With 370 horsepower on tap, today’s Nice Price or No Dice XKR is a Jag that likely doesn’t pussyfoot around. Let’s see if it’s priced to move as well.
While time and its long-term owner had been kind to the 1996 Chevy Lumina that we looked at yesterday, you all were less so. Anonymous and under-optioned, the simple Chevy sedan just didn’t impress at its $7,900 dealer-set asking price. That led to a 60 percent No Dice rebuke in the voting.
Hey, before we get to today’s (assumes guttural Jeremy Clarkson voice) Jaaaaag, we have some business to attend to. I’m going to Italy on vacation! That’s right. I’m going to hang out under the Tuscan sun and stay in a villa that hopefully has a room with a view. Now, what that means is that we won’t be getting together for our enjoyable morning discussions tomorrow or next week. Don’t worry, though. We’ll get back in the swing of things on the first Monday in February. And, following that, perhaps I can share with you all the coolest cars I find while driving around the boot.
OK, with all that falderal about Italy out of the way, let’s consider some British steel. This 2002 Jaguar XKR is not just a flag-waving Brit, it was once the brand’s halo car. Built upon the XK8, which was Jag’s first V8-powered car since the 1960s Daimler Dart (SP250 in the States), the “R” edition upped the ante with an Eaton supercharger atop the AJ-eight.
The V8 was intended to replace both the inline-six and V12s of the previous XJS model, but the car’s bodywork eschews the unique looks of that immediate predecessor for flowing lines far more reminiscent of the earlier and achingly beautiful XKE. The chassis upon which that almost as lovely bodywork has been draped, and into which the V8 has been crammed is, however, a derivation of that XJS. Taken all together, the XKR is a viable and arguably sexier alternative to Mercedes’ SL 500 and BMW’s 6 Series.
This being a 2002 model means that it carries a 4.0-liter edition of the quad-cam AJ V8. With the twin-screw blower offering the engine almost 12 pounds of boost, it’s good for 370 horsepower and 386 lb-ft of torque. Paired with that is a five-speed automatic sourced from Mercedes Benz and operated through Jag’s oddball “J Gate” shifter.
This one seemingly hasn’t been exercising its mechanicals all that much over the past 22 years, as it only has a mere 52,605 miles on the clock. Those low miles are reflected in the car’s appearance, which the seller strangely describes as “exCellent” and which is made obvious in the ad’s photos.
The car presents in triple black—bodywork, interior, and top—and rolls on the factory 18-inch wheels wrapped in Michelin Pilot tires. Everything, both inside and out, looks to be in exceedingly nice condition. The seller explains that the car has been garage-kept and has an accident-free history. The ad also notes that the car comes with “a few exterior and interior upgrades that can be removed to return back to 100% stock.”
Aside from a black bubble replacing the Leaper on the front fender (where non-U.S. models have the turn signal repeater) and an added badge, there’s nothing on the exterior that looks hokey or aftermarket. The interior, with its honking-big plank of wood on the dash and leather festooned cabin, seems all stock save for some additional wood (or wood-like) trim on the doors. As the seller notes, all those changes could be easily rectified, and all the original parts will come with the car.
Of course, that’s all a moot point if we can’t get past the car’s $18,950 asking price. That’s an over 80 percent drop from the model’s original $86K MSRP, but is that enough? These models don’t have the most rabid following, as do few cars from this era. Hell, even a contemporary Porsche 996 will go for far less than the models on either side of its run. But that’s not to say that this Jag doesn’t have its fans or even a general market attraction. Is it properly priced for either, though?
What do you say? Is this XKR worth that $18,950 asking as it’s presented in its ad? Or does that price make this one less-than-cool cat?
You decide!
Los Angeles, California, Craigslist, or go here if the ad disappears.
H/T to Don R. for the hookup!
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