I wondered my self! And of course there was always Metallic Walnut Black and Metallic Black Walnut. Choices!

 

Cheers to the wife!! I like a brave woman!!
I still have mine sitting on my desk purring! (leaper, not woman!!!)
You can always do what I did. I cut off the restraining bolt and shafts, epoxied the leaper to the base, sanded the base smooth underneath and used 3M badge tape to install. I never had an issue, very secure and if someone wants to steel it, it will do MUCH less damage than ripping off the bonnet when screwed down!!
AND, easily reversed if she decided against, or for resale!!
Anther thing, depending on the car color, they look great body color. Mine was black to match my car.

 

Let's clarify, I said "older" not old!! If we drive XK's we're never really old!!

 

Would you put the famous Mercedes "Star" on the hood of a 35-50-600 SL?

I think not. Same for the leaper.

 

 

Perfectly said. End of discussion.
Vector

 

Mercedes star isn't sexy!! Just saying!!

 

By the way, hood ornaments started declining due to stringent pedestrian injury laws. It was never because they WANTED to loose them. Although there is a story that jaguar wanted to loose the identity of poorly built cars so they left the leaper behind for a more modern growler badge. As with everything, we are lead to believe they are passé! When Rolls Royce looses the winged victory, I'll give up my leaper!!! Nuff said!!
If ya want one, put one, if ya don't, don't!! It's not my car it's yours!! Life's to short so make ya self happy!!

 

Just food for thought on this: About 30 years ago I had restored a 1965 Mercedes 220SEb Cabriolet. One day when I was feeling like ignoring all risks, I drove the car around and decided to stop at a local KMart in eastern Las Vegas on Sahara Blvd. A decent neighborhood, not a ghetto by any means. Being the careful type I parked the car alongside the building very close to the wall, and completely out of the way of any traffic or regular parking.

I probably spent a whole 15 minutes in the store, came back outside, rounded the corner and noticed right away that my "Star" on the top of the gleaming newly-chromed radiator shell had been twisted. Close examination revealed someone had tried to pry it off, but the spring loaded mount prevented them from stealing it. I had to polish out the small scratches on the shell, but I never made that mistake again.

Lesson: there are stupid, selfish, azzhole thieves and idiots anywhere you go, and they WILL destroy your car to rip of what they want. Anything sticking out on a car -- especially a really nice car -- attracts the idiots, and they will "F" with it. So, I recommend not putting anything nice or unusual anywhere it attracts the attention of the deviates and other scum.

 

I'm with the anti leaper crowd!
My parents used to own a Mk10 when I was a kid, the big flat front on that looked good with the leaper.
The XK has a way too sleek and sexy profile for it to work.
You know when an 18 year old gets his or her first car, they go to halfords and buy everything thay can and screw or glue it on their car and it looks terrible ( I have no room to talk here, 2 of my cars are orange hehe)but they think that it looks cool, well that's kinda what your xk is going to look like with a leaper on the bonnet. It looks like you've stuck it there because you happened to have one and didn't know what to do with it :-)

 

P.S.
I happen to love your car Phil, just not the leapery bit :-)

 

Off topic (kind of) but have you guys seen the trailer for The Wolf of Wall Street, the new Scorsese-DiCaprio movie? Funny because theres a gorgeous yellow XK-E in it that clearly has a CGI leaper on the hood, seemingly to tell the casual viewer "ITS A JAG!!". Now that would be an abomination.

By the way, I’m an XJ8 owner, and I LOVE the leaper, but I'm on the market for an XK8 and I agree with most, it just doesnt flow with the lines, it would look like a flea jumping off the cats forehead, in my opinion
.

 

jorge, I was trying to think of a metaphor but you have summed it up perfectly :-)

 

No no, no leaper in the future of Mistique! Been there done that!!
I found my happy place with badging by coming up with my own! Mixed a bit of vintage XJS growler with new XF badges.
When my last badge gets here, they go on my wheels too!

 

Opinions?

 

I'm having my XK8 painted and I'm planning on having a leaper installed on the front. As the matter of fact, I told my husband that's the only thing I wanted added to mine when he got me the car. I just love the Jaggy leaper on hubby's S Type and want it on mine.
I do agree that the leaper and the growler badge looks a bit too busy so I think we're having the badge move to the grille like Phil suggests.

 

Hey Kitty, why dont you get my former leaper. I do like them as long as they are painted the color of the car! Mine's been powder coated black and modified to install with badge tape. No holes necessary. It would look awesome in that red!! And since its been powder coated, it can be painted without chipping.
A red metallic leaper would look so unique!!

 

It doesn't bother me either way. I've even seen them installed just below the wind screen on the XJS. One of the cars they used in The Saint had it on it. From Jaguar!!!

 

My question is why those bumper overriders are still there. Leaper? all I see is rubber.

 

Good point!!