Before I start, you may assume this is an unfair comparison, but you'll soon understand why it make sense.

I'm an avid Camaro fan. My first car was a 1995 Camaro with a 3.4L V6. I drove it into the ground... literally. Lots of good memories. I have found it amazing comfortable, nearly bullet proof if you treated it right, quick, agile (for a car its size) and just plain awesome. Unfortunately, with it being my first car I didn't treat it as well as I should've and last August I literally ran it into the ground, causing a lot of damage to my baby.

During the past couple years, I have had the oppourtunity to drive many vehicles (Jaguars, 928s, SLKs, other Camaros, to name a few) as I searched for a suitible replacement for my beloved, but malnourished Camaro. Nothing quite hit me right. I have always loved the XKs but the price has rarely been right at the right time.

After numerous major repairs (from old age and moreso from the abuse I dished out), I was finally serious about a new vehicle. When I trashed it last August (120km, dozing off, a sign and 360 and two ditches followed by some trees), it was finally time to put my money where my mouth was and get my new car. I was lucky to find my current car, a 1995 Z28, for the right price so I bought it. I have not regretted my decision at all. I love my Z28 more than anything I've ever driven. I smile everytime I see it. Every time I start it up I giggle like a school girl. It's a cargasm for sure. But now comes the problem.

I have long dreamed of owning a Jaguar. It's always been a fantasy and the prices are beginning to hit the right spot again. I am left with an extremely difficult decision to make. Do I spend my money and personalize my beloved Z28 (boost it to 400hp with a supercharger and then a new paint job) and make it the Camaro of my dreams, or do I sell part of my soul and use that money to buy a used XK8/R?

I am very picky when it comes to the XK8/R and I will only take certain colour schemes. The colour schemes I have chosen are not the most popular or the most common and some seem to be pretty rare.

I have a lot of sentimental value stored in my Camaro(s) and I'm pretty sure I would cry if I sold it, much as you would cry if you had to sell your XK. Ideally, I would keep the Camaro and buy the Jaguar and while it can be financially feasible, I don't want to make that kind of financial sacrifice.

I have determined that the additional cost of personalizing my Camaro is roughly equal to the difference between selling my Camaro as it is and buying a XK8/R for the right price.

If you had to choose to sell something of so much sentimental value in order to realize a dream, would you? Please try to be as unbiased as possible.

Thank you.

Jared

P.S Here is my new Z28. In some of the pictures you can see the first Camaro that has been tarped. Both are green with T-Tops. The tail lights on the old Camaro replaced the "Euro" tail lights on the new one.

 

I like Big Macs, but I also like lobster. I eat Big Macs all the time, but if I had to pick between eating a couple of Big Macs per week, or having a couple of lobster tails, I'd pick the lobster tails. But that's just my personal preference. I'm sure some people hate lobster and love Big Macs. It's a completely personal choice.

Keep in mind that with the XK8 your maintenance costs will most likely be higher. There will be fewer after-market options available to customize your car. I like the power in my XK8, but I want more. Unfortunately there are very few options available to extract more ponies out of the engine. With a Camaro there are no doubt dozens of companies that make performance parts to help you get more power if that's what you want.

 

I think the fact that you are considering selling your Camaro should give you your answer. You want to exchange familiarity for something new and different.

 

It's hard to believe but power isn't my only priority. The Jaguar has a presence, a feeling, an aura of pure elegance and refined British taste. A Camaro has a history steeped in big power but lacking the cat calls Jaguars attract. No matter how you dress up a Camaro, it will never carry the same character or splendour as a fancy Jaguar. When I drive XKs and XJRs, I feel like a kid with a million dollar car. While I love feeling free and young in my Camaro, it just doesn't command the same attention my Jaguar would. But I'm not sure which kind of attention a 23 year old would get driving such a luxurious automobile. I fit in a Camaro like a glove. It's just so comfortable. It's like your favourite pair of no name jeans, you never want to take them off even when though you keep dreaming about the sale on the latest brand name. Ideally you'd alternate but your closet just doesn't have any more room.

