All 3 fit my criteria for being sporty, and can be had for $8000-$12,000 (low/high). I will be honest, I want to get the most aesthetically pleasing car. Don't care about performance ratings and numbers, as I know all 3 are pretty good.

I have recently seen the XK8 in Gone in 60 Seconds, and am very surprised by how inexpensive it is now, compared to it's original 80K+ price. I want the coupe version as the convertible does nothing for me.

The Boxster from 98-2000 is what I can afford, and I must say it is the most eye catching, especially one in a color I like. I have never seen a Z3 or XK8 in person. I have seen many Porsches, whether it's a 997, 996, 987 or 986, I always get excited seeing one. Very awesome cars IMO.

The coupe version of the XK8 is very sexy. Some pics I have seen of it really make it a no brainer. Some side view pics, however, show the rear bumper looking a bit off, kind of like how the first Porsche Cayman looked. Some angles, it is amazing, while others, it's kind of average or even slightly odd looking. Everything else like the front, rear and 3/4 views and the occasional profile views--the XK8 looks very sexy and modern.

This will be my weekend car and I really need something that grabs attention of 20-something ladies ,when I park in front of a nightclub or if I am going to a dinner date to a mid-higher level scale restaurant. Yes, I am somewhat vain, but I am being

Honestly, any of these would be a massive ugprade from my old Honda Civic that looks old and dirty, beat up, etc.

I know which forum this is, and I would like some advice and opinions on which car I should get for my purposes.

Thanks!

 

I can only wish you luck in your quest. The Jag you mention is supported in a different area of the forum, ours are the 2007 and newer models.

BOL Vince

 

As CleverName says, we're all XK (new shape) owners. The 2007+ cars are alloy-bodied and a little less curvy than the XK8, but benefit from more modern technology. However, they are going to be too expensive for your budget

I sold my '97 XK8 this year after 13 years of ownership (upgraded to a '10 XKR) for £4,500 which is about $7,500. At 80,000 miles, it was still running well, and cleaned up nicely with a good polish. There was a little wear on the leather of the driver's seat, but I sorted that out with a reconditioning kit. Over the years, the only significant issues I had were a gearbox failure at 50k miles, which required a reconditioned 'box, and a water pump failure about 2 years ago.

The thing about older performance cars, of any make, is that you have to factor in maintenance costs, which can be a significant percentage of the purchase cost. So, although you can buy the car for $10k, you need to consider that it may cost you $2-3k per year to keep it running. As cars get older, components both wear and deteriorate - rubber items in particular (hoses, bushes, seals) tend to get hard & crack or split, but also plastic parts become brittle. So things will break from time to time, and unless you have the DIY skills to fix them yourself, you'll need to find a good independent specialist to sort them out for you - not a dealer, they're too pricey.

Go & take a look at an XK8 in the metal - it's a pretty car, but you need to be sure that you can fit in it comfortably - it's a bit short on headroom if you're over 6ft. If you do decide to go for one, try & buy the most recent you can afford; avoid the 4.0L cars if possible, because these earlier models have some known weaknesses (Nikasil cylinder liners, timing chain tensioners) that can be expensive to rectify. Age is probably more important than mileage; provided the car has been well-maintained, higher mileage is not such an issue. And, if possible, take a mechanic or someone with experience with you to look for hidden problems like rust.

Good luck with your search - I hope you end up with a car that you enjoy owning, not a liability.

 

I had a 2001 m roadster before my jag and LOVED the car. It was my second one. The 98-2000 can be had for significantly less due to engine changes. I know you said you're buying on looks... But the cars are AWAY AWAY different. Get the bimmer over the porsche for sure but weigh your needs for the jag.

 

If you're going purely for status then get the jag but none of these cars are going to really impress anyone [sober or with mediocre+ self esteem]. These kind of girls aren't worth the headache and it's unlikely you're going to get them parked in front of any where.

