Daily driver switch up?
Safety Car
Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 4,346
Likes: 755
From: Greensboro Nc
Scratch that, the xk8 is way uglier than the xjr. Looks like they took a fbody camaro and mates it with a crappy old sebring, then made it look even more like a fish.
The xjr at least has a consolation that it won't get last in the beauty contest.
The xjr at least has a consolation that it won't get last in the beauty contest.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Feb 2014
Posts: 2,725
Likes: 149
From: chicago area IL.
its not that the C5's is uncomfortable it is just there is MORE comfortable cars out there, i drove my zo6 over 400 miles in a day a few times and was fine but it was not as comfy as driving my Lincoln town car on long trips lol
Safety Car
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 4,260
Likes: 429
From: Houston TX
I don't find the stock C5 seats to be that comfortable. They aren't terrible, but they certainly aren't GT type car comfortable.
Speaking of Jaguars, I find the new F type to be beautiful. Not sure if it would be a car I would ever own, but wow are they stunning.
Speaking of Jaguars, I find the new F type to be beautiful. Not sure if it would be a car I would ever own, but wow are they stunning.
Safety Car
Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 4,346
Likes: 755
From: Greensboro Nc
All new jags look gorgeous to me, and I quite like really old jags too. It's the ones in the middle that are ugly to me. If they had a rear wheel drive, manual f type I would highly consider it as a daily.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 2,017
Likes: 169
From: SE VA VA
Well....I guess I'll be the odd one out for the moment.
Depending on where you live, you may find a "more HP" vehicle more difficult to drive in the winter months. I can drive my C5 with A/S's in the snow, but it isn't always easy. My C7...I've done it once, and won't do it again.
That said, I My C5 was my only vehicle for 14 years. After 10, I got tired of the requirement to shoehorn things in, or borrowing someone elses truck, so about 3 years ago, I bought a used SUV as an alternate.
Much better in nasty weather, and can actually hold stuff without trying to figure out how to get it to fit. (although the looks I get at home depot feeding 2x4's into the C5 were quite entertaining.)
Depending on where you live, you may find a "more HP" vehicle more difficult to drive in the winter months. I can drive my C5 with A/S's in the snow, but it isn't always easy. My C7...I've done it once, and won't do it again.
That said, I My C5 was my only vehicle for 14 years. After 10, I got tired of the requirement to shoehorn things in, or borrowing someone elses truck, so about 3 years ago, I bought a used SUV as an alternate.
Much better in nasty weather, and can actually hold stuff without trying to figure out how to get it to fit. (although the looks I get at home depot feeding 2x4's into the C5 were quite entertaining.)
Last edited by aj98; Jan 6, 2016 at 04:44 PM.
Team Owner
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 87,375
Likes: 1,593
From: Western NY
This was the strangest thing I've ever seen! Apparently the lower portion of the screen, where the gas gauge/trip odometer resides, did a "freeze" or "hiccup".
My wife followed me over to the dealership, and as she got the car into a parking spot, I'm walking over toward her, so we can go inside. She opens the door, and says to me, "You're never going to believe this...now the windshield washer isn't working either". I'm a little baffled, so I tell her to show me.
She pushes the button on the left hand stalk, and nothing happens.....sort of. I said to her, "Wait a minute, that's NOT the washer, the washer is on the right hand side stalk". But in the meantime, I notice the display on the dash is scrolling, and now the gas gauge is reading 3/4 tank, about what it should be, and not the 1/4 tank that it's been showing for the last 10 days.
So, after embarrassingly explaining what just happened, to the service manager, he asks if I want to leave it anyway, and they'll check for any faults, trouble codes, etc. We left it, they checked it over today, found nothing, they washed it, and called us this afternoon, to come pick it up. All they charged us was $50 for a half hour of shop time......
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2013
Posts: 3,473
Likes: 691
From: West Virginia
They do - the base F type is just that. It's the AWD's which are 8 speed paddle shift only. Was looking the other day wondering about an AWD version - I got winter to deal with here!
Safety Car
Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 4,346
Likes: 755
From: Greensboro Nc
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Team Owner
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 87,375
Likes: 1,593
From: Western NY
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2013
Posts: 3,473
Likes: 691
From: West Virginia
I did drive a Jag E many, many years ago - same feeling. Also knew the guy back in England who dropped a Holman & Moody NASCAR 427 into one, about doubling the power - that was one heck of a car! Owned a Jag 3.8 MkII sedan as my DD back then, another nice driving car in its day. But the best sports cars I ever drove were the original Lotus Elite and Elan - had a buddy who ran a Lotus dealership back in England. Feather light with near perfect steering and handling - it felt like they responded to your thoughts. A Vette is a truck in comparison.