I'm sure if I ever felt the need for more power, I could go through the hassle of adding a super charger to the XK8 or upgrading to an XKR or even commiting total blasphemy and swapping in a Chevy LS2 or LS7.

I should also mention I have a daughter who still uses a car seat. I've tried fighting it into a 2003 XKR and if I recall correctly, it worked well enough, though was a slightly tighter fit than the Camaros. Does anyone else have experience with child seats in daily driven XKs?

 

Really?!?! Come on now, it's a Camaro and will always remain so. At least when I had similar indecision about replacing my 95 Corvette with an XK8/XKR it was a Corvette I was worrying about and not a Camaro. Sorry if this sounds snobby or dissing but this should be a no-brainer.

Doug

 

Hands down. No comparison...XKR!

 

This is really an issue of long term maintenance cost more than anything else. Hands down the Jag XK8(R)/XJ8(R) are far superior cars in every way, but they will cost more to maintain over time and will have very limited aftermarket parts / accessories available.

As several have said this is a no brainer if all things are equal! Of course, what did you expect to get for an answer from a Jag owners forum?!

 

I had to get a piece of the camero vs jag thing. The two cars don't compare. The Jag is a slide on a piece of ice. The camaro is a rock thrown into the ice covered pond. Both cars are great in their respective space. I once owned a cougar xr7 and a mgb at the same time. The cougar would wipe the snot off of most of the muscle cars in my home town...but the MGB always brought the girl home. The Jag will always have a presence that everyone appreciates...the camero will only be appreciated by those who love them.

 

No comparison, XKR, Ask Sam He already wants more power. You'll regret it if you get a XK8, you'll keep wondering what your missing. Be prepared for high maintenance cost and a big grin every time you drive it.
Doug
2001 XKR Silverstone

 

What ever Camaro you get, the Xk8/R WILL cost you more to keep on the road, FOR SURE!!!!
If you are looking for seat of your pants fun, stick with the Camaro, specially if you moved up to the LS1 I think the motor is after the LT1 run. That LS1 with a 6sp will eat the Xk8 up everytime, prob the XKR also (even more money to maintain) and the fun factor of driving it, the ***** fast feeling will be more. If you want decent power but a car that EVERYONE will look at and give you a grin the Xk8 in any flovor is the way to go. Camaro is a everyday car, most folks don't give the 93-2002? much of a second look. The Jag is a head turner. But as said here there is LITTLE to nothing you can mod on them to make them go faster.
My choice, I would go with a ls1 conv 6sp camaro (remember my car xk8 is my wifes car). The camaro will hold decent resale, prob as good as the Jag.
Only fly in the works is if you went with the COUPE xk8 of the 1997-2005?? era, that is a VERY low production car of which you never see on the road.
Again, you DO need the stomach for the repairs that will come on the jags, even a simple brake job is more costly they most other cars.

 

It's called "growing up" or "maturing" - terms I prefer to "getting old." The Camaro will always earn admiration and respect in the high school parking lot or even, to use Reverend Sam's analogy, at Micky D's. But when you pull up to The Palm for that lobster, The XK8/R will get compliments from the patrons and a prime parking spot. Even though my XK8 is 12 years old I still have people rolling down their windows at a light to compliment me on the car.

 

The Jaguar XKR will whip the Z28 hands down. It will also turn heads no matter where you go. The ONLY problem with the Jaguar is the cost of the parts and the limited places you can get these parts from.

 

You have done your time in purgatory.
Now get your reward - XKR!

 

Dan R
AMEN
Doug

 

I love Camaros and especially the colour of yours. I've owned a couple. Now look at my car with 370hp in normal configuration and tell me if that's not what a Camaro was trying to look like. Also, way more trunk room than yours. Go to my albums and think about it. Cost of parts will be offset by you doing your own work.

