I'm a newbie here, so forgive me if I've missed it...
But from the way some people talk about it, the Leaper might as well be the Leper.
I can understand not wanting it on an XK or E type.
OTOH, it is one of the most beautiful and iconic automotive mascots ever, and is one of the things I fell in love with Jaguar over as a child.

Why the vitriol?

 

On a Mk2 Jag, or a 3.5 V8 Daimler they look superb, but if you put one on an XJ or an XK it add 30 years to its age (in the way it looks).
The word J A G U A R is the modern replacement.

 

No hate, just looks like an awkward add-on in the XK8. In the xj8, maybe..

 

+1

 

Believe me.... If anyone on this forum is known for his add ons, it would be me. I saw an XK8 once, with a leaper on the front, instead of the growler, and I thought it looked out of place. The XKE didn't have a leaper, and our cars are direct descendants of that car. With a sloping nose it just doesn't look right in my opinion. It looks like it belongs on my X Type sedan, or any of the sedans, but just not on the "sports" cars.....If you can call a car weighing over two tons a sports car. On the other hand, it is your car, and you can do whatever you want......Be cool.....Mike

 

While visiting my 84 yr old mother-in-law last month, we talked about Jaguars(she loves Jags). She commented on how she liked the leaper. I told that they are not on the new models. She then said that's too bad because the leaper is one of the the things that make a Jaguar distinctive.

 

The leaper blends in perfectly on my S-Type. But as others have stated, it would ruin the lines of my wife's XK8....

 

Apparently the Mk2 Jag was one of the best dissemboweling tools around - but just think of the mess !!

 

Looks perfect ---->



Looks silly ---->



Just my opinion!

 

For me the difference is in the angle. On the MKII and earlier models, the leaper launches itself out straight. (Look at an SS 100. It is parallel to the ground.) On the newer style XJ, it looks down. On the XK8/R hood, it is angled so far down it looks like its jumping into a hole.

Stay with the growler badge. IMHO.

 

Maybe not a bad metaphor for Jaguar in the 1990's, though

Thanks for the replies - I now get that it's not hate for the Leaper herself but rather her placement on certain models.
Now THAT makes sense.

 

Opinions----opinions. Always remember, everyone has one--or two---or three.

I have both. An 05/XK8CF and an 05/XJ8L. The Leaper--which came on the car-- looks great on the XJ, but on the XK--well that's another story. But as Mrplow58 said above, it's your car.

Drilling a hole in that beautiful bonnet however, would be degrading to the car--I believe.

Yeah your right, just my opinion.

Cheers

 

I love the Leaper - have since childhood - but it would definitely be out of place on Kitty's bonnet.

However, .... could there be someplace else we could put one; say the rear deck (coupe only, of course), just behind the sub-woofer, so that it would be visible through the ear window. Don't shoot me - the idea just came to me without even looking at my car. I wouldn't be surprised if looked ugly or juvenile. Just musing aimlessly. :-)

 

I have one on my license plate frame! Seems like anything more would be overkill. Don't know why so many "R" badges are on it though, they just make the sheeple ask "Wuzza R?"

 

Or, you could do what I and 49 other Jaguar XK8/XKR's did and that was, to create our owner custom Jaguar leaper based on the lines of the hood and grill area.

We hired the same foundry in the UK that makes them for Jaguar to create a mold and make 50 of the Leapers and then the mold was destroyed.

The idea was to have one Jaguar leaper from each state, not sure how that worked out!

Yes I realize there are those that are saying "yeah, it was destroyed" at this very moment!

But you know that everyone that sees it in person says "Wow, that is really a cool piece"

It flows well with the cars lines and looks amazingly distinguished! It puts back some class where it was missing, it says Jaguar where it did not say it before and should have!

Of course this is all said based on MHO...

It is a substantial piece at six pounds and is installed without harm to the original car where the existing Growler badge was using a bolt from underneath to secure and existing guide holes.
(as you can see I moved the growler badge to the grill area)
The leaper is about 12 years old now and as you can see in great condition, it is a well done quality piece of art and the price we paid is representative of that! No, don't ask...

I enjoy the piece and admire it most every day.
OK, so now any comments ??? LOL

Click on picture to enlarge, if you dare!!

 

vettegood----

Beautiful piece. Wonder where the other 49 Leapers are?

Would have looked even better had there been just the PAWS on each side of the neck pressing on the cars nose, as if just about to leap out of the underbrush.

At least to me anyway.

Cheers

 

[QUOTE=jimforrest (uk);1304127]Apparently the Mk2 Jag was one of the best dissemboweling tools around - but just think of the mess !![/QUOTE

I think that is why they started making them, so they turn, or break off.....They just removed hood ornaments in the US, ruining what little style they had. Now I hear they are getting rid of bumpers that stick out, so you don't get broken legs, but slide under the car easier, to finish the job.....Mike

 

Yeah - a pulley hurtling round, two red hot exhaust downpipes, and two sizzling catalytic converters should do a nice job. It could end up smelling like an Aussie backyard on a summer's evening!
I need my tablets!

 

On my XJ8L the leaper points straight ahead, level with the ground, not up or down. But yes I have seen aftermarket leapers on XK8's and aluminum XK's that just looked bad.

 

Another issue with any leaper is vandalism. That lovely piece of art is irresistible to a certain element. My 1990 XJ40 Majestic had a nice gold leaper that some #@$% ripped off one night. Broke my heart. I replaced it and shortly thereafter totaled the car in an ice storm. But I removed the replacement leaper before surrendering the car to the insurance company. Same thing used to happen with a 1966 Mercedes 230S I once owned. The star was held by a spring (safety issue), which made it very easy to pull it off. I think I replaced it three times in a year and a half. Fortunately the spring mounting avoided sheet metal damage.