I just purchased a 1997 Maroccan Red Jag. It was sold and is VIN'ED as a XK8. However, it has the emblem below the trunk XKR. It has the XKR body and wheels but not supercharged. Looking at Jag history I find the XKR began in 98 and not 97. Can any historian or Jag authority explain what I have. We love this ritzy car but it sure seems like something out of the ordinary.

Thanks so much......I'm confused.....Jeff

Sounds liked the PO just changed the badging. Does the tach say supercharged? That's the one part that a clone would not be able to change.

The car is not supercharged. It does however have the body of the XKR...hood vents, honeycomb front grill, rear spoiler, larger wheels and has the XKR emblem. I read where ssuper chargingddidn'tbegin until 1998 .

Jeff,

If it doesn't have a supercharger, it's NOT an XKR - end of story. The only possible alternative would be where an original S/C engine was replaced with a N/A but I can't imagine anyone doing that.

The N/A and S/C cars share the same body in either coupe or convertible style. Originally Jaguar Dealers would not sell anyone an XKR bonnet unless they could prove they owned an XKR specifically to prevent this kind of visual upgrade. A determined owner could get round this and, of course, such parts became available from scrapped XKR's.

It's a beautiful car. Enjoy what you have but don't try racing any XKR's away from the lights!

Graham

No racing....just cruising. Nothing on this car has been switched or changed. I have all the papers and history. It only has 45,673 on it and has been loved through the years. I know they didn't begin the supercharge until 98. Could it be that they made the XKR in body style in 97as an option. As you can see it is monogrammed XKR and has hood vents, rear spoiler and front honeycomb grill and 18 tires? Thus the confusion?



Rear showing XKR with spoiler.





Front vents





No supercharge?

It seems you are having a little problem understanding. Your car came out of the factory a standard XK8.
Between then and you acquiring the car someone has rebadged it a XKR.

There is no confusion, it is a XK8.

If you require further proof, contact a Jaguar dealer with your Vin number and ask them to provide the build spec.

Run the vin here and check the specs...VIN Decoder - Jaguar Forums - Jaguar Enthusiasts Forum
Specifically look under :

Mechanical & Powertrain

4.0L (244) DOHC EFI 32-valve supercharged & intercooled aluminum alloy V8 engine-inc: fixed cam phasing
5-speed automatic transmission w/OD, normal & sport shift modes
Rear wheel drive
P245/45ZR18 Continental SBR front tires
P255/45ZR18 Continental SBR rear tires
Space saver spare tire
Speed-sensitive variable-ratio pwr rack & pinion steering
19.9 gallon fuel tank
Safety

I beg to disagree. Apparently the car has been modified at some point. XK8s were simply not shipped with XKR trim. In North America, XKRs were not available until 1999.

It is a stunning car, though!

Respectfully.....your not understanding. That has been done. It was not re badged and Iis entirely the way it was manufactured by Jaguar. It is far more than the XLR emblem. It's everything XLR minus the supercharged engine which was produced in 98. I'm looking for a response from a historian or expert who can add a valid opinion...not just telling me to check with the dealer because it was really badged. Thanks for playing but no prize. Anyone else have a valid expert response?

Would that really even make sense? Think about the expense and trouble one would go through.

For an enthusiast (and there are quite few here on this forum) it is well within the realm of possibility. Quite a number of folks here have undertaken far more extensive modifications.

well to be honest it was a fore thought. But I have had 2 dealers...Jaguar included.....make sure all is original. It is. That's why I'm hoping someone with a similar model can explain. The Jaguar dealer thought it was a special edition made in 79 before the supercharged engine was introduced.

Here is an easy way to get some evidence of the manufacture date of the XKR grill, which could help settle what is going on here.

Look at the latest date marked in the manufacture date record on the underside of the grill on the hood.

Here is mine:


The latest dot in the table indicates that my grill was manufactured in March, 2000.

Respectfully, it is much more likely and less "complex" a hypothesis that a previous owner simply (and it is very simple) re-badged the car, added the XKR hood, rear spoiler and wheels than this being an undiscovered Jaguar prototype..... although it certainly isn't impossible, as stranger things have happened.

The tip offered above to check the manufacturing date on the hood vents should settle the question effectively though. Great guidance there and look forward to what you find. Please post a clear high resolution photo of the date code on your vents and the experts here can take a look.

This is true of most parts too BTW, such as the wheels. They should have a date code somewhere.


But all one has to do is spend a little time here, or any other make/model forum, and one will quickly see that many owners do the same and much more complex modifications frequently, just for fun, which of course is why the aftermarket and communities like this are so prevalent and popular.

When one sees owners spend thousands, sometimes several times the value of the base car, to just update anything from simple aesthetic and performance bolt-on modifications to one-off custom solutions that require extensive engineering and systems programming; it is clear that something as simple as a re-badge and new hood, some new wheels and a spoiler isn't all that unlikely.

We see that and more all the time on this forum, and elsewhere, and here is a good example of a similar type of project someone completed on an XJR:

07 XKR vents n a 2000 XJR


However, all that being said, wouldn't it be neat IF your car were some sort of prototype? And I can certainly understand your excitement at the possibility.

I think the guidance about the casting date on the vent will settle the question. And checking your VIN can as well. You also could reach out to the Jaguar Heritage Trust to see what they know if you want to ask the "historians".

I still think it is most likely you simply have a car that a previous owner had some fun mod'ing to look like an XKR, and there's no shame in that

So bottom line, you've got a great looking car there and enjoy it as it is now, or put your own touch on it going forward. There are lots of options to return it to stock if that's your desire, keep it looking great as is, or even make it into something else such as putting a full XKR drive train in it ($$) ... or drop in a high compression twin-screw SC'd engine for almost twice the stock HP!

Good luck and welcome!

.

What Al said.......

You have our attention and please let us know your findings, I'd still like to know if the tach has "supercharged" written across the face...just curious. As the would be a feat for a PO to go that far to make the car look like an XKR.

You do have a great looking car...might I suggest you look into upgrading the tail lights to the jeweled style on later years, that would really complete the rear of the car.

Also agree that Al's explanation is the most likely. There are plenty of folks here who have at the very least done the grill mod to look like an XKR and probably also some who have added the bonnet louvers.

But if you are totally convinced that you have stumbled upon some one-off rare prototype, I have a bridge you might be interested in

Doug

Wonder why they are missing the jaguar badging on the back left ?

It's a really nice looking car regardless.
Is there any mention of the tensioners being changed in your paperwork?
If not have them checked out SOON.

The Chrome Plinth with the trunk lid release button was not available until 2001.