 

I hope you set aside a lump of money for after-the-purchase expenses. Women who are unduly concerned or impressed with the prestige level of your car are often the very costly, high maintenance type. Buying the car might well be the least expensive part of your plan

That said, get a Jag. Prestige German cars are a dime-a-dozen, numerically speaking. Jags are much less common. You might get some credit for not following the usual crowd. Well, actually, probably not. It was just a thought.

Good luck on your automotive and romantic adventures

Cheers
DD

 

I am all for owning a car to attract women. Use any tool you can, it's a tough world out there!

That being said, you'd attract a lot more ladies and have an easier ownership experience in a 2004+ XJ8, especially a Vanden Plas. Women go nuts over that car, they are fabulous looking, fun to drive, and will be so much easier to own and enjoy.

If you want fun weekend toy that will get the ladies' affection; a red Alfa convertible is a home run. If driven all the time, the are pretty reliable, but still; it's an old car and feels like it. You'll be able to own for maintenance costs alone.

 

Buy yourself a cardigan and some hair spike and keep your Honda Civic.

Those women are going to break the bank. Nonetheless, if you find something wild and crazy, send pics. Although some of us are old, we're not dead.

 

last year I purchased a pristine "98 xk8 and yes it draws a crowd at the local Tim Horton's too bad it's mostly 40+ men. on a side note, my first wife was attracted to my
BMW, she eventually left, took the BMW, most of my money and my Dog. I still miss the dog.

 

Seriously, the Porsche and BMW are very small and women are attracted to them because they suit a woman. They are nice cars but that's where it ends.
The Jag is a nice size car and we love them because they are a mans size car.
Women love a confidant man, not a guy that drives a nice car.
A Jag screams confidence

 

BestInTheWorld,
I have had (and still have) many cars during my 44 years of driving, expensive sports cars, sedans, vans...no car I have ever owned garners as much attention in terms of compliments as my 2002 XKR! And that includes my beautiful de Tomaso Pantera. So, if it's impressions you want, the first series XK/XKR gets in done at a bargain basement price. Its classic shape seems timeless like the XKE. The Porsche and BMW are much smaller cars than the Jag, don't have a cavernous trunk like the Jag, aren't finished as nicely, and frankly, looked much more dated. And if you opt for the XKR, the others do not nearly have the power. But, ultimately, you should drive each of them. look at their features and their aesthetics, and then make your decision.

 

tberg, did your XKR grab attention of women in their 20's/30's or is it the older men/women who have likely seen the XK8/XKR back when it was a new car? My only concern with the Jaguar is it may blend in too much with other modern looking luxury cars from Audi, Lexus, etc. Not saying it's a bad thing, but those cars are relatively common.

The XK8 does look very nice from some pictures I have seen of it. Some pics show the rear trunk/bumper to be proportionate to the long side window and the front and really, in these shots, the car looks 100% drop dead beautiful and perfect. However, some profile shots, make the rear look in-proportionate to the rest of the car. And this is the coupe, if anyone's wondering.

I LOVE the interior of the XK8s, and really in my eyes, it is world class. It kills the 996 Carreras and 986 Boxsters' interiors. It's in a league of it's own. Likewise, I have seen some sexy Z3 interiors and it doesn't look cheap nor ugly and pretty sexy-- unlike most 996 and 986 cars.

Now, I am not after gold diggers per se, but more like after a beautiful/classy lady who likes sexy looking cars. A woman who would not feel embarrassed to sit inside or to be seen inside the car. I think, for them, they'd feel like a million bucks no matter which of these 3 cars they are a passenger of.

I am kind of leaning towards the XK8, based only on the aforementioned, perfect shots I have seen of it-- where the car looks sexy, fast and classy like an Aston Martin Vantage (current).

The Boxster is the one I believe would grab most folks' attention if all 3 were parked side by side in a parking lot, all in stock form, all in the same color. And that is likely due to the fact Porsches are very common here in my city, and the fact they are easily identifiable by even non-car people.

