Motorweek 1998 Jaguar XJR Road Test

[@Shyguy624]

I'm genuinely impressed how fast it is

[@keonwells934]

I remember when i 1st drove one of these. I said to myself, no car this big should be this fast. Its an amazing car.

[@stratfordbaby]

I've got a 2007 version. The car is a rocketship, especially after ECU tuning to 450hp. The interior is snug, especially rear legroom, but the car holds you like a glove. A very sexual and powerful glove. I will keep the car until I'm dead. Might as well.

[@roddydykes7053]

Sexual glove is my favorite kind of car

[@1995RangeRover]

Interior is tight on room but very smooth ride! I had that same year and color combo XJR!

[@dm5374]

Brings back memories of my beloved '97 XJ (X300). Same color interior and exterior (BRG). Kept the big cat 13 years!

[@phantom0456]

Glad to see MotorWeek upload this classic… I still recall the loathing that the automotive press had for Jaguar’s J-Gate shifter back in the day… but this is a beautiful car.

[@nwezetx1]

This isn't MotorWeek?

[@johnnymason2460]

​@@nwezetx1 Very true. It's still nice to see this old road test video again.

[@nwezetx1]

​@@johnnymason2460Yes, indeed.

[@kennethanway7979]

I had a 1997 xj6 long wheelbase. Tons of rear leg room! Still miss it!

[@throwback19841]

In spite of the voiceover the audio of the engine ticking over is very clear. Sounds just like my XKR in 2023. Always wondered if that was normal noise...

[@lobsterwhisperer7932]

its normal, its fuel injectors that make that sound...its even louder in mercs or bmw? i forgot.

[@zach4384]

Mercedes Transmission, Only the NA version got the ZF box.

[@phantom0456]

Well this is an American auto program, so it makes sense that John Davis didn’t go out of his way to mention that the transmission offered in other markets was of different manufacture.

[@zach4384]

@@phantom0456 Naturally aspirated got the ZF and The supercharged version got the Mercedes box in all markers including North America. Just a minor slip up.

[@phantom0456]

@@zach4384 I gotcha, I assumed you meant “North American” rather than “naturally aspirated.” Thanks for sharing, that’s interesting information 🙂

[@motorwolfe]

722.6 for the win! those transmissions can handle just about anything.

[@zach4384]

@@motorwolfe it's a great transmission. ZF stepped up their game and now rules the world with the ZF8

[@yopacific]

Just grabbed one on BaT. Absolutely supreme….nothing like it

[@MitchGrooms]

I am sure i saw it..

[@johntechwriter]

Over the years I’ve owned three of this generation (x308) Jaguar XJ sedans, produced between 1997 and 2003. To my mind this was the high point of the XJ series, introduced in 1968 and the favorite Jaguar of founder Sir William Lyons. Ford purchased Jaguar in 1990 and pumped billions into an all-new rendering of the sedan, tested here. Build quality and reliability soared. Plus for me, living in Oakland CA got me the services of a specialty Jag-only service shop, honest and economical. My income as a technical writer could not match my love of the high-end British cars I’d grown up with as a kid. Sadly, Jaguar could never live down the low-reliability years under British Leyland ownership, where the worst elements of the British trade unions were managed by upper-class twits whose qualification to run a car manufacturer was they had gone to the right schools. The silver lining to Ford’s failure to make Jaguar competitive with the Germans in the U.S. was the opportunity for a non-wealthy British car fan like me to buy a car like my VDP SC from the original owner, with low miles and in showroom condition, for pennies on the dollar. The VDP SC reference above was an ultra-rare XJ variant, the Vanden Plas Supercharged (VDP SC), only 270 of which were imported into the USA over the 2001 model year. Finished in special-order Titanium mica paint, this spectacular executive sedan was a step up in luxury and refinement from the XJR shown here. The stretched wheelbase did away with the shortage of rear legroom, and the mechanical suspension was replaced with air springs that delivered an even more sumptuous ride. All the wood and leather was brought up to Rolls-Royce level, crafted by British artisans whose legendary Vanden Plas coachworks had for generations outfitted custom Rolls and Daimler limousines for British royalty. At 4200 lb my VDP was considerably lighter than its German competitors. And icing on the cake, the supercharged V8 as in the XJR test here was installed. Priced in the six figures, it was more than a match even for an S-Class, and the Jag’s sex appeal put the staid German sedans in the shade. Now I’m retired and enjoying life in the Oakland hills. To keep myself nimble I have reverted to my other automotive weakness, the 60s-era sports car. I’ve owned a couple of classics, including an Alfa Spider 1600 and a Series 2 XK-E. But believe it or not, my current generation Mazda MX5 roadster would run rings around both of them. It is perfect for the thousands of miles of empty two-lanes connecting the Valley to the coast. But still, when I come across a vintage road test like this one in Motorweek, the fond memories of my Jaguar years come flooding back.

[@shawnharris7747]

Love these

[@brandonherrera2891]

Love my 02 xjr 100. I don't need a 4 door at all. But man she is just too pretty and I like the power.

[@MitchGrooms]

Love it.. I got a 98 XJR, its on my KZbin channel.

[@brandonherrera2891]

@@MitchGrooms I know you do.

[@MitchGrooms]

@@brandonherrera2891 I think people know me.. LOL

[@gregdettling6693]

Will these 1998 XJ-Rs with the 4.0 L

[@zzoinks]

Those cars are very short on height! Should i call it "low"?

[@miles-x4u]

I get 5.1 secs to 60 in mine!

[@MitchGrooms]

I have this car and I love it, it is on my car channel here.. Mine is red though.. 98 XJR is the deal

[@jimcole2648]

Jaguar with Range Rover and Land Rover are plagued with issues. Nice but break more than my kids Lego builds. Hence they are super cheap used.

[@vetteluvnh]

100% correct! I owned this same yr XJR. Thought I was safe bc previouse owner dumped over $15k into it for repairs & maintenance in the 6 yrs he owned it.. Nope. Everything still continued to break & deteriorate.

[@jimcole2648]

@@vetteluvnh when they are not broke that are nice. Lol. They are like the movie “Money Pit” with Tom hanks of the automobile industry 🤣

[@timdoyle3028]

12 months and 25,000 miles on my 01 XJR. Been extremely reliable...just basic 20 year old car issues so far. Mostly (a lot of) gas and oil changes.

[@jimcole2648]

@@timdoyle3028 that’s awesome to hear. Hope you have the same luck for the rest of your ownership

[@DavidWendel-y8c]

Jags seduce you then leave you at the altar lol.@@vetteluvnh

[@miles-x4u]

On film they look really wide like 6 ft 3 but in reality no wider than 5 ft 10!!

[@truth6242]

ahhh it beats my E500 by 0.2 seconds to 60 but I beat it with 12.9 sec quarter mile!

[@richardautenzio8117]

I love this car because it has much more to offer than a V8 or the fast speed performance etc. Why? Because I am not a racing driver. I am a wanker but not stupid enough to buy something I can not use. I own an immaculate 1996 XJ6 LBW for seven years and it has more power than I can use legally. The beautiful design and class that this car offers me, way out ways the speed and performance it has.

[@stevethemechanic8099]

❤️