Jaguar XJR8 delimited

[Paul XJR]

Guys (and Gals),

I've just bought a 1999 Jaguar XJR8 4.0 supercharged, which is apparently limited to 155mph.

The car is *very* fast, but I've not have the guts to take it up to 155 yet (so I don't know whether the limiter works - or what it feels like to hit it)

But, just purely out of interest, what do you reckon the top speed would be delimited..? (Not that I ever drive over 70mph)

Paul....

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Hallo Paul XJR,

 

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[LateNightCable]

Welcome Paul!

I think 170+ would be a safe bet. Perhaps someone else has an exact figure.

[thepolarfoxqx]

i believe i've heard a number of 173mph on that car without the limiter, performance parts for jaguars seem to be a little difficult to find, but i'm personally a big fan (despite the fact that mine is limted to 149, and that's about all the more power it has)

But yeah, you've got one hell of a car, that thing has to be a blast.

[SpEeDiSaDdIcTiVe]

Guys (and Gals),

I've just bought a 1999 Jaguar XJR8 4.0 supercharged, which is apparently limited to 155mph.

The car is *very* fast, but I've not have the guts to take it up to 155 yet (so I don't know whether the limiter works - or what it feels like to hit it)

But, just purely out of interest, what do you reckon the top speed would be delimited..? (Not that I ever drive over 70mph)

Paul....

Is limited, not apparently (although I've heard of 'limited' cars exceeding their 155 m.p.h limit). I'd say 180 m.p.h or thereabouts.

[thepolarfoxqx]

i don't know about the new for '04 XJRs, but the old body (like his '99) don't have the greatest aerodynamics. They start running out of steam, and the 170s seem to be about it (which is hell fast), but they do have stability issues up there.

Just imagine going 170 with 4 passengers in swank comfort. It blows my mind.

[Paul XJR]

Thanks to you all for your feedback regarding my XJR8.

Just to clarify, I said "apparently limited to 155mph" because I don't know whether one of the previous owners might have had the car delimited, and I've not seen over 150mph (indicated, which was probably about 145mph real). I know of at least one company in the UK that will delimit the car for about £250. However, the wouldn't tell me what the top speed would be.

Also, to thepolarfoxqx - you're right, the car is not the most aerodynamic. You get some real wind noise over 120mph. I reckon the best thing to do is to select "Sport" over about 100mph, as that stiffens the suspension and lowers the ride height of the car by about 10mm.

Still, I floored the throttle at 125mph, and the auto 'box kicked down to 4th - awesome!

At 150 mph, I reckon you're doing about a gallon of petrol about every 90 seconds though...

Thanks once again!

Paul....

[SpEeDiSaDdIcTiVe]

Thanks to you all for your feedback regarding my XJR8.

Just to clarify, I said "apparently limited to 155mph" because I don't know whether one of the previous owners might have had the car delimited, and I've not seen over 150mph (indicated, which was probably about 145mph real). I know of at least one company in the UK that will delimit the car for about £250. However, the wouldn't tell me what the top speed would be.

Also, to thepolarfoxqx - you're right, the car is not the most aerodynamic. You get some real wind noise over 120mph. I reckon the best thing to do is to select "Sport" over about 100mph, as that stiffens the suspension and lowers the ride height of the car by about 10mm.

Still, I floored the throttle at 125mph, and the auto 'box kicked down to 4th - awesome!

At 150 mph, I reckon you're doing about a gallon of petrol about every 90 seconds though...

Thanks once again!

Paul....

It's faster than fast enough. At least you had the good taste to buy a Jag over a B.M.W or the like. Well done. Just out of curiosity though, where would you be able to do over 150 m.p.h if you did get it de-restricted? There's nowhere in the U.K (unless you go to a racing circuit, but even then I doubt you'd get it over 150 m.p.h without going too fast to brake for the corners). If you know of anywhere, let me know!

[Paul XJR]

Thanks, SpEeDiSaDdIcTiVe...

I couldn't have bought either of the other cars as my mate has a Beemer and my next-door neighbour has just bought a Merc! However, I've always liked Jaguars - there is something traditional about them.

