Yes, 427 Cobras are raw and probably the sexiest car ever made. I commented on another thread about 1st gen XKs vs. the current ones that all cars revered as beautiful classics have curves, including XKEs, Cobras, mid year Corvettes, XK8/XKR, etc. And Superformance makes a great one.

I've said for years the second gen Miatas (like yours) look very similar to a Jag XK8 when they're coming at you down the road. I agree you'll probably miss it if you sell it since it is so different from the other 2. For just a quick trip around town or to an autocross circuit, the Miata is hard to beat. And you can flog the heck out of it and still get 30 mpg. Of course this is coming from a guy with 7 cars...

 

You are a performance oriented guy. IMO I would get an older XKR for the same money. Having a Supercharged car is just plain cool. I absolutely love mine. I just bought it last month and even though I've had to work on it...new chains, tensioners, guides; replaced all the pulley bearings, new alternator on the way; oil cooler hi pressure hose blew out after I detailed the engine bay!! wheel sensors needed cleaning etc. But it is Code Free now and runs great. Anyway, opening the hood and seeing the SC'd engine, and feeling it's performance is awesome. I won't feel the same way about a normally aspired car. For what its worth.

 

I hear ya Steve. I do. I am a performance oriented guy. All of my cars have been sports cars that have been fabulous in what they are designed to do. Cobra, Miata, Lotus - each one focuses on something and does it pretty much better than anything else.

I have owned this car for one day now, so the reality of what I own is not clear yet. I haven't really driven it yet. But I have different expectations for my 2006 XK8 Victory Edition. I don't see myself going to the North Georgia Mountains to clip apexes, see if it oversteers/understeers or any of that. I guess I could force it to do it, but I don't think it wants to. Thats why I wasn't wound up about getting the superchargers. Right now I figure the normally aspirated V8 is plenty adequate for how I intend to drive it.

The Miata is great for that. The Cobra is great too, but with that much power in a 90" wheelbase and no power steering or electronic aids, you better be on your game. Part of the fun.

Right now I love the styling of the car. The quality of everything you see. The V8 motor. The convertible top - I am a convertible guy. Push a button and it goes down. Never had one like that. Like the Cobra, it makes me feel great when I am around it. When I first saw it on the dealer's lot it was like "WOW". I don't think that will go away. I think I will like listening to a sound system that works and is not drowned out by various noises the car is making. I think I will like the fact that my wife will look forward to going on drives with me instead of tolerating it. In my mind it is the XKE that I wanted in high school and college but could not have.

As I said in a previous post, right now I think the only potential downside is a regret that I am about to sell the perfect Miata.

Jack

 

Speaking of tops, I had mentioned that was one issue Jaguar never fixed. On my two XK8's the hoses have been replaced 4 times.

Might want to read up on that subject in the FAQ Sticky above. There are now two fixes for the problem.

 

AHA!! The female factor. Get a lady near an XK8 and she melts. Get her in one and it becomes her "Nice day. Think I'll take Janice to lunch" car.

Congrats and Ejoy it.

By the way, listen to "test point" about the top hydraulics. The old "green shower" sounds like the definition of a really, really bad day. I'll be putting the relief valve kit on mine this winter (which is the only real fix in my opinion, but I don't want to re-visit that agument in this thread. Read the posts and make your own decision.)

Anyway, have fun!!

 

It looks like you have re-visited it but you will have no argument from me about this solution.


Doug

 

Congratulations, Jack!!

As mentioned a couple of times in this wonderful conversation, please do look into installing the hydraulic pressure relief valve for the convertible top. It's a breeze to install and can be quickly removed if for any reason your convertible system needs warranty work for any other reason.

Have you posted pix of your new car yet?

--Ed

 

See above...

 

Hey Jack--welcome aboard!

What the dealer told you about the top not being covered under the SE warranty is not quite written in stone. I, and many others here, have had this problem taken care of by Jaguar under the SE warranty but it definitely helps if you have a dealer who helps push for that.

Doug

 

I thought about this quite a bit myself and the reality is that I also wanted a convertible where this extra power may cause more problems for the chassis, and without a manual transmission and limited slip diff, why bother with such compromises? The Corvette is a much better, more focused piece for that sort of work and a whole lot cheaper to use and maintain. Which is why I have one of each!

 

Doug, I realize this is an old post, but I am wondering which hoses you are warning about here with the leaking? I just had radiator hoses and clamps replaced on 2006 XK8.

 

He is addressing the hydraulic hoses for the convertible top, they can leak and produce, what is termed on here, as the dreaded "green shower" since it typically leaks near the windscreen.

The only issue that I can think of regarding radiator hoses is that the lower hose can rub on a plastic fin on the radiator and slowly cut through it. I had this happen on mine and replaced both hoses while I was at it, since they weren't too bad to do. This only affected the 4.0 cars since they rerouted that hose slightly on the 4.2, so it shouldn't have come into play for you.

Here is what I'm talking about: https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...or-hose-71932/

 

Foxylady, Did you take the car?


Wayne

 

I think based on her posts elsewhere recently, she took the car and then returned the car.

Doug

 

Doug, That is what I thought, but the post was about 130PM today.
I think it is a Coupe and that might be hard to find and that one has 51000 miles, which would be one plus and all the lies about the owner being in Fl, a big minus.
Like I said, she need to get it somewhere for a good inspection, but no way would I take it away from the dealer now.


Wayne


Doug, I just put a thank you on her post so she will come back here. Hope she lets us know something.

 

Yep, coupe. Here's a cached listing for the car she bought. Blacked out atlas wheels(?) 'Looks more like a man's XK8 than a woman's.

 

huh???

 

Interesting to see this thread. I started it November 2010 when I was about to buy my XK8.


So here we are four years down the road. I still have the car and love it. I have only driven it about 20,000 miles, but they have been great miles. The car is a keeper.


I have done all the appropriate maintenance. A few things have broken along the way. A couple have been more expensive to fix than I would have guessed. But it has been everything I hoped it would be.


I look forward enjoying it for many more years.


Great to revisit this thread.


Jack

 

See previous post and here.

 

Wayne, I did see your thank you, and it did lead me back here--so thanks for teaching me about that, too.

I have the '06 XK8 now. It had some issues arise the first day I had it. Took it back to the dealership and they did--eventually--resolve those issues and I did not pay the cost of those repairs ($2300+, according to their invoice).