), mileage varies between 125k-160k.

 

edit - my insurance cost only allows the years 2001-2002.

 

Seconded. R all day. Had a black 2004 myself. The whine of the supercharger is heaven. And that front mesh grill just looks so Kodi nox much better.

 

Relevance? Neither of the models the OP asked about came supercharged . . . and none had a mesh grille either.

To the OP with the alphabetically challenging handle . . . the XJ8 Sport had improved front seating with more depth to the side and front bolsters, wheels, rim width, more highly figured dark stained walnut and interior trim was was two tone. UK & NA Sport may come with black painted vertical grille flutes, but not all, and not here. Not owning an Executive (Jaguar Australia elected only to import the higher spec variants) I can't do a side-by-side comparison of other features.

However, there is another factor that separates the XJ8 Sport from the rest of the pack . . . its relative rarity. Taking into account the "gap years" that they were not produced, total XJ8 Sport production was a mere 1108, and most of these were during the first series 1997-9 compared to the later years 2001-2 (where you are seeking). Given total X308 production of 123,200 this means less than 1% were 3.2L XJ8 Sport . . . and perhaps only 1/3 of that in the brief 2 year final run you are looking at. I don't understand why insurance precludes the greater number from 1997-9?

There are few folk, even among Jaguar fans, who recognise how rare this is, so I wish you luck in tracking one down, especially in the limited budget you have posted. My view (based on rarity) is that this baby is the #1 sleeper in the Jaguar pack . . . and took me 3 years to find one here that I was happy with.

Best wishes,

 

thanks for the detailed response - I was not aware of how rare they were.
I purchased an XJ8 Executive but the previous owner had changed its alloys to give it a sportier look and I’m more than happy with them!

 

actually, this is where the plot thickens.
The car has the Sports interior, and the badge on the back says XJ Sport too but on the system it comes out as an Executive.
The interior trim is green/brown ish and the front grille is vertical black.

my guess is that somewhere along its life, someone converted the seats and changed the badge or maybe it’s just a blunder on the system and as a matter of fact I own an XJ8 Sports?

 

Compared to badges, wheels and, more relevant, even that blackened vertical grille, all of which could be easily swapped in, the two tone interior and darker walnut would be more expensive and, arguably, less likely to be upgraded. Even more unlikely would be a swap of seats. . . those on the Sport are built and pleated entirely differently.

Regrettably, and quite different to other and later Jaguar models, the VIN provides no clues . . . the pos 7 is given as a choice of only 3 variants, of which both the Sport and Executive will share an 'L' . . .

• L = 4 door Saloon
• M = 4 door 5 Seat LWB
• N = 4 door N Seat LWB

If it really comes down to proving it, pick at one of those black verticals in the grille in an unseen corner, and look for no chrome (Sport) or chrome (all the rest) underneath. I guess someone could paint over chrome (I know of no way to un-chrome a grille). This is far more likely than someone finding a genuine Sport grille for sale (it will be the 1 in 100 on sale). You will start to get a taste of just how rare when you start the search for that missing 'Sport' badge!

So, @a , , , my bet is that you have the genuine Sport.

Best wishes,

 

Thanks, once again! To be certain of what trim I own, I shall be contacting Jaguar to see if they can confirm that I indeed own an XJ8 Sport.

 

So I spoke to Jag and they mentioned the car comes up as an Executive on their system; seems like false advertising on the seller's part. Time to start a legal case..