I just bought a 1997 XK8 Convertible. I need some advice on the performance, my concern is how much power should I expect from the engine, specifically in take off from dead start. My XK does not spin the tires at all, starts quick, but I'd expect more power from a V8. It does have decent power when running 40-50 and pedal to the floor. Should I expect more? If so, where should I look as potential problems?
Thanks
Rob

 

sound about normal. These car have some HP but are really heavy. If in stock shape and have good tires on it don't expect to burn out in it.

 

as for problems?? Did ya not research the car before buying it?? If you read up here on the site you may get real scared. ha ha ha
Do you know the maint history????
Being the year it is the timing chain tensioners should be a PRIORITY to fix if you do not know if they have been. It they go out you can kiss the motor bye bye.

 

Look into this.

https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...estored-38663/

 

You should not be able to spin the tires unless the traction control or ASC is off, whichever you have. Be aware that the transmission has a first gear weak spot, and you could be playing with fire trying to treat the XK8 like a dragster.

Please visit the new member area and introduce yourself and your car:

New Member Area - Intro a MUST - Jaguar Forums - Jaguar Enthusiasts Forum

 

Where are you in western NC? We have forum members that may be able to assist you....

 

Couldn't agree more! Tensioner kit is cheap insurance......

 

https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/i...mnotworthy.gif
XK8 is in great condition, tensioners completed, new gaskets, and other major work. Work in Bryson City, live in Robbinsville. Sounds like it is my inexperience with this Jag, it's quick off the start, but not explosive. 30+, it's explosive!

 

I remember not being able to get much more than a few feet of 'rubber' from my 1966 'E' Type when I owned it back in the early 70's. A lot of guys laughed and said that their Mustang/Nova/Firebird etc. could get smoke from the tires for 20 or 30 feet.

I raced one guy and after I left him sitting spinning his tires they all stopped laughing at the little six cylinder car.

Instead of 'lighting up' the rear end it just kinda went 'squat' in the back and the car went forward RAPIDLY. (I love the Jaguar IRS)

Spinning the tires just means that you are NOT getting traction. A little wheel spin is OK but it should be CONTROLLED!! If they spin, get WIDER tires. (or wrinkle wall slicks)

Just me remembering the 'good ol' days'.

bob gauff

 

If you want tire smoke, buy a 60's Chevy big block with 4:11 gears and a 4 speed. Rev, the motor and dump the clutch. Watch the smoke as you ruin a set of tires, universal joints, rear end and clutch standing still. As you top out at 95MPH watch the Jag next to you blow by with room to spare.

Your Jag has 3:10 Road gears and a low ratio first gear to get you moving. If you want more power, don't waste money with modifications. Sell it and buy and XKR. Otherwise enjoy owing a beatiful grand toruring car for what it was meant to be.

 

Hmmmm, my 89 240 hp Corvette small block with 3.07 rear end and a four speed automatic would smoke the tires from a dead stop if I wasn't careful, didn't have any rear end or universal problems and would definitely outrun my 98 XK8. Well, at least up to 143 mph as I chickened out because I could see the end of the runway.
On the other had, I'd take the XK8 over the Vette any day. Comfort, ride, quietness and class win every time...

 

I had an 87 Vette with the same power but 2.73 gearing. I also had 11" 315 width meats on the back, so smoking them was a little harder. But I did get 27mpg at 75mph. Not that I cared lol.



My XKR is quite a bit faster, but the XK8s are not. My Corvette could definitely outhandle the XKR though, weighing a quarter ton less and being set up as a sports car rather than a GT. The XK8 is a fun car, but if you want more power and want it more similar in delivery to a Vette (down low), the R is a better choice.

If you get the power bug, buying an XKR will get your much further, much cheaper, than trying to hop up an XK8. Rperformance is right, sell and buy an R if you want power, or just enjoy the XK8 as a nice grand tourer!

 

I do miss my Vette but I don't miss that ride. Every tar strip, bump, piece of whatever is felt in a C4. My old Vette would definitely out handle and out accelerate my XK8 but comfort, a smooth ride and decent performance,,,,,that's the big draw to a GT type touring car for me (plus having a trunk again is nice). Climbing in and out of a C4 was getting to be a bit of a challenge, too. The Vette had a few "tweaks" for a better throttle response time as I used it to autocross a bit which probably accounts for it feeling more responsive. I did look long and hard for an XKR in my price range but just kinda sorta fell in to this one. And, couldn't be happier (the wife is too as she no longer needs to wear ear plugs to kill the noise...).