 

The compliments seem to come from a wide swath of people, young and old alike. But, if you're thinking that somehow any of these three choices is going to be a "chick magnet," you may be expecting a little too much. You might want to work on your "pick-up" lines instead, might be cheaper and more effective.

 

A Boxter in the years you're talking about would be the least desirable - yet best to race. The Z series is going to be by far the worst in snow if you're going to have it as a daily driver all year round. The Jag is also going to be the most liveable on a daily basis.

If you're going to use a car for attention - there will ALWAYS be something nicer out there and you need to spend enough to buy a nice house to have a seat at that table. Get what you like and maybe you'll find a woman that likes you for your taste.

 

Do some research haha

Google "Neil Strauss."

https://www.neilstrauss.com/

The Game: Penetrating the Secret Society of Pickup Artists - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

Hardly. An XK8 would pop the eye much faster. You're right that the other two are more common and for that reason get over looked.

Have you considered an S2000? That car worked well for me and as a "sports car" out performs all 3. They really are holding their value well and revving up to like 10K is just so wicked!

As mentioned earlier, you'd better off with an '04+ XJ in a hot color combo.

 

I read your question to my wife. She said Porsches attract classy girls and BMWs attract the skanky ones. "You have to be careful with the Jag, it's not going to be a girl magnet," she said.

"So what kind of girl will you get with the Jag?" I asked.

She replied, "One who loves you."

 

R_Rated,

I don't think I can ever spend more than $20,000 on a car, and realize folks will always have a nicer and more expensive cars, houses, etc.

However, most daily cars I see here, are very ordinary or the same Altimas, Nissans, Fords, and so on and I think by getting any of these 3 cars... I'd stand out on the road. The last nice car I have seen was way back in September of last year, and I think it was a 2013 Cayman. Nearly every day of the year, all I see are trucks, and generic looking 4 door sedans, a lot of Nissan 300ZXs, a few Cayennes, and generic looking vans/SUVs.


mosesbotbol,

Having never seen an XKR/XK8 in real life, I don't know how eye catching it would be (for me). I think if an XK8 appeared, I'd gawk it like there was no tomorrow, lol.

As many Porsches I have seen last summer, every single last one of them has my undivided attention since they looked clean and very nice.


I think a guy would seem and appear more interesting to a lady if they see you pick them up in a nice car.


Guys, I guess my concern now is deciding which car would be the most fun to drive in automatic transmission ( I tried learning manual last year, and I sucked really bad. The beater car I learned on, ended up in worse shape) and which would be less of a money pit-- i'm no car guy/mechanic.

If all 3 had roughly equivalent minor/major repair/maintenance costs, my life would be a lot easier. I know this can't be the case, so can someone tell me honestly, how much I should budget for the XK8 per annum, if I decided to go for a 1997-2000 model with say, 50,000 miles on it with good service history.

Correct me if I am wrong, but the Z3 should be quite inexpensive to own and maintain/repair, as many parts are used in other BMWs, correct? Also, because BMWs and Z3s in specific, are more common, labor rates would be lower too, right?


Thanks again guys for your input and advice!!

 

I hope you know more about women than you do cars. All three of the cars you have mentioned are going to cost you money to run, especially the age that you are looking at. Don't think that you're going to drive any of them for the cost of gas and oil changes. Like the women that you hope to attract, they're going to let you down at some point.

I can't help but think you're going about your romantic endeavours the wrong way. I really don't think women, at least the ones worth pursuing, are going to be attracted to a fancy car. Try being a nice guy. Show a little humility. Girls really dig that.

 

Knowing how to use your Gentleman's sausage attracts the Ladies in my experience too!
But this is an unusual comparison? The Z3 and Boxter are sports cars whereas an XK is a coupe.
I would keep my pork sword zipped safely away and think about what type of car I wanted first!