2004 Jaguar XK8 Convertible

“ One of the last and most improved X100's from long term ownership. ”
With a very good interior and presentable coachwork, the need for a little work is reflected in the fact the seller is happy to offer it with no reserve, so it’ll be considered sold after the very first bid has been placed.

Background
Launched in 1996 and designed to be more of a grand tourer than an out-and-out sportscar, the Jaguar XK8 shares its chassis with the Aston Martin DB7, making it the thinking man’s choice for anyone in the market for a powerful, rear-wheel-drive, luxury sportscar.

Available as both a 2+2 coupé and a convertible, the XK is available in two varieties: fast and even faster. The slower of the pair is the XK8 you see here – although everything is relative. Fitted with a normally aspirated V8 engine that boasts four litres, 32 valves, and 290bhp and 290lb.ft of torque, it’ll pass 60mph in under seven seconds.

And yet, even that stellar performance is eclipsed by the supercharged XKR whose Eaton supercharger spins at almost twice the engine speed helping the XKR churn out 370bhp and 387lb.ft of torque.

While the XKR shares the same artificially limited top speed of 155mph as the XK8, it knocks around a second-and-a-half off the normally aspirated car’s 0-60mph time, clocking in at around 5.5 seconds.

Overview
Finished in Zircon Blue metallic with a Dove leather interior, this 2004 Jaguar XK8 convertible was written off when it was just two years old.

That’s the bad news.

The good news is that this is the lowest category of write-off, and it’s been in use with a series of owners – the seller is the eighth – ever since. With an odometer reading of just under 83,000 and a good service history, it doesn’t look like those have been hard years, either.

It’s also got the 4.2-litre engine that Jaguar starting using in 2002. Now offering 300bhp and 310lb.ft of torque, the car’s top speed might have remained at an artificially limited 155mph but the XK8 could now streak past 62mph in 6.4/6.6 seconds depending on whether you had the coupé or the convertible.

The seller bought ‘NL04 UVX’ in September 2023 after selling his Harley-Davidson. A long-time fan of the marque, he’d never owned an XK8 but reckoned a convertible version would be just the job to help him get over the loss of his beloved motorcycle.

And it did, although with their life now filled with grandchildren, he’s relying more and more on his seven-seater Land Rover and less and less on his two-seater Jaguar.

Estimate: £6,000 - £8,000

View current price bid of car HERE