This is a beautiful car. It is stately without being stuffy, and the soft lines are uniquely Jaguar. The XJ8 continues the design theme set in 1986; Jaguar tried horizontal, contemporary-looking headlights for a time, but they were so universally assailed that the company came back with round lights and they are critical to the overall look.The Vanden Plas shares the longer wheelbase with the XJ8L, which is 117.9 inches. The standard XJ8 rides on a 113.0-inch wheelbase. Visually, that wheelbase extension is reflected in the length of the rear windows. The powertrain, suspension and electrical system are new to the sedan. Ford now owns Jaguar and has brought financial support and technology to the company, which has greatly benefited the XJ8. Electrical systems, electronics and other traditional Jaguar problem areas have been eliminated since Ford got involved. The 4.0-liter V8 has double overhead-cams and four valves per cylinder. It produces 290 horsepower at 6100 rpm and 290 pound-feet of torque at 4250 rpm. That impressive amount of power is delivered to the rear wheels through a five-speed automatic transmission. This electronically controlled automatic adapts to varying driving conditions; it senses whether the driver is cruising along the highway, hot