As y’all know, I’ve been quite annoying in the forums for one that does not yet have a Jaguar x150.
(Warning I’ve had a few glasses of wine)

Apologies, it’s just who I am. I study. I love to learn. I tinker. I disassemble and reassemble.
And I don’t take decisions lightly. But when I make one, I go ***** in.
But also, I may also be the next generation taking over the pride in ownership of these amazing XKs.
The forums have been very quiet since around 2024.
I’d love to be a part of reviving that.

I was set on a 2008 or 2009 portfolio vert.
And since nobody is selling their 2009, I decided on the 2008 as my first.

I ran all the known data through an LLM (AI) and it said bang for my buck, assuming a rock solid PPI, grab the NC ‘08 portfolio with 53k miles and very little history over the two with 81k/84k miles with a solid history and all major maintenance completed.
Logic: While repairs are expensive, if it passes the PPI, with me looking as well, the maintenance is reasonable and a lot I can do DIY. Thanks to you guys.

So now the silly superstitious things kick in.
(Thank the wife).
That 53k car in NC is in Franklin, NC.
We took an 8.5 hour road trip today and passed a half dozen signs that said ‘Franklin’ this and that.
Wife says “maybe it’s a sign? You should check out the Franklin car.”.
Fast forward a couple hours. We mention that in the entire drive, we’ve not seen a single jag, let alone an XK. None. Not even an F-Pace and we went through the heart of Atlanta.

Not 15 minutes later, I see smoke billowing up in the distance. As we are doing 90, we quickly come up on the culprit. A 5.0 XK(R) vert. Dude was jumping out of the car on the shoulder, popped the hood and white smoke is pouring out.
(I’ve read the forums enough to know the culprit)

Now The wife is like “is that a sign?”.
As in no jag. Or wait.

Ok, turns out this is more of a story than a question.
I just want to be sure I’m making the right decision, without sinking thousands into the search.
(flights, hotels)

As a reminder, I put less than 3k miles a year on my cars.
Assuming prices are basically equal, Am I better off with 53k (clean PPI) knowing I will have to do all the major maintenance? Or 81-84k miles knowing the maintenance was done and they were owned by jag lovers?

Opinions and flaming are both welcome.

 

Regardless of cost, do you WANT to do that maintenance?
I'm getting older, and some days I don't even want to walk from the shop to the garage to get the degreaser and water for my ultrasonic cleaner to fix a chainsaw. The thought of a 600 foot round trip walking back to do stuff I didn't want to do anyway made me go in the house and play with dogs.

 

Yes sir I do. I turn 56 tomorrow. I long for things that actually challenge me. I’ve been a corporate exec for far too many years and felt like I lost my passion until I found the XK world. X100 (don’t fit) and x150.

The four main forums feels like a bunch of old old guys, no offense, that have a long deep seeded love for their XK. But I rarely see young guys chomping at the bit.
Maybe the XK is just predestined to be relegated to the history books. Maybe.
But. I‘ve been in love with the XK (100 and 150) for over 25 years. My neighbor growing up had the original XK-E. My in laws always drove jags. Nana’s sport jag was everyone’s favorite.
Just stunning. All of them.

If I am lucky enough to have the privilege, I’d like to be a part of keeping the dream alive.

And I would really like my first hands on to be both a pleasant experience and a learning experience.
So that when Im 65, or 75, I am passing the passion onto the next generation. Knowing that by then finding a 2008 XKR portfolio will be like raiding Jay Leno’s garage.

 

Buy the 53K mile 2008 Portfolio convertible. Maintenance and repairs are not outrageously expensive provided you buy aftermarket parts whenever possible.

I bought F&R suspension parts on eBay and have a good indie mechanic (my outstanding guy is ASE Certified, and owns a Meinicke franchise. He owns several nice cars, including a Porsche Cayenne, Ford Torino, and the Aston Martin Vantage and VW Beetle pictured below. He's currently installing a $15K titanium exhaust on the McLaren pictured below.

PM me if you're in metro Atlanta and want his name and address.

 

Well, Happy Birthday!
Bought mine shortly after turning 60, should have bought it years earlier. So go for it. I wouldn’t agonize too much over the 30k mileage difference, age is the leveling factor here.
Get the one with the best looking interior, it’s the part of the car you’ll see the most. The mechanical stuff can be replaced, and it won’t matter if it’s OEM or aftermarket, you don’t see it everyday.

 

Thanks KJ!
And that’s the irony. The three for sale have all three interior options.
And as Stuart(?) says “your money your car.”

All three are amazing. American oak, spun aluminum and the classic burled.
But I prefer the aluminum.

Believe it or not, this helps.
When my 6’3 frame is squeezing in to remove the back seats to install the remote top, I do have to love what I see.
Labor of love is a real thing.

 

Well… “ All three are amazing. American oak, spun aluminum and the classic burled.
But I prefer the aluminum. “
… you’re in the class of those who are just plain wrong;-)

Finally. Welcome officially to the club. :-)

Wait a minute… you haven’t got one yet?!?
I take back the ‘welcome’ ;-)

 

Haha yeah. Been a long journey.
I’d be remiss if I didn’t go look at the 53k mile one, so I’ll do that. Barring it being stunning on the PPI, I’ll be picking up the one in VA 8/15.
Then we can do the welcome posts.

 

I agree cosmetics and maintenance are way more important than mileage at this point. I’ve seen low mileage examples beat to death and high mileage ones (like all of mine) look nearly new. The 2007-2009 are more reliable.

I purchased my first 2 Jags when I was 28, an S-type R and X100 convertible and 5 years later 3 more Jags, Super V8, X150 Emerald Fire convertible and X150 R coupe.

There have been a number of younger members on the forum but most either don’t stick around long or have moved on to the X152 or left Jag all together.