You are right about finding somewhere to drive at 150mph+. Good British roads are few and far between, and the problem is that British drivers don't usually expect to have a car approaching so fast from behind! However, I would say that, by and large, most motorways, between about 2am and 4am would be empty enough to enable you to do 150 mph+. There are restrictions on the tightness of bends, so you shouldn't find too many surprises!

However, if you are the only car, you are a very easy target for a radar gun, and as radar detectors generally rely on other motorists being zapped before you get into range, that won't be much use to you. Personally, I'd rather have my licence than see my car locked up in the garage while I serve a driving ban.

Then, of course, there are the risks of a blowout, mechanical failure, etc. You can't enjoy your XJR, Merc, or whatever, if you're in a wooden box six feet under.

Best to stay sensible...

[thepolarfoxqx]

It is awsome how the gearing gives it motor left at 120. My X-Type is stuck in 5th north of about 125-130, but it would really pay to de-limit it if you had some performance modifications such that you had top end to make use of that. Yeah, gas is probably going pretty quick that fast,

and what is this about bad taste. I've always been a jaguar fan, but mercedes, audi, and BMW each have some very redeaming qualities too, and while none may be as sexy as jag, i would hardly call them poor taste.

[SpEeDiSaDdIcTiVe]

Perhaps 'better taste' would be more fitting.

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Hallo Paul XJR,

 

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Der V16 Motor zum Selberbauen (Anzeige) ist auch genial.

[thepolarfoxqx]

better taste in styling yes, and i know that X-Type has more problems than other jags, but my Jaguar has seen the mecahic more times in the two years i've owned it than my last 4 german cars combined. I blame ford (and the fact that they really expected half jaguar half euroford parts to mesh in a car as complex as X-Type), but none the less.

I will admit the old XJ (up until '03), which was arguably the last lyons car (or lyons influenced) was everything a jaguar should be to me, does the new for '04 XJ live up to you SpEed?

[SpEeDiSaDdIcTiVe]

Of course. It was a great design from the beginning, and it's just more up-to-date. Although it does sometimes look as if it rides a bit too high, but maybe it's just me. Lyons wasn't going to be around forever. I think the entire Jaguar range looks beautiful, it's just a shame the big hand of Ford has been fiddling around in the parts and engines department. The new S-Type is a nice tribute to the Lyons S-Type of old, it's just a shame that they banned the mascot from them. :roll:

[thepolarfoxqx]

i wouldn't buy a jag without the leaping cat on the hood (i don't know why it isn't on XK either).

lyons wasn't going to be around forever.

something odd happened today. Next to me were two XJRs, a brand new one in blue, and one a few years old in black right behind it.

I have to say, next to the old one, the new one just isn't attractive, alone it might be, but in front of the old XJR, it looks plain, the sides look flat, and it looks tall. No doubt the new XJ is attractive, and still distinctly jaguar, it just doesn't have the low roof, the long hood, the pinched trunk, it just doesn't look cat-like and feminine in the way the old one did.

I respect the huge technological and performance enhancements in the new one, and would love to own one, i just feel a little of the jaguar was lost in it.

[Paul XJR]

The reason for the leaping cat not bing fitted to the bonnet (as we call it, or the hood to you guys...) of the Jaguars is that it causes major injuries to pedestrians in the event of the car hitting a pedestrian. I think the same applied to the silver lady on the front of the Rolls-Royce, and RR got round the legislation by making the Silver Lady retract when the car is going along.

However, there was a Jaguar cat on the front of one of the XJRs I was looking at when I bought mine, and the dealer said it had been fitted after purchase - personally, I didn't like it.

I also agree about the shape of the X350 (the 2004 Jag) - it is too high and, for me, looks too much like the X-type (also, it was well out of my price range!!!) Not that I've got anything against the X-type (as I haven't got anything against BMWs or Mercs - just to clear up any previous misunderstanding), but when you're paying twice as much for the XJ, you don't want people to mistake it for an x-type, do you? Otherwise, you could have bought an x-type and been happy when people mistake it for the XJ...!

Having owned many Fords (9 in the last 15 years, from Fiestas up to the Scorpio), I think Jaguars are still worlds apart from the Fords. I hope it stays that way too.

