Its Bitter Sweet news.

It looks like there wont be an XK anytime in the foreseeable future. In fact, some say there never was after 2012. Jaguar made 2 shocking announcements. 1. that it Never wants to be a BMW or Audi- prestige would be lost trying to become a mass market product. It wants to stay under 1 million units a year. Its almost there now. So there is no more room in the production to add any new models, particularly not the XK. Moreover Ian believes the XK is timeless.

I am a huge 'Elegance' guy, and as you know there is a massive market for old world elegance. Think about all the shows in USA alone, Amelia Island, Pebble Beach and countless other smaller ones. Lots of people pay $50k and more just to bring elegance back to a Alfa or MG (no other reason to sink money in those cars) They are basically celebrating the sort of craftsmanship British, French and Italians are known for. And they have a point that grace and quality is now becoming rarer than those who have money.

But there is a problem, you can never take any of these cars on a weekend trip, due to being uncomfortable, they are trailer queens.

The Jaguar XK 2010-2011 was an odd number, caught between the currents of old world classic Jaguar and all the latest refinements and power available in the future cars. One thing is for sure, it was the last of the 'British' Grand Tourers. If Callum sticks to his word.

UK members will understand this more as the cars over there were more British than the ones sent here, which rarely had the classic interiors.

Your thoughts please.

 

IMHO, the supercharged X150 is a future collectible because of its styling, quality of materials, performance, and low volume production, with the highest values going to the most powerful and rare "special editions" such as the XKR-S GT and XKR-S. Even some rare highly-optioned 4.2L models with Alcon brakes and special paint and wheels are likely to be highly sought after, such as the UK-only 2008 XKR-S and the US-only 2008 and 2009 XKR Portfolio. And when the top goes down, the price goes up.

BTW, mine is NFS.

 

Queen and Country,
This is a topic of constant discussion on the X100 forum where I have chimed in several times and where prices have seemingly bottomed out and are on the rise. Classic or collectible status means different things to different people. For me it means timeless design that stands on its own in any era. For others it means how much will the car appreciate over a given period of time. I never have bought a car thinking it will appreciate monetarily, I buy cars that I love, for whatever reason; it was my high school dream car ()1968 GTO), it was spectacularly styled with great performance and an exhaust sound that stands the hairs up on the back of your neck (1972 de Tomaso Pantera), simple, affordable, fun sports car (1978 280Z)....the two iterations of the XK/XKR lines are classic and collectible in my mind because of what they represent to me. At 63, my children and maybe grandchildren (if my kids would get busy) might get to enjoy the collectibility (appreciation), but for me, it's the ability to drive and look at these cars when I want.

 

Tberg,

What I was struggling to express is that seldom do we realize we are driving a legend. There have been many cars domestic and foreign that we assumed were going to be improved upon or simply fell out of favor, only to now be looked back upon as a moment in time that will never happen again. I state for the record that a car from Jaguar that encapsulates the style from a gone by era and combines it with the modern technology will never happen aging and really hasn't happened before.

One of the best examples I can give is a personal one. The 70s FJ40 were so ubiquitous that people were using them on the farm and as snowplows. If only people had realized that craftsmanship was never again going to be repeated and kept thier cars original, they would be getting close to $100,000 for it today. I did mine. But its not about the money, its about appreciating a moment in time that never repeats itself. Another example would be the original Mini.

I bet a penny to a pound, Jaguars will be made in Asia 10 years from now. Then we will not be trying to cover up the handcrafted in Castle Bromwich walnut burl with plastic carbon fiber or German aluminum. Sadly I believe the appreciation for British je ne sais quio is being abandoned even by Britain. Yes revel in what you have.

 

Hi Stuart,
The XKR-S and XKRS GT will never be collectible in the sense I speak of. Not only does it not have any British characteristics it doesnt even have Jaguars DNA of Space-Pace-Grace. The space is sterile, it tries to be a German car, it has the grace of a schizo and the pace of being a GT is non existent. The Ftype is a better car in the category that it is trying to compete in. It may be a collectors based on rarity.

There will be a generation next that finds Malcolm Sayer to be the greatest designer of all time, he after all introduced aerodynamics to cars. Even Enzo thought he was the best. And then they will see his classic ovoid intake in a different light and realize that the X150 AJ133 was perhaps the most practical representation of his designs.

 

I'm afraid I must disagree with your thoughts on the XKR-S not being collectible. Typically, the most powerful or most highly optioned trim variants of any particular car, combined with limited production, equals higher collectibility. I could give specific examples, but they're plentiful and easy to find if you want to.

In 2012, in the U.S., only 25 XKR-S convertibles were made- very limited production. It's the most powerful variant of the X150- save for the XKR-S GT. They are also the most highly optioned.

To address the Grace, Space and Pace- the space is not sterile. Yes, there's no wood. But that does not define sterility. A mix of different textured veneers, different colored leathers, contrasting stitching, piping on the carpets- anything but sterile. It also does not try to be a German car. The driving dynamics are very much that of a Jaguar- it drives much like a standard X150, just faster and tighter. But the overall dynamic and characteristics are the same. And I must say, when I'm driving mine, I do so Gracefully. As for the Pace, is there a speed limit for a GT? That would disqualify many Ferraris, Aston Martins, and other great marques.

If you've never driven an XKR-S, which I surmise to be the case, I invite you to seek one out and give it try before writing it off. Truly the best of the X150 generation.

