Celebrating Jaguar XK8’s 20th Birthday
JAGUAR XK8
THE EYES OF THE CAT
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Words by Alessandro Marrone
Photos by Giorgia Rossi and Alessandro Marrone
They say that beauty lies in the eye of the beholder. Indeed observing something objectively beautiful has a unique taste, a taste that you recognize as soon as you stand in front of that special object, so you take off your sunglasses, almost as if to intercept all the possible signs of an aesthetic that transcends time, once again redefining the rules of beauty and elegance. Twenty years do not certainly make something old, but for a car the line of the twenties is a very important step, the one that can consecrate it affirming the status of “instant classic” or that insurmountable step that would claim that its age has overcome its beauty. This year, the Jaguar XK8 is celebrating its twentieth anniversary and at Auto Class we’ve decided to pay homage, finding ourselves with two examples to represent both the coupe and the convertible version.
It is a late October Saturday morning and the place for our rendezvous is at the airport Francesco Cappa in Casale Monferrato, ideal location to enjoy lots of space and breathe that constant smell of petrol, oil and history, just because the same airport is one of the oldest in Italy, also serving as air base for the infamous German Stukas airplanes during World War II. Once through the gate, the two Jaguars are there and just look at me with their feline eyes that strike you straight to the heart – it is as if their eyes follow you and do not leave you alone not even for a second. I unload the equipment out of the car with my colleagues and we are greeted by Federico and Eugenio, still focused on removing some unfortunate flies finished in the mouth of the two XKs. Shortly after, noting with pleasure that the weather has also been favorable with us, Silvio, one of the main figures of the Flight Academy, shows us what we can do, giving us full availability of the large maneuvering area, the main hangars and showing us a couple of aircraft that are routinely used to give flying lessons and for the launch of paratroopers. We take a break to admire that Piper PA 28-180, so light and effective, while the big SMG 92T “Turbo Finist” (the red one with the big mouth on it) is preparing for takeoff. Every now and then I look back at the two cars, ready to be captured and put the exclamation point on this birthday party more special than usual, and looking from different angles they show you a side of themselves that was still undiscovered. In certain moments, in those rare moments of total silence, it seemed they were breathing – some Jaguars are alive for real. The DSLRs are going crazy and the particularity of the location facilitates the fact of capturing images that will pay the right tribute to an important model for Jaguar’s history and legacy. In fact, it is calling into question the legendary XK, in production since the late 40’s and until the beginning of the 60s, the XK8 has the task of replacing the controversial XJ-S, offering customers a more modern look and an improved reliability. Obviously the 8 represents its 8-cylinder, single type of engine available on all of its various models, put into production since 1996.
Federico’s XK8 Coupe is the most classic Jaguar you can imagine: British Racing Green with that bright leather interior that dives in the wide wood dashboard. The two front seats invite you to come on board, while the long bonnet anticipates that the trip will not only be comfortable, but also entertaining. The dual nature of the XK is its ability to move from being a purring cat, to a one that furiously scratches at the moment you ask for it. The 294hp 4.0cc V8 is always there, ready if necessary but never nervous, also because of the soft 5-speed automatic transmission. Federico tells us that when we became aware of this car could not avoid to buy it since it had been kept for 12 years near Lake Garda, without cruising far enough to change the original tires. In a moment it ended in his garage and from that day he’s longing to go back on the lake shores, not only to drive along one of the most picturesque landscapes, but to cruise down the roads who welcomed it when it was new, but that haven’t seen it roam like a real Jaguar deserves. The elegance and sophistication of the XK8 is evident inside, where you only feel part of the passing years, in particular at the center of the dash, while its exterior dress looks fantastic almost sewn by the best fashion designer out there. A thin line, a line that connects the rear pillars with the center body of the car and then goes down along the bonnet that seems interminable, in typical Jaguar style. There are BBS wheels and a modified exhaust system that amplifies the voice, whenever the gas pedal goes to the bottom – and you observe it running away towards the horizon as if it had a quarter of the years.
Only two years later the XK8 decides to sharpen its claws offering to its most pretentious customers a version devoted to the performance side, the XKR. Eugenio shows us his 1999 XKR Convertible, equipped with a supercharged 4.0cc V8 capable of delivering 375 horses (if stock). The aesthetically differences are minimal, but easily noticeable especially at the front thanks to the honeycomb grille and the air vents on the bonnet. The rear hosts a rather small but functional spoiler, but what really matters is the engine. The Eaton supercharger becomes your new adventure partner, because at each push on the throttle it’s going to accompany you with the thrust and its unmistakable hiss coming from the engine bay. The XKR maintains the perfect balance of performance and usability, ideal for long trips, but accentuates the sporty nature, always at hand, despite the dimensions and the weight of a car that you would never think to find in the midst of the curbs. Eugenio lives his passion in a completely different way: if he has to go to the track, he knows he has the chance to finish the tires, if it’s time to attack a mountain road, brakes will probably finish their life, but in the case of a trip in total relax, for example, accompanied by his wife, then the roof will fold down and the wind in their hairs will be a good excuse to avoid consuming a full tank of petrol within an advertising jingle. Great attention to detail and an over the top result with the perfect combination of the “Sapphire Blue” body color and the 20” BBS Montreal wheels, while under the hood there’s a few more horsepower that lets you reach 400, thanks to the replacement of the original pulley and the new all-steel distribution kit. As it happens there is a tunnel right next to our shooting area and we do not lose the opportunity to blast it back and forth, giving free rein to the sports exhaust and the 8-cylinder of this cat with sharp claws.
We come back at the airport and while the paratroopers keeps raining from the sky accompanied by their instructors, it’s time for some hot comments, chats between Jaguar lovers and other shots, a lot, maybe too much. But some beauties are difficult to capture, because you believe that a simple picture does not do justice to that exceptional work that the designers have done with a simple pencil and a blank sheet of paper. We’re dealing with cars that still have a soul and that do not care about being perfect objects – we’re not talking about centuries ago, only twenty years have passed. However it’s been a while, and things have changed significantly, but that flavor that a good grand tourer can give you remains unchanged and even increases over the years. Like fine wine it should be savored slowly and with attention to detail, the ones that really makes the difference. Those details that make a car special and able to answer our expectations, or as in this case to prove even better than I thought. Happy birthday XK8, I’m sure that in 10 years from now you’ll still be beautiful like a blue sky.
We would like to thank Federico and Eugenio for having let us have at disposal their Jaguars and the F. Cappa Airport of Casale Monferrato (AL) – AeCI Certified Flight School – VDS VM n°412.