In the sphere of automotive icons, they don’t come a lot more legendary than the Jaguar XJ series. It’s a British institution. For generations, the XJ6 and its assorted brethren have represented a touch of class in the everyday world; from the emergence of the Series 1 back in 1968 to the X351 of the modern era, the theme has been constant: sumptuously appointed three-box saloons with imposing proportions and lusty engines. And if the latter of those character traits is the one that really flicks your switch, it’ll be an XJR you’re wanting… because that one comes with a supercharged V8.
The generation of XJ we’re looking at here is what’s known as an X308 – the one that was sold between 1998-2003. Featuring a family of AJ-V8 motors and a superb independent rear suspension setup, this was the third and final evolution of the long-lived XJ40 platform, upgraded and enhanced for a twenty-first century audience. In full-fat XJR form, you get 370bhp from the supercharged 4.0-litre V8, 5G-Tronic automatic transmission borrowed from Mercedes-Benz, sports suspension, and a 0-62mph time of just 5.6-seconds. And all, naturally, in supremely cosseting luxury and splendour, as befits the standards of the XJ owner. It’s a bouncer in a Savile Row suit; devastating muscle wrapped up in impeccable elegance.
The idea of buying a ‘re-import’ Jaguar makes a lot of sense. These are cars which were built on the same production line as domestic-market Jags, with just a few changes to make them appropriate for their intended market (which, given that this XJR was built for Japan, essentially just ensures that all the spec option boxes are ticked). Japan is a superb climate for cars, because it’s generally warm and temperate without getting too scorching, and in the winter they don’t grit the roads – so a JDM import will usually be much more solid and untroubled by corrosion than a British counterpart of a similar vintage. The Japanese ‘shaken’ test (their equivalent to the MOT) is also extremely thorough. Essentially, a re-import usually comes with a decent chunk of peace-of-mind.
This XJR, a 2002 model, had been in Japan for its entire life until it was re-imported in April of this year. With low mileage, a full history file and excellent spec, it’s now ready for a new life in the UK!
The new V5 is present, showing that the car has been correctly UK-registered on April 1st 2021, with no former keepers in this country. The first date of registration is recorded as September 1st 2002. On arriving in Britain, the Jaguar was put through an MOT test on March 4th; initially failing on a lambda test, it was then adjusted and re-tested and passed with no advisories.
When a Japanese market car is re-imported, a few tasks need to be carried out, and this has all been done – the speedo is a MPH unit, showing the 44,000 miles once converted from KM. The dashboard language has also been switched to English.
Elsewhere in the file we find all of the original books and manuals, and the car comes with two spare keys.
There’s nothing quite like an XJ when it comes to leather-lined swankiness, and this XJR really is exceptional. Naturally there’s a little very gentle patination to the leather on the front seats, but the hide isn’t cracking or separating; indeed, the seat trim is all in very good order, and the seat electrics all work correctly too. This car is specced with dark wood trim which is all in superb condition with no signs of sun damage or lacquer peel. All of the dials work as they should, and there are no warning lights illuminated on the dash. Every button and switch we pressed did what it was supposed to do: the electric windows all work properly, as does the sunroof, the radio sounds great through its factory-option Alpine speakers and the air-conditioning blows ice-cold. The carpets are all extremely tidy, as are the door cards, and there’s no undue wear to the steering wheel or gear knob.
Inside the boot it’s impressively clean and tidy. The Jaguar CD changer and original warning triangle are in place, and so is the space-saver spare wheel which looks to have never been used. All in all, a beautifully presented interior in all-original condition. The only issue we’d highlight is that the headlining is loose at the rear of the car, although this shouldn’t be too arduous to re-affix.
The X308 is able to pull off the remarkable trick of being at once subtle and imposing; on the one hand, it can waft in an unassuming manner through metropolitan traffic without raising too many eyebrows, while on the other it’s an impressive and sizeable machine, limousine-like in its road presence. How does it do this? Because, while it’s large and severe, it’s also so well beloved of the public – everyone knows an XJ, and accepts it for what it is.
This car is in outstanding condition throughout. The paintwork is excellent, and every panel is arrow-straight with even shutlines. The body appears to be free from scratches and scuffs, dents, dings or stone-chips, evidence of a cherished and pampered existence. The light lenses and window glass are all good, and the correct trim and badging is all present.
Perhaps our favourite feature of the car is the wheels – a fabulous set of 18” OZ Racing Opera 2 split-rims, all of which are in excellent condition with no scuffs or kerbing. They wear Michelins on the front and Toyos on the rear, all with good tread.
It’s a formidable mechanical package in the XJR. The 4.0-litre V8 is a brawny entity in itself, but adding the supercharger really does make it hilariously good fun. A car this luxurious feels as if it has no right being this quick, and yet the performance is truly exhilarating. It’s clear that this car has always been looked after, and the comprehensive service history backs this up. Today the Jag runs like a dream, firing on the first turn of the key, idling evenly, and pulling strongly through the gears with that distinctive supercharger whine. The steering is precise, the brakes are strong, the suspension feels planted, it’s all very good indeed. And collectors will be pleased to note that the original Jaguar toolkit is tucked away in its hidey-hole under the bonnet, and has evidently never been opened!
