I want a convertible, and I've considered BMW 3-Series (good choice, and cheap), Chrysler Crossfire (2-seater), and my decades-long desire, the XK.
There should be others, like maybe Audi TT or Nissan ZX, or maybe even Miata, but I really had no choice once the XK came into my head.

Does the XK come in 2-seater version?

At first I saw coupe/convertible/roadster, and thought roadster might be it.
But roadster is just a synonym for convertible apparently, like 'spyder' etc.

I love the F-type, two seats and the right size.
But so expensive. And not that distinctive XK style.

There needs to have been a two-seater XK, right?

 

Just remove the back seat and replace it with a package shelf or a giant subwoofer cabinet.
And if people think XK's can be repair intensive try owning an Audi TT. A friend of mine has one and it averages $400/month in repairs and its in the indy shop more than he has it.



Dave

 

Anyone over 3' tall who has tried to sit in the back of an XK will tell you it IS a two seater.

If you want it to look like a real two seater, Dave's suggestion is pretty simple to do. Search the threads here. Several folks have done the conversion.

 

Oh, you guys were serious. I thought you were being facetious about the subwoofer shelving. I like that back-of-the-seat against-the-rear-wheel feel of a two-seater.

Guess I'll have to get used to that 2+2/3 feel (that's 2/3'rds of a back seat).
Me no likey.

 

More like 2 + 1/3 of a seat. I think they had paraplegic children in mind when they designed them.


Dave

 

Oh well sh*t, why don't I just get an XJ if an XK has to pretend to have 4 seats?
I heard that they did that to assuage the insurance companies.

VaDave, I like that Audi TT story. As a BMW owner (330Ci) and huge fan, it somehow makes me feel good. It's like if Jaguar always had someone nipping at their heels, like MG say, with 'were just as good', and 'we won the interior fit and finish' prize. HEY! F off. You're Audi.

 

And worse yet its just a glorified VW Golf much like the newer Beetles. After the problems he's had with it I'd never want to own one. It looks great and his looks like new but what good is it if you can't drive it, Sort of like my dead 97 XK8 rotting away in my driveway...


Dave

 

Yeah, but I bet the 97 XK looks cool in the driveway.

 

Now that the rain has stopped I will try and operate on it a bit tomorrow.


Dave

 

I strongly considered a TT 225 coupe right before I found my XKR when I was looking for a more reliable 'fun car' to replace a 944 Turbo that was about to eat me out of house and home. The TT has always been intriguing from a design standpoint, and I was absolutely going to get one with a manual, but it just didn't have the passion and poise I was looking for. And I already owned two 1.8Ts and was over that motor. I wanted something a bit more 'GT' with a soul, and with a V8 dammit. Luckily I found it. The XK100 has been a back burner dream car since I was in college- the 1:18 scale model of one I had in my dorm is now in my office.

Also, my other car is an Audi and I'm equally passionate about the superlative engineering of my S8. Watch it...

 

I had several Audis in the past as well. The last one an A6. They were all excellent cars and possibly "over-engineered".

They simply lacked the panache and smile factor I get from the blue cat.

 

Yes, it is interesting how that automobiles produced in different countries portray what might be called the spirit of that country. I think that, from the beginning, automobiles represent a reflection of both the society in which they are produced and obviously the same about the people who own them.

For instance, the German autos represent the technical, industrial, mechanical bent of that society. They are very highly engineered and somewhat harsh and strident in their manor. They are not so much about looks as technical function.

Italian automobiles represent a very passionate expression of what an automobile should be. I mean, look at the Lambo and the Ferrari. While they both reach to the limits in engineering, they are more focused on the looks and style than the German autos.

Russian cars? Well, not much needs to be said there.

The Japanese have carved their own niche with engineering that is not so much trying to push the limits of performance, but with rock solid dependability. They had their own style for a long time and then several years ago they began to mimic the German auto styling.

American autos were big and boisterous with their own unique styling. In the last several years, they have begun to make cars that look more like the sort of Euro/Asia look that they all have now, when you can hardly tell one from another.

Kia, Hundai and the Koreans have been producing some amazing cars that fit the modern trend of not being able to tell one from another.

Now, we come to Jaguar. To me, Jaguar has always striven to represent Class. I mean, there is a certain level of engineering that is there, not quite to the level of the German or Japanese cars, but an undeniable level of class that none other than the British cars represent. I mean, look at them, the Jaguar, the Aston, the Rolls Royce. These are all well engineered cars in their own right, but the thing, to me, that has always separated them from the others is the level of Class that they exude.

Anyway, though I think that the recent Vettes are very good cars, I just never got the impression of Class from a Chevrolet Corvette that I get from a Jaguar XK8/R.

Anyway, that is my take on it, and we are entitled to our own views.

 

I am angry at my A8L, but mostly because of IPO (Idiot Previous Owner), but a sticking point is I hate their rubiks cube level difficulty on some electrical connectors. I would buy another one down the line, but I'd want a mint well loved W12 A8L. My next car is likely a DB9 or Continental GT.

My 98 A4 is also going to be for sale because I just don't need it and it's a minty low miler where I just rebuilt the engine and went through the car.

 

And then there's the visceral effect; try to keep a smile off your face when you approach it in a parking lot. I've owned a number of cars in my time, but I get more "beautiful car" remarks with this one than any previous rides.