 

I have to agree - the XKR-S doesn't have my flavor of Jaguar DNA. If it did, I would have bought it. I wanted the wood, leather and look of a well designed Jaguar. For me that was the first iteration of the XK. Once it got redesigned, reconfigured and rehashed - it lost its beautiful lines and interior. Just like the e-Type...after the first series, the design went downhill. But I do understand why Jaguar makes these changes, they have to in order to show that 'changes' were made. It has been 'refreshed'...blah blah blah. For me the original design is usually the best design. Hence, the reason why I bough a 2007 xk and not a 2011 xk.


In the pic below...the image to the right for me is what Jaguar is all about.

 

I am a big believer that this generation of big displacement engines is to quote Mad Max... "The last of the V8's". The shift to 6 and 4 cylinder power plants in high performance cars has been under way for a while, and with electric cars gaining traction we are seeing the end of an era. The XK/XKR has a really classic design, and the production numbers got really low toward the last few years adding to their rarity. I personally prefer the look of the car without a lot of the aero styling on the limited edition cars, but I do think the supercharged 5.0/4.2 will be the most sought after. The bigger issue with all modern cars becoming collectible/drive-able will be the ability to maintain the electronics in 10 or 15 years. If I was truly looking to collect an "affordable" modern car I'd probably be looking for a V-12 Aston. But life is short, and I prefer to drive the car whenever I can.

 

Mathew, I want to clear the air for other XKRS guys as well.

The XKRS is a better car than the XK/XKR- it competes better against modern cars, Ferraris and Lambos. It competes poorly against the quintessential classic British Grand Touring motoring....Which a lot of people poo-poo. My point of posting this thread was to encourage our tiny community of aficionados, who dint buy a Jaguar based on how well it did at Nuremberg, that our time was coming.

BTW Porsche did HORRIBLY at Nuremberg- Ferdinand was convicted of war crimes.

I did consider the XKRS thoroughly, they were offering $20,000 off the sticker price.

 

XJ350 and X150 will both be future collectibles. Can't say that about any other recent Jaguar line. Both lines bridge the past and present in a cohesive package.

 

Michael- let me begin with the disclaimer that, of course, we're debating personal aesthetic preferences here; nobody is either right or wrong. But, interestingly, the heritage of Jaguar's sports cars aesthetic is much more in line with the XKR-S, interior-wise. I would agree that the first iteration of many iconic cars (SS100, XK120, Series I E, Pre HE XJS) are the best. So lets look at the interiors of each of these. I see lots of leather, aluminum, even plastic. But no wood. That was largely reserved for the saloons.

When I think of a Jaguar sports car, I think of a more sporty approach to the interior. More about function.

But I would agree with you that when it comes to saloons, I like to see some wood.

And again, not saying anyone is right or wrong. Just pointing out some historical trends.

 

Jaguar was desperate to ditch any and all association with 'old and classic'. To the point of overcompensating and not even offering the leather colors offered by Ferrari, Buggati, Porsche, BMW. And ironically those leathers were sourced from UK. I am sure they cried while spraying the cars baby blue, but it was necessary to go the opposite direction.

Hats of to Ian and gang, it worked! the brand was saved because its a new world.

One note about the Aj133 XKR- it represents the first time Jaguar built a world leading engine from the ground up. So the it was not just the feel, quality and looks of the car, but also world class performance. In Enzo's words, now you buy the car for the engine and get the rest for free. Namely, interior and exterior. With the Ftype, you get only engine and exterior.

 

I have mixed emotions on the interior. I like the old charm of the wood and leather as I had in my XJ6. Then again I liked the aluminium and gauge/switch look of my XKE. Then to me the X-Type was just a commuter car so I was not to concerned about the look although it was very good. When I got my XJ-S I was disappointed that it didn't have wood trim but the look was good. Now the XKR has me mixed as I like the wood but I also like the aluminium. I guess the difference to me would be if I would have bought an XK then there would be no doubt I had the wood trim but with the XKR I think the aluminium fits the need.So call me fickle. Now just to confuse things if I had an XKR-S then I would expect carbon fiber trim.

 

Because it was never a tradition in USA, fine automotive wood working is not as appreciated. There is no craft in carbon fiber or aluminum, any monkey can do it. Britishautowood will testify what goes into it. Just look at the fact that we had to import a guy from England to do it. I see your point that in a 'track' type of car, craftsmanship of any kind, wood or otherwise, looks out of place. But you make my point that we have the last car that can pull off that British coachmanship.

 

IMHO there is an XK variant for most tastes.

If you want a true GT car then the XK with all the leather and wood you want is best.

If you prefer a semi Auto-Cross/Track/Street-racer, then the XKR is the machine.

If you are looking for the top of the line preformer then the XKR-S & XKR-S GT are for you.

Take your pick. This is why almost all manufacturers will offer various levels within a model range.

Whether a car is "a classic" or not, and therefore is or isn't a collectible, is simply too subjective.

 

Yes but the news is that the British GT variant will never be again. All other variants still available.

 

"Everything that is old is new again."

Never say never again.

 

The XKR-S was painted in the colours of the various countries whose teams represented Jaguar over the years, thus 'Italian Racing Red' (rosso corsa), 'French Racing Blue' (Bleu de France) and so forth.

I believe the XK engine was 'class leading' from its first use until about the mid-1950s, so the AJ-V8 was not the first time Jaguar came up with a solid engine design.

 

There was Never an E-Type again. An affordable car that out performed any car on the street and every celebrity lusted after one. Even competitors like Ferrari called it the most beautiful car ever made. It put the cat in catwalk. there will never be another Eiffel tower either. Certain climates create the perfect storm for magnificence, and climates never stay the same. I am not being a pessimist, rather massively appreciative of the true grand tourer that was the XKR.

Enjoy this moment in time and imagine if you were actually in it.

 

Fortunately I was able to experience both . The best was dinner one night in the Jules Verne's Restaurant .