I will say, however, that one of my reasons for buying a Jaguar (instead of a BMW or Merc) is that they are owned by Ford.

Paul....

[thepolarfoxqx]

wow, that is really cool. in england, be owned by ford is a good thing. See, europe-ford is actually very good, whereas ford of north america, not as much. Everyone here was dissapointed when Jaguar was bought buy them.

My X-Type has a leaping cat on the hood. The moral of the story, pedestrians, stay out of my way!

[Paul XJR]

Ford Europe is OK. Build quality is OK for the money you pay. Japanese cars are reputed to be good quality for the money (they win all the surveys), but the feeling is that Japanese cars have "no soul".

Ford have released some really good cars in Europe (I don't know which ones you get in the USA). The handling on the Focus is excellent, and the Mondeo (which has the same floorpan as the X-type) also has really good handling.

Recent classics from Ford Europe include :

* 1985 Escort RS Turbo - 1.6 turbo, 132 bhp, 130mph top speed, 0-60 in under 8 seconds - cost £9,250 (1985 price)

* 1986 Sierra RS Cosworth - 2.0 DOHC turbo, 205bhp, 150mph top speed, 0-60 in under 6 seconds - cost £15,750 (1986 price)

* 1993 Escort RS Cosworth - same engine as above, 227 bhp, 145mph top speed, 0-60 in under 6 seconds - cost £23,000 (1993 price)

* 2003 Focus RS - 2.0 DOHC turbo, 225bhp, 140mph top speed, 0-60 in under 7 seconds - cost £20,000

These cars have all shaped the hot hatchback market in the UK and across Europe. I don't know how many of these were released in the USA.

In terms of luxury cars, Ford had the Granada range until 1985 (Taunus in the US?) This was rebadged as the Scorpio until finally being killed off in about 1998, but Ford could never compete in the "luxury" market, so they bought Jaguar instead. Jaguar have the image they needed. The X-type really replaced the Ford Scorpio, but is considerably better.

I had a 1996 Ford Scorpio, with a 2.9 V6 engine, but it was only 150 bhp, so was pretty slow. However, it was fully loaded with leather, air con, auto box, electric seats, 6-disk CD stack, auto-dipping rear view mirror. It even had features my '99 XJR doesn't have (heated seats, heated windscreen, memory seats) although I know the 2000 XJR has these...

By the way, perhaps the leaping cat was outlawed by European legislation ... seems to affect everything in the UK these days!

[SpEeDiSaDdIcTiVe]

Yep, it could injure someone, but then I always think if you're hit by a car you're going to get hurt anyway. :roll: Still, they do say Jaguars are dangerous animals if you get in their way. I'm sure someone in Coventry could re-design it to retract or move like the tri-star on a Merc; I think it adds to the car.

I had the same feeling about the old and new XJ's. The older one looks more sleek, sporty, and sits lower. Jaguar were left with a bit of a problem though as while the old shape was good, there wasn't enough head or leg room in the back and the boot was only good for carrying bags of sugar. I don't think it's an un-attractive car, though. Maybe once people are used to it they'll like it more. The new XJR doesn't have that problem of looking too tall.

Ford Europe are okay, but ever now and then, someone in Detroit likes to flex their muscles and order some cost cutting etc. Thankfully, it hasn't affected Jaguar that much (maybe the X is a little too Ford-like for my liking), but the new Land Rovers will have revised Volvo and Jaguar engines, and the V12 Cosworth (ex-Cosworth now) engine is going to be produced at a Ford plant in Germany. :roll:

As for the bonnet mascot not existing on the XKR, I think it's to do with them never having been on the sports models. There wasn't one on the E-Type, and the XK8/R does draw much inspiration from its design. I think on the XK models they are better for not having one, but on the rest they are worse. I've heard of police here stopping Jags with mascots and ordering they be removed, but I see a few about that pass police cars and they do nothing about it. Personally I'd take the risk and get one.

[thepolarfoxqx]

seriously, the chrome cat is neccesary, how else would i know where the end of my hood was otherwise?

i really like mine, and odds are, if i hit you with my jaguar, you were A: stupid and should be impaled or B: I was trying to hit you with it.

i suppose, the old XJ needed a good chasis revision, but the new one is too tall. Anyhow, i never put that much in the trunk, and i never have to ride in the backseat, so why do i care?

