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Drove down to Texas for a nice lunch with daughter and her children, then back home. All told 550 miles. No drama, just a nice day spent behind the wheel of a fine and nearly vintage ‘02 XKR , mostly driven just under triple digit speeds, mostly….
Alternatively: 718 ft goes really quickly at 131 mph. Would love to see video of the exit.
I think the 718 ft was altitude above sea level. Pretty sure I didn’t get all four wheels off the ground at the same time, that would’ve been very exciting.
The motor seems to have more oats, more eager, at 168,000 miles than it did at the 116,000 mark when I bought the car 3.5 years ago. Likely just wishful thinking .
Z
PS yeah, I just checked the app and it has provisions to list altitude in either meters or feet.
Nice. At 131 the 550 miles must fly by. When these cars are right they sure are a pleasure to drive.
sadly, the substantial vehicle traffic in Texas restricts me from running in the 130’s for very long at a time. Plus there’s the ever present the fear of retribution from “John law”. Try as I might, I haven’t been able to formulate a good reply to the law’s query, “What’s the big hurry?” Nothing that I think would work anyway .
But as most of us know, going 80-90 mph for hours on end is still pretty nice in these cars.
On the other hand Oklahoma, being much less populated*, has long stretches of empty roads where a person can stretch the XK’s legs, albeit brriefly, more easily.
Z
* the population of the Dallas - Ft Worth area alone exceeds that of Oklahoma’s entire state.
have covered about 3500 miles on our road trip so far. On the long, straight highways through the likes of IA, NE, CO, WY, MT, etc. it's a blessing to have a car that can sit comfortably in the triple digits.
Nice. At 131 the 550 miles must fly by. When these cars are right they sure are a pleasure to drive.
Absolutely, the operative word is "when". I've recently rekindled my romance with my 97 XK8 while trying to reset OBDII Monitors to get my Smog Certification. I finally passed last week after a "spirited" 150 Mile drive at speeds averaging 80MPH and occasionally exceeding 110.
My only existing issue is, it sometimes feels like its in too high a gear too soon and lacks acceleration unless I use the J Gate to manually shift.
have covered about 3500 miles on our road trip so far. On the long, straight highways through the likes of IA, NE, CO, WY, MT, etc. it's a blessing to have a car that can sit comfortably in the triple digits.
Hey glad to hear your trip is going well. Top speed to date is 75 but even then get a sense of how comfortable these cars are at speed. Once I get the trans squared away, new tires (and maybe shocks), then it's triple digits time. The invite stands if you're in the Sacramento area!
I'm taking 131 as a personal challenge. The main part of that challenge is to find suitable open roads here in Central Coast California……”
I think you’ll have to head east over to Nevada in order to find some appropriate empty spaces. Just make sure your tires are up to the task. I waited until the car got all 4 new Michelin’s. They definitely are confidence inspiring.
( You'll have to beat 132.8 though, which I’m sure will be easily done with any XK in decent condition. My 70 year old reflexes are the limiting factor with me, certainly not the cars capacity for more.
The hardest part is taking a screen shot without taking eyes off the road).
Driving my 2002 XKR at high speeds where there are any curves involved is positively petrifying for me. The rear end just doesn't want to obey. I wouldn't say that about my 2010 XKR that just begs to be driven hard and through the twisties. I have had my 2010 up at about the 140mph mark on the track. I don't know whether to applaud you for having the guts to take your X100 up to that speed or to deride you for taking the chances involved. Nice memento, however..
Driving my 2002 XKR at high speeds where there are any curves involved is positively petrifying for me. The rear end just doesn't want to obey…….”..
well, to begin with, I certainly wouldn’t classify my driving skills as professional, more like an experienced amateur. But I have driven all types of cars that were set up for track use. I’d rank the ‘02 XKR as a heavy, but stable platform. By stable I mean once a line is chosen for a curve the car will stay on said line without any drama until the tires begin to “howl” in protest. At that point it depends on the tire whether traction is lost gradually, or all at once.
Note: very often, I’ve found that a substantial amount of experimentation with tire pressure is required before a car wants to give its best effort.
If the internet can be believed the weight distribution of the ‘02 coupe is 52% front / 48% rear. So the neutral handling is to be expected (The convertible is slightly better at 51 / 49).
As you point out , the X150 is going to be the better handling car, time matches on, and the X150 is the proud beneficiary of all which was learned from the it’s predecessor. Nevertheless I don’t believe there are any glaring defects in the earlier model which make the handling dangerous or risky.
Without having the opportunity to give your ‘02 a through examination, I’m not able to speculate as to why it is unsatisfactory for you. There’s a lot that go wrong with 20 year old vehicles. I’m betting that some rigorous detective work would reveal the gremlin(s) responsible for your dissatisfaction.
Not saying the X100 will ever be as well mannered as it’s successor, but it shouldn’t be an uncouth lout either.
I for one applaud you. I put 1500+ miles on my '97 coupe each summer driving through the mountain ranges of northern B.C. The car handles beautifully going through the windy mountain passes at 80 - 90 mph and has no problem passing vehicles on the short uphill straight stretches. These cars are meant to be driven although your record is safe from me, I've only had mine up to 120 but I would love to take the car out to the prairies where you can watch your dog run away for 3 days and let her have a good run.
zray,
When I essentially stopped driving my 2002 in favor of the 2010 several years ago, I still wanted the 2002 to be brought up to a very high standard. I had the car reconditioned with a rebuild of the engine, all the suspension components checked and either repaired or replaced, shocks and bushings replaced, even a new paint job. I still love the car and with 175,000 miles on her even though she looks new, I could probably only have sold it for $4-5000. I'd rather keep it around for that, But in terms of driveability/performance, the more modern platform is light years ahead of its predecessor. Recently, I started driving my 2002 a little bit, and it's very noticeable driving them back to back. At 130mph, I'd be nervous on anything but straight highway.
To be clear, I don’t intend on losing the few years left to me by hitting hairpin curves at triple digit speeds. I’ve managed to have a life full of adventure by being selective when and where I throw caution to the wind. The X100 platform has limitations, as do all cars. Recognizing them, and knowing when to back off is the most important part of driving enjoyment .
From the description given, I still think there are some loose ends with your X100’s suspension or chassis which are impacting the car’s stability, and your enjoyment.
Of course I’ve been wrong once, or twice. And some might point out that comparing the handling of a convertible vs a coupe is just another apple to oranges mistake.
Z
PS nice to hear of the care you’ve given your ‘02. The cars are just too nice to be sorely guided by its marketplace worth.
Z,
thanks for the feelgood story
My best was 130mph "one lost night on a lonely country road, looking for a shortcut..." and it just felt effortless, and there was a willingness to give more.
@tberg - beautiful car in my favourite Carnival Red. I suspect you'd get somewhat more if you were to sell, but totally get why you won't.
Just hearing fireworks - happy 4th to you. Seagulls unimpressed...
michaelh,
Thank you for the compliment. Of all of the cars I have ever owned including my spectacular Pantera, no car of mine has ever received as many compliments as my 2002 Carnival Red XKR. I can never drive it without someone coming over and saying something to me about it. I doubt with over 175,000 miles on her that I could get much more than $4000 or $5000 for it even if it looks like a million bucks. For that kind of money, I'd rather look at it in my driveway and occasionally take it out for topless driving in So Cal sunshine. My 2010 XKR coupe just passed 185,000 miles and is my current daily driver, and what a wonderful, reliable beast she's been. About 600hp, taught as a drum, and still looks new as well. I guess I'm hooked on Jaguars.
Another great driving day
