“The best of British.” This is a saying that conjures up images of old-world charm and elegance, like stately homes with manicured lawns. Images of durability and strength like a stout castle or even the iconic bulldog. And cars like the Jaguar XK8 certainly merit being called “the best of British.”.

Whether you prefer the Jaguar XK8 in true blue (and there’s four shades of blue to choose from), British Racing Green or another colour from the beautiful paint palette, the Jaguar XK8 looks impressive. Available in coupe or convertible, the Jaguar XK8 is a magnificent sports car that’s built for eating up the miles on what the poet called “the rolling English road”. Sleek as a greyhound, the lines of the Jaguar XK8 are built for speed, especially with the 20″ alloy wheels. There’s just a hint of the old E-type in the long bonnet and the back end of the Jaguar XK8 is well-muscled and beautifully proportioned.

The Jaguar XK8 has several innovative new features to help it handle “the rolling English road” and others like it that merit the description of “a reeling road, a rolling road that rambles round the shire” – in plain English, a road with lots of twists and turns. The Jaguar XK8 is engineered for instant response with the CATS suspension control system that reads the road and ensures that the Jaguar XK8 has the best grip, ride and handling in all conditions. The Jaguar XK8 also comes with a state-of-the-art Dynamic Stability Control that will detect and prevent both understeer and oversteer, making cornering a dream. And to quote the poet again, the Jaguar XK8 can “walk with clearer eyes and ears this path that wandereth” at night with the Intelligent Lighting System that automatically levels the bi-xenon headlights (and the optional active front lighting helps the headlights swivel during cornering.

Head away from the twists and turns, and the Jaguar XK8 is capable of delivering breathtaking speed and performance on the straight. With a 4.2 litre V8 motor sitting snugly under the smooth lines of the bonnet, the Jaguar XK8 can deliver 420 Nm of torque at 4100 rpm and 224 kW of power at 6000 rpm. With this power and torque, the Jaguar XK8 coupe can fly from 0-100 in 6.2 seconds, and the convertible does it in 6.3 seconds. The Jaguar XK8 has had its speed limited to 250 km/hr. All this is yours to command with the drive-by-wire technology and Jaguar’s sequential shift transmission that allows the driver to select Drive, Sport Auto or Sport Manual transmission modes. And if you think that a big powerful V8 motor means that cabin noise is atrocious, then think again. The Jaguar XK8 has been engineered to eliminated unwanted noise and vibrations in the cabin, and the induction and exhaust systems have been tuned to make the low growl of the V8 almost musical.

Sink into the seats of the Jaguar XK8 and you’ll feel as though you were seated in the lounge of a stately manor – all that’s missing is the roaring log fire with a big shaggy hound in front of it (well, you could get a big shaggy hound to sit on the rear seats of the Jaguar XK8, but this wouldn’t be all that good for the hand-stitched leather upholstery). Wood or aluminium veneers are beautifully matched to tone with the three possible leather colours, and the seats are positively palatial. The dual zone climate control ensures that everything, including humidity and window misting are taken care of. The six-speaker, six-disk sound system that can also handle MP3s and Windows Media Audio discs is crystal clear as it provides a pleasant background to your drive. The Jaguar XK8 keeps you up-to-date with the driver information centre screen between the speedo and the tachometer, and with the touch-sensitive 7″ LCD screen that operates the audio system, the Satellite Navigation, the climate control and telephone (the Jaguar XK8 is set up for Bluetooth mobile connectivity).

You’re unlikely to need the front and side airbags with ARTS severity and occupant detector system on a daily basis, or the rollover protection in the Jaguar XK8 convertible. But most of us will appreciate the performance braking (and the handling features mentioned earlier) whenever we are lucky enough to drive the Jaguar XK8. And the clever rear Parking Assistance system that displays proximity to unseen objects behind the Jaguar XK8 on the touch-sensitive screen as well as giving warning beeps is another everyday safety feature (front parking assist is also available as an option).

So enjoy the best of British that is the Jaguar XK8. You’ll be glad you did.

Current model series include:

• Jaguar XK8 Convertible 4.2
• Jaguar XK8 Coupe 4.2

For any more information on the Jaguar XK8, or for that matter any other new car, contact one of our friendly consultants on 1300 303 181. If you’d like some fleet discount pricing (yes even for private buyers!), we can submit vehicle quotes requests out to our national network of Jaguar dealers and come back with pricing within 24 hours. Private Fleet – car buying made easy!

Back to Jaguar Car Reviews