 

*Please sense sarcasm in this*
Oh you folks are jerks. Just jerks. I've narrowed my visions down even more now thanks to you. Instead of being happy with what I could get, I'm now nervous that I won't like what I get once I get it unless I pray that holding out even more will bring my luck. You've taken the time to throw in your cents so I've taken the time to acknowledge most replies.

I'm sorry you feel that way. C3 and C4 Vettes don't do anything for me. I don't even eyeball them as they drive by. I love the look the F-Body so, so much more and unfortunately the LT1 and LS1 were purposely detuned. Camaros can easily be rigged to rival C3 and C4 Vettes, C5 and C6, not as easily.

Unfortunately that is only too true. It takes a real car nut to recognize the a well done Camaro, but any Joe can appreciate an "average" XK, unless like everyone has said, a kid from high school would easily impress his buddies in the school parking lot.

And you make the list as the first jerk. The XK8 has a similar amount of power to my Z28 and I'm happy with it. But now you have me thinking "what if..." before I even get my XK8/R.

Seat of my pants fun can't happen in the city or with the hardcore provincial police lurking on every highway and potholes, tractors and deer roughing up the back roads. Acceleration is really the only area of performance I need and that's acceleration to slightly above the speed limit.
I find it disappointing that not many appreciate the qualities of Camaro as much as I do. Unfortunately most attempts to make them look better often result in the term "rice" being applied in a negative connotation because they just can't look fancy or high class.
Unfortunalty that fly in the ointment is there. I'd much rather the coupe. The lines are much, much more flattering in my eyes and I've heard horror stories about temperatures in soft tops during Canadian winters. A way around this though is an aftermarket removable hardtop.

XKs do look and feel more mature. I think I'm giving you the title of 2nd Jerk because you've just made me start realizing that I may only love my Camaro for purely sentimental reasons... like any car fan loves their cars. I may not the car itself, but I love it because it's mine, reminds me of my first car (the only difference being the larger engine/related components and the leather interior) and I have had many memories in both. That would also explain why I bought a second Camaro instead of anything else. I thank you, and hate you for it.

That's not fair.

I have no response for this. However, a good shopper, mechanic, can upgrade the Camaro to equal or surpass that 370hp, for less than half the cost of upgrading to an XKR. No argument about trunk room. I can barely fit a box of diapers in there plus some groceries, let alone 2 weeks worth of groceries for a family of 4 plus a car safety kit and a couple of misc items that I was able to fit in my day with an XK8.

 

I am not sure there are that many people who fully have a grasp on how you feel. I've always loved the first gen XK8/XKR but I never thought it would be practical or affordable to obtain and enjoy. I owned an '87 Mercury Cougar as my first car and loved it. It had its own aura and wouldn't garner the respect that even your Camaro did, but it was unique, and as my first car had terrific sentimental value. After years of use it was starting to rust to the point where I had to get very serious if I wanted to save it or look to something else. It was then that I realize that I could actually afford an XK8. After a somewhat long and arduous process I found the perfect car. I loved my new XK8, but I didn't think I could ever sell my old cat. I knew I would probably never invest to save the car and make it everything that I wanted and I couldn't bare to see it rot away under my watch, so that finally convinced me to sell it. I wanted to find an owner who would cherish her and at the same time I wasn't eager for a fast sale so I priced her high. The price was high enough I expected to keep her for a while, when one day, a young new owner took her away.

The Jag is in every way better, but the Cougar was still a great car and that first car sentiment makes me think there will be a day when I start looking for another one. Some may think I'm crazy, but there are some comparisons between the two and the similarities are things I think are what drew me to both. Unmistakable style (drop dead sexiness in the case of the Jag), V8 power (while more power is always good, I didn't need an uncompromising sports or muscle car), RWD (I won't buy anything else) comfort, and rarity (yes they made a bunch of Cougars, but how many '80s Cougars in immaculate condition did you see in 2000?)