 

buy a 05/06 GTO.

 

How about a Challenger Hellcat? 707 hp from the factory.
Smoke 'em if you got 'em!

 

Hellcat is amazing but run it against a Tesla 85D and you get the difference between quick and fast:

 

Perhaps, but the topic was about Smoking the Tires. Do you have any photos of a Tesla Smoking the Tires?

Secondly, my post was about the Challenger, not the Charger.

Here is what the Challenger can do.
Video: Chrysler Posts Challenger SRT Hellcat 1/4-Mile Time ? News ?*Car and Driver | Car and Driver Blog

Since Dodge officially announced that its supercharged 2015 Challenger SRT Hellcat would pack 707 earthshaking horsepower, just about the only things left to mystery are the car’s performance numbers. While we always gather our own numbers—and we’re really looking forward to strapping our test gear to the car—Dodge released a video today that shows the big brute at the strip posting an NHRA-certified quarter-mile time.

The results: A blistering 10.85 seconds at 126.18 mph on street-legal drag radials. (It posted an 11.2 at 125 on the stock rubber.)

The Tesla was at 11.7 at 113 mph. The Challenger at 11.2 and 125 on stock rubber or 10.85 and 126 on street legal radials SMOKES the Tesla, which costs twice as much.

You can have the Tesla. I am going buy a Hellcat within the next year, just because.



[/QUOTE]

 

Original Post..."I just bought a 1997 XK8 Convertible. I need some advice on the performance, my concern is how much power should I expect from the engine, specifically in take off from dead start. My XK does not spin the tires at all, starts quick, but I'd expect more power from a V8. It does have decent power when running 40-50 and pedal to the floor. Should I expect more? If so, where should I look as potential problems?
Thanks
Rob"


Hmmm, now that we've completely hijacked the thread,

Your car is fine, go enjoy it. I'm taking mine out for a little 200 mile spin today heading down to Kalamazoo to the Air Museum

 

Thanks everyone for your comments. I am on a learning curve with the XK8, loving it and not wanting anything different. Guess if it could smoke the tires, it'd be another expense in changing tires too often. The comfort, style and performance are just right!!!

 

I will say this the early cars seemed to handle a bit better out of the box than the later cars. Try it in the hills with a couple exotics and I think you'll be impressed. Use the engine and trans for braking as much as you can because brakes are the weak spot and don't try to chase a Lotus (I coded out my transmission doing that). If you want to tighten it up more go poly bushings and you can lower the rear end gear ratio on the older cars, our newer ones will throw codes if we do that.


Now on that Challenger Tesla thing (sorry) here is the Tesla against the Challenger (spoiler the Tesla sets a track record):




The reason I didn't use this is because the Challenger was embarrassed by the Tesla. (You really have to use head to heads here). I've run the older P85E with my F-Type V8 S which is a ton faster than my modified XKR. I was in the Tesla and we did a 60 MPH run on where the Jag on paper should be faster. The Tesla walked away from the Jag because the guy driving the Jag didn't have it in dynamic/sport and didn't shift down (he didn't think he had to). 0-30 the Tesla P85D should even walk away from a Bugatti because it generates all of its torque from 0. If you ever get a chance to drive one in Insane Mode it really feels like you've been shot out of cannon (makes you wonder what would happen if you could put wider tires on it). But I actually think the car is stupid because you buy an electric for commuting not drag racing and the bigger motors cut into the range of the car. The P70D is the smarter car to buy, so despite the video I'd buy the Hellcat myself if I wanted a bad *** car and if I wanted a Tesla I'd get the P70D.


Here is a video with the Tesla against the much faster Aventadore:




Here is a video of a Tesla burnout (I haven't found one with the D, I'm thinking that while a 4 wheel burnout would be wild to watch it would also be incredibly dangerous): (But you can actually burn the tires till they explode in the old P85) and you don't need a line lock (all that torque).




Oh and here is insane mode:




Everyone should do this at least once. Nothing gets off the line like that car.


Anyway back to the Jaguar, I wanted more power so I sold my older XK8 and got a newer XKR and then modified the crap out of it. Still the F-Type walks away from it really easily. You can spend a ton of money making them reasonably fast but that really isn't their thing. Here are shots of both cars (it'll give you an idea what you can do):