Land Rovers are getting supposedly just Jaguar engines i heard. I own a land rover, and I can't wait. The pushrod 4.6L in my disco, while being a really cool motor, just isn't half what the AJ-V8 is. We were thinking of getting a porsche cayanne next year, but we may have to wait to see the redesigned disco first.

Ford has been a much better parrent, i think, than, say, oh, VW!!!!!!

[Paul XJR]

I know they are not really supercars, but out of interest, how many of the Ford RS models I listed earlier made it to the States?

Also, (to thepolarfoxqx), just how many cars have you got???

I assume you've got the three listed, an X-type, a 4.6 disco - do you run a dealership or something?

I guess variety is a good thing ....

[thepolarfoxqx]

ford RS models don't get here.

We had scorpio and XR4Ti for 2 or 3 years back in the late 80s.

And i've got:

1991 BMW 318i Dinan

2002 Jaguar X-Type 3.0L Auto

2003 Land Rover Discovery 4.6HSE

2003 Porsche Boxster S

2002 Suzuki XL-7 5spd

2002 Acura 3.5RL

See, i've got two houses, one in philadelphia, the other in minneapolis, i don't own a dealership, just a larger than average family with a taste for cars.

[Paul XJR]

What a shame you've not had the Ford RS cars in the US ... you've definitely missed some cars that helped to strengthen the Ford (Europe) brand.

The key thing about Fords (in the UK) is that they are one of the cheapest cars to buy and own - the nearest rival is probably Vauxhall (GM), but their image is a bit out of date. Anything "foreign" (e.g. Peugeot, Renault, Fiat, VW) is 50% more expensive to run. The proliferation of Fords on the roads keep labour rates down. Therefore, drivers tend to start with a Ford (Fiesta) and stay with them, unless they can afford to run a foreign car or want something a bit different. This is, of course, my opinion and the subject of many hours argument with friends over a beer or three!

Now, of course, if you want something a bit different (but still want a Ford), you can buy a Volvo! If you move up market, you can buy a Jaguar. Higher up, you can have an Aston - All Ford...

Nice to see you have a couple of Fords in your selection of fine vehicles.

[LateNightCable]

Outlaw the leaping cat? And what about the " Spirit of Ecstasy " what's a Roller without that?? I know that retracts now, but I'm not sure if it moves. The leaping cat is not on the XK because it is thought of as more of a formal touch, better suited to the sedans. Although the XJS had it as an option.

I don't know if you ( Paul and SpEed ) have checkout out the " XJ Analysis " yet, but in that, I go into the design of the new XJ. It's practical, but no amount of technical sophistication can replace the charicter that has been lost. I'm sure it's a nice car, but it's not a " Jag. " I don't see how you Englishmen can stand foreign carmakers buying up your marques and fiddling with them. That calls for war.

[Paul XJR]

It's funny, and I know that Henry Ford was American, but somehow I think of Ford as being a global car manufacturer - as much British as it is American. We have (or had??) so many Ford production plants in the UK (Dagenham, Halewood, Southampton) and Ford UK/Europe cars are different from the US cars (we have RS's for instance!) We also think of Vauxhall as being British (even though it is GM).

However, I think the only truly British (mass production) manufacturer is MG Rover. Of course, we do also have TVR and Caterham Cars and numerous other high-performance car manufacturers.

[LateNightCable]

Ford has probably done a better job of putting on a global face than anyone. The " cottage industry " in England is something I hope never goes away. In stale times, that and old cars are what it's all about.

[thepolarfoxqx]

Let's put it like this, the finest cars sold by ford north america have a version of the AJ-V8 in them, Ford all over the world borrows from volvos work in safety, emmissions, and odds and ends (like their shift and AWD systems), next to M-Power and AMG, ford's SVT is a top in house tuner, Jaguar tuned fords 3.0L V6 better than anyone else, and I wish i had more ford cars, i personally think very highly of them, i just wish their north american cars were better enginneered.

Don't forget mazda, mazda is ford too!

and while henry ford was an american, he was the son of irish immigrents.