Interestingly enough both cars could be considered halo cars for their brands (although for the Cougar that was much more in the 60s not the 80s)

Ok, enough of an ode to my ol' cat and comparing it to the Jag.

One more thing to think of is timing. These cars are very affordable and are still at a point where they are reliable. As time goes on systems will fail and they will be harder to maintain. Quantity will also be decreasing as fewer will be on the road. Their value may even go up (don't laugh) if they become collectible, but if they do not replacement parts will become more difficult to source and more expensive. Quite simply you have waited long enough to be able to afford one of these amazing cars (as I have) and now is the perfect time to enjoy the car before it becomes difficult and expensive to run.

The shear number of Camaros on the road, the abundant aftermarket, and their simplistic design which lends itself to easier and less expensive repair; means you can always, down the road, pick one up to drive.

My choice: Jaguar, besides: I've always been more partial to T/As for my F-body fix

So what color XK are you looking for? I was looking for either black or BRG. I'm glad I found a beautify British Racing Green one.

Heres a quick picture of my two cats before I sold the Merc:

 

Just to respond to all of this, there will always be people who don't like or understand your choices in automobiles. Every car has a negative stigma that comes from somewhere. And like a fair amount of all stereotypes there is at least a grain of truth behind it.

Ex: Jaguar XK8, a wonderful car....that can be prejudicially looked at as the perfect car for golfing grandparents and trophy wives.

My '87 Cougar (which I probably bring up too much lately) fine car…for grandma!

Your Camaro: quick…but a cheap rattletrap that is only a showcase for Chevy's fine smallblock V8s

V6 Mustangs: cheap, perfect for your local stripper and single mom

Honda: rice (I still firmly hold on to this stereotype )

Etc.

We can't tell you what the right car for you can be. We can only tell you we all passionately love our XK8/XKRs. You have now discovered that you too can own one of these amazing vehicles. Now test one and see if it has that certain je ne sais quoi that will give you a big, stupid grin every time you see her or slip behind the wheel.

 

Westra: You beat me to the punch. I was writing this post when I realized people can't sense the tone of my typing. I said all of those things with a sly smile on my face. I was implying the jerks are jerks for calling me out on my narrow minded and on the fence approach to this situation. Not that they are actually mean or going out of their way to trash Camaros or any other car... well aside from comparing Camaros to purgatory :P.

My original idea was to cover at least half the cost of the XK8/R with the Camaro. If I couldn't do that in a reasonable amount of time, I'd spend the my budget on personalizing the Camaro with some engine mods and a brand new black paint job with dark green moose heads (as homage to my favourite beer: Moosehead and the original colour of my first car)

I was shopping for an XK8/R Coupe/Convertible in the right colour combination for the right price or the wrong colour combination for a significantly less price. I've searched Kijiji and Autotrader.ca in Canada, Craigslist and Autotrader.com in Wi, Il, Mo, Ak, La and everything east.

I've learned XKRs are pretty hard to find. The few I have been able to find are either at the higher end of my ideal price point or the wrong colour combination or both. Ideally the car would be black with black, tan or white interior, white with black or white interior or the seafrost/metallic sky blue with a tan interior. If I can't find those combinations, the purchasing price would need to reflect the cost of a repaint.

Originally I was looking more towards coupes with one at Marietta Sports Cars in Ga really catching my attention. However I've decided that I want something else. I will look for an XKR Convert for the right price, but failing that an XK8 will do. The first thing I will do to it will be purchasing a removable hardtop followed by ASA JH9 wheels or Sport Muscle GS wheels. The next and hopefully last thing will be an Arden body kit with the perfect paint job.

 

P.S If all else fails, I will find an XK chassis with an interior and install one of Chevy's fine small block engines. Blasphemy, I know... but wouldn't that give me the best of both worlds?