Last edited by jackthelad; Jan 7, 2016 at 08:58 AM.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2013
Posts: 3,473
Likes: 691
From: West Virginia
The convertible is better looking - especially with the top down. Most US XK8's were verts.
Team Owner
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 87,375
Likes: 1,593
From: Western NY
I did drive an XKE many, many years ago - same feeling. But the best sports cars I ever drove were the original Lotus Elite and Elan - had a buddy who ran a Lotus dealership back in England. Near perfect steering and handling - it felt like they responded to your thoughts. A Vette is a truck in comparison.
If you mean an XKE, as in the 60s cars, NO, they're nothing like the current F-type. I had a friend who kept cars no longer than a year, and he bought new, used, big, small, etc. At one time, back in the mid-70s, he acquired an XKE coupe, and he let me take it for a spin. It was cool, for sure, but drove like a truck (huge diameter steering wheel, no power steering, rather slow steering ratio). I gained a lot of respect, that day, for the men who used to race them. It was a car to be seen in, but not a joy to drive.
Moving forward 40 years...A long-time friend was the sales manager, for several years, at the local Jag dealer. When the F-type was introduced, a couple of years ago, he called me up, and invited me to come in and take one for a ride. I did, and the F-type is a hoot to drive, the exhaust tone is pure sex, however, it's a SMALL car. As I previously said, you wear it.....and I'm comparing it to my C-5, which in comparison, feels like a BIG car.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2013
Posts: 3,473
Likes: 691
From: West Virginia
If you mean an XKE, as in the 60s cars, NO, they're nothing like the current F-type. I had a friend who kept cars no longer than a year, and he bought new, used, big, small, etc. At one time, back in the mid-70s, he acquired an XKE coupe, and he let me take it for a spin. It was cool, for sure, but drove like a truck (huge diameter steering wheel, no power steering, rather slow steering ratio). I gained a lot of respect, that day, for the men who used to race them. It was a car to be seen in, but not a joy to drive.
Moving forward 40 years...A long-time friend was the sales manager, for several years, at the local Jag dealer. When the F-type was introduced, a couple of years ago, he called me up, and invited me to come in and take one for a ride. I did, and the F-type is a hoot to drive, the exhaust tone is pure sex, however, it's a SMALL car. As I previously said, you wear it.....and I'm comparing it to my C-5, which in comparison, feels like a BIG car.
Moving forward 40 years...A long-time friend was the sales manager, for several years, at the local Jag dealer. When the F-type was introduced, a couple of years ago, he called me up, and invited me to come in and take one for a ride. I did, and the F-type is a hoot to drive, the exhaust tone is pure sex, however, it's a SMALL car. As I previously said, you wear it.....and I'm comparing it to my C-5, which in comparison, feels like a BIG car.
What's puzzling is that all the US spec XKE's I have come across have had power steering - it was the Euro cars that did not, until the V12 came along. I remember my boss here in the US had a 4.2 E vert, and I had to get a complete new power steering set up for him from the Jag dealer I had used in England, and arrange for it to be hand carried to the US - as carry on luggage, no less. Try that today.
I would swap my C5 for one in a heartbeat - trouble is their market value today is at least 10x the C5. Enzo Ferrari was quoted at the time as saying it was the most beautiful car ever made. Not sure I agree, I always loved the look of his 250GT Scaglieti Berlinetta.
Last edited by jackthelad; Jan 7, 2016 at 04:31 PM.
Team Owner
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 87,375
Likes: 1,593
From: Western NY
But in the early '60's E types were THE thing to drive and own. And most cars back then had bigger steering wheels than today, and no power steering - at least they had rack and pinion steering unlike early Corvettes and no power always gives you better road feel.
I would swap my C5 for one in a heartbeat -
I would swap my C5 for one in a heartbeat -
I can't agree with you about swapping a C-5 for an E-Type. I could never do that.....an F-type, if I had the money, maybe, but not the E....
Last edited by leadfoot4; Jan 7, 2016 at 06:30 PM.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 5,015
Likes: 508
From: Hilton NY
Have you considered a 2005-09 supercharged Cadillac STS-V? They were rated at 469 HP before any pulley changes and have a six speed transmission, Brembo brakes were standard. Before there was an LS9 for the ZR1, GM produced the hand assembled LC3 for the V series; I wouldn't drive one in the snow however.