The Appeal
The turn-of-the century XJR represents remarkably good value these days. Wrapped up in that timeless luxury saloon silhouette, you get all the toys you could ever need and beautifully trimmed seats of superlative comfort. Coupled with this, it’s a devastatingly rapid machine, although equally happy to be a quiet and relaxing cruiser if the situation demands. When looking at XJRs, buying a Japanese re-import makes a heck of a lot of sense. It will, by its very nature, have lived a far easier life in a much more forgiving climate, and the evidence is right here before you in this recently re-imported 2002 model: it feels like a car far, far younger, it drives like a dream, everything’s correct and original… why would you want to buy a new XJ, when this supercharged modern-classic is all the Jaguar you could ever wish for?
Notice to bidders
Although every care is taken to ensure this listing is as factual and transparent as possible, all details within the listing are subject to the information provided to us by the seller. Car & Classic does not take responsibility for any information missing from the listing. Please ensure you are satisfied with the vehicle description and all information provided before placing a bid.
As is normal for most auctions, this vehicle is sold as seen, and therefore the Sale of Goods Act 1979 does not apply. All bids are legally binding once placed. Any winning bidder who withdraws from a sale, is subject to our bidders fee charge. Please see our FAQs and T&C's for further information. Viewings of vehicles are encouraged, but entirely at the sellers discretion.
Please see our FAQ's here and our Terms & Conditions here
Consulta le nostre FAQ
qui
e i nostri Termini e condizioni
qui
Il modo più sicuro per acquistare un'auto d'epoca online
Il sistema di pagamento sicuro di Car & Classic protegge acquirenti e venditori. Al termine dell'asta, l'offerente vincente trasferisce il pagamento su un conto vincolato di terzi. Una volta completato il trasferimento del veicolo, entrambe le parti confermano di essere soddisfatte della vendita e il denaro viene rilasciato al venditore.
Maggiori informazioni su come acquistare con noi
2002 Jaguar XJR
Come funzionano le offerte massime
Il processo di offerta massima ti permette di fare offerte senza preoccupazioni.
Inserisci la tua offerta massima e il sistema farà offerte automaticamente per assicurarsi che tu sia il miglior offerente - fino all'ammontare da te stabilito come tetto massimo.
Anti-sniping
Car & Classic contrasta il fenomeno dello “sniping”, ovvero il fenomeno dei rilanci all'ultimo secondo per vincere l'asta.
Se viene fatta un'offerta nei 3 minuti prima della chiusura dell'asta, la scadenza di questa viene automaticamente estesa di 2 minuti per permettere agli altri offerenti di reagire e, se lo desiderano, di rilanciare.
Incrementi di offerta automatica
Se la sua offerta massima è uguale o inferiore al prezzo di riserva, la sua offerta massima sarà applicata per intero se lei è il miglior offerente.
Se siete il miglior offerente e fate un'offerta massima superiore a quella di riserva, la riserva verrà automaticamente inserita come prima offerta.
Una volta raggiunta la riserva, Car & Classic si assicurerà che tu sia il miglior offerente utilizzando solo gli incrementi di offerta indicati di seguito.
Vi terremo in testa fino alla vostra offerta massima O all'incremento più vicino alla vostra offerta massima, a condizione che la vostra offerta massima sia sufficiente a coprire il valore dell'incremento.
Ammontare dell'offerta
Incremento
Da £0 a £9,999
£100.00
Da £10,000 a £49,999
£250.00
Da £50,000 a £99,999
£500.00
£100,000 +
£1,000.00
Superamento immediato dell'offerta
Quando piazzi un'offerta massima e questa viene immediatamente superata, questo significa che un altro offerente ha impostato una soglia di offerta massima superiore alla tua.
Puoi fare nuovamente un'offerta o impostare una soglia più alta di offerta massima e il nostro sistema rilancerà fino alla nuova soglia, cercando di portarti a essere il miglior offerente.
Offerte massime di pari ammontare
Quando ci sono due offerte massime di pari ammontare, quella impostata per prima è quella che viene considerata “migliore offerta”.
Pre-autorizzazione
Potremmo trattenere un piccolo importo di pre-autorizzazione sulla tua carta fino alla fine dell'asta, quando quest'ultimo verrà poi stornato. Se vinci, verrà prelevata una caparra che verrà detratta dal pagamento del prezzo di vendita per il veicolo e non comporta costi aggiuntivi per te.
Cosa sono le Offerte pre-asta?
Offerte pre-asta significa che avete la possibilità di fare offerte prima dell'inizio ufficiale dell'asta.
Verrà comunicato se si è il miglior offerente o meno all'inizio dell'asta.
Problema con l'offerta
Le offerte sono contrattualmente vincolanti. Per tutelare l'utente, sono previste alcune regole nel caso in cui si ritenga che sia stato digitato in modo errato. Si prega di controllare e modificare quanto inserito.
