2007 Jaguar XK8 Convertible

Specification

• Touch screen Satellite Navigation
• Touch screen climate control
• Electric heated memory seats
• Front & rear parking sensors
• Auto/Tiptronic
• Multi function steering wheel
• Push button start
• Keyless entry & go
• XKR chrome side vents
• Sports exhausts

The model we have here on offer is finished in one of the most desirable colour combinations of triple black. The car was initially imported from the UK to Jersey where is still resides and is supplied with Jersey registration documents. The condition is excellent and the car wants for nothing and is supplied fully serviced.

Delivery can also be arranged to the UK within 48 hours.

No sports cars is more revered then the Jaguar e-type. Borne of racing, over 72,500 street-legal XKE’s were built between 1961 and 1975. And, enthusiasts have been rebuilding them ever since. The successors to the XKE were more grand touring than sports cars. And, while fitting Jaguar’s luxury image, they lost the XKE’s unforgettable spirit. But Jaguar says that this new 2007 XK-series signals a revival of its sports car heritage, without forsaking the brand’s posh status. That’s tall order, indeed.

The fabled Jaguar E-type embodied the essence of what a true Jaguar is supposed to be. It was sleek, fast, and a superior sports car for its time. But times have changed, and so have Jaguars. Enter the all-new 2007 Jaguar XK, a combination of heritage, with luxury and technology that is the modern Jaguar.

The XK begins with new-lightweight aluminum monocoque chassis. Designed for both hard-top and soft-top formats from the get-go, it allows both coupe and convertible to weigh in at less than 3,800 pounds. The new design is roughly the same size as its predecessor, the XK8, measuring 3.5 inches wider but only 1.2-inches longer.

But is clad in a more muscular, stretched, slightly angular body, that reflects its greater sport-oriented character. It also is among the first cars with a pedestrian friendly hood. And in the popular convertible body-style, features a flawlessly executed 3-layer power cloth top. The entire top down sequence takes less than 18 seconds.

This cat keeps its paws on the pavement thanks to a control arm front and multi-link rear suspension, aided by Jag’s CATS Computer Active Technology Suspension, which instantly adjusts suspension damping. To put power to the pavement, are 18 or 20-inch wheels and tires. Our coupe was fitted 20-inch rims and run-flat tires.

The muscle for this beast is the familiar AJ-V8 4.2-liter V-8 which gets a modest boost in output to 300 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque. A supercharged version will soon be available sporting the infamous “R” badge.

With a new car also comes a new transmission. Gone is the familiar J-gate shifter, replaced by a hockey stick gate for the ZF Sequential Shift automatic. It includes quick shifting manual paddles on the steering wheel too.

Hit the big red starter button and the exhaust belts out a hearty growl. We tested both a coupe and convertible, and found acceleration almost a dead heat. Zero to 60 in 6.4 seconds for the convertible and 6.5 seconds for the coupe. Quarter mile times were 14.9 seconds at 97 for the convertible and 15.0 flat seconds at 97 for the coupe.

Thanks to their light, all-aluminum bodies, these cats can move. Torque is plentiful throughout the power band, and the new transmission shifts smoothly both up and down, in manual shift or full automatic modes.

With suspension gadgetry at full on, our XK quickly surpassed the supple response of its predecessor.  While not as sharp as a pure sports car, it transcends most grand tourers, with impressive balance and control, plus a much higher fun factor than we’re used to in a big GT.

If traction and stability control can’t maintain driving decorum, and a rollover is imminent, sensors in the convertible will automatically deploy two high strength aluminum bars from behind the rear seats.

The new XK also includes tire pressure monitoring that warns the driver of low air pressure, and if the current pressure is not suitable for the car’s speed. Bringing these big cat to a halt are large ventilated discs with 4-channel ABS. Both of our cars averaged a dead stop from 60 of just 122 feet. Pedal resistance was also just fine.

The XK’s wide, low, 2 plus 2 cabin can be adorned in light or dark wood, or sleek aluminum, with chrome highlights in all the right places. Seating in the front is luxurious with surprising leg room. But no person tall enough to ride a rollercoaster should even attempt to get into the rear seats. The main instruments are two, large round analog gauges, with a digital message center in between. While a seven-inch touch screen in the center stack will access audio, climate, as well as the standard satellite navigation.

Lowering the convertible top greatly reduces trunk space. But with the top up, and in the coupe, there is enough room for two sets of golf clubs, or whatever you might need for a weekend getaway.

The newly designed XK was unveiled in 2005 at the Frankfurt Motor Show in Germany. Jaguar’s chief designer Ian Callum (who was also responsible for working on the Aston Martin DB7 and Vanquish coupés) claimed that the inspiration for the shape of the new XK came from his admiration for British actress Kate Winslet’s curves. The X150’s grille was also inspired from the famous 1961 Jaguar E-Type.

The standard XK model has an unlimited top speed of 158 mph whilst the XKR an unlimited top speed of 174 mph.