After reading this forum for a while, I'd got the impression the majority of members had opted for the XKR.

However, entries to the FREE PRIZE giveaway of JagRepair.com's Jaguar Roof Hydraulic Pressure Relief Valve for the XK8/XKR Convertible (1996-2006) suggest the opposite is true.

https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...aw-***-130836/

With 60 entrants adding their vehicle details so far, the split is 39 XK8 to 21 XKR.

I wonder if this ratio reflects the true preference or is biased by availability and higher cost of the S/C models ........

Graham

 

The entrants are all going to have ragtops. The convert/coupe ratio of XK8 owners is quite a bit higher than the convert/coupe ratio among XKR owners. Hence, greater XK8 representation.

A guess, anyway.

 

The answer to your question is, "No."

If I had wanted an XKR, I would have bought an XKR. As you prove, it seems that all XKR owners think that every XK8 owner wishes that he had an "upgraded" XKR instead of his XK8. I cannot speak for anyone else, but that is not the case for me and I have my own reasons, which I don't feel the need to explain.

Now, surely, we will have some XKR owners come on and prove my point for me.

 

Mine was a gift from my wife who bought it off the internet sight unseen. Believe I lucked out as it seems to be in good shape overall.

Would certainly have enjoyed the XKR if she had purchased one, but now that I've had this beast for 3 months I'm happy with it. XKR capability is overkill for me, but I can clearly see why the model has its fans.

 

I've had a number of fairly fast cars over the course of my automotive life. They're always fun initially, when you can smoke most of the other cars on the road. And for those living in wide-open areas where you can just let it go, that's great. For the vast majority of us living in urban and suburban areas, the roads are too crowded and full of traffic lights to get too frisky (and then there's the police). Highway passing is one of the few places where you can enjoy the extra power. Aside from that, give me a car that's good-looking, comfortable, and fun to drive (sanely) and I'm a happy camper.

Also, the complexity and expense of repairs and maintenance on the R's is more than I want to deal with at my advanced age (73). But I really miss my Mustang sometimes....

 

No, its just xkr's are harder to find, and if you do, they are very expensive

 

I would have gotten an XKR but with a budget of around $5000 that was out of the question...


Dave

 

An XKR was out of my price range when I was looking, and the few that were close to my price range were not perfect enough for my tastes. There are very few of these cars anywhere close to me since dealers are 200+ miles away and I wasn't quite ready to fly somewhere and then ship/drive the car back.

 

Lower cost of purchase, less potential maintenance and in an urban environment the extra ponies would not matter that much. All this equals a N/A XK8 for me.

But if I could have found a decent coupe...

 

Well for me choosing the XKR was more about the unique subtleties more so than just the horse power. The unique styling and better handling was my turning point.....

It's like choosing to slip and slide on Beyonce (R) over Jennifer Lopez (8)....

Are there truly any losers? We're all winning!

 

+1

 

I bought an XKR because I wanted the extra power. I considered buying an XK8 but I knew that I would have eventually regretted not having bought an XKR. When, after looking for about 6 months, an XKR coupe with a little over 30k miles came up, I jumped on it. That was nearly 3.5 years ago and I'm still very happy with my decision.


Mark

 

I probably fall into the "midlife crisis car" demographic - I'd set my heart on a V8 with 400+BHP and after looking at various other marques I settled on the XKR coupe. I'm glad I did but tbh I rarely get to use the extra ponies over the XK8 - mainly when booting it in sport mode to accelerate up slip roads etc...

 

Being a tuning company of sorts I do get a lot of inquires on how to make their XK8s faster, I do not deny I tell them the few thousand I have just quoted them for a meager power increase and go and put it towards trading in their XK8 and buy an R....

I have many customers who are very happy with there XK8s, I don't want this to come across patronising but the majority of which are on the older side and simply do not feel the need to go hooning around the countryside, it's the younger guys who wish they had an R, be it for bravado, pissing rights down the pub or for the just look at me I have an R scenario, none of which make it wrong.....

For me...... it would have to be an R....... I just love the power, every time I floor it I feel like He Man raising his sword up and shouting the words "I HAVE THE POWER"!!!!!

He Man I Have The Power

 

I don't think that Kim has ever put the pedal to the metal on the 8 so an R would have been pointless. Now if I could only get a supercharger for my SL!

 

Ok Graham, I'll put my name in on the drawing, wouldn't want to skew the numbers :-)

 

I bought my XK8 specifically because it's the best looking car since the XKE, and I didn't particularly need the extra horsepower. The XK8 is plenty zippy, and has fewer moving parts. When I find myself getting "challenged" on the street -- which seems to happen all the time now -- I just adjust my sunglasses, tip my hat, and savor the knowledge that I've got the coolest car in sight.

mws out

 

In the 2 years I looked for the perfect car I found the XK8s were in better condition than the XKRs of the same vintage. I chose my 8 because of the maintenance records and overall condition at time of purchase. I don't suffer from supercharger envy after all if I want to go fast I take two wheels.

 

It's my wife's daily driver. She couldn't care less about more horsepower since she never uses what she has in her XK8. It's easier and less costly for me to maintain. It gets better gas mileage. The annual insurance costs are lower. We'll just stick with what we've got, thank you....

 

I bought the XK8 as a present for my beautiful wife for her birthday, but I have been driving it more while sorting it out. It's smooth and quiet, fast enough for me, and a delight to drive. If I want crazy quick I have the 427. I had to remove the Weiand supercrarger from the Cobra in the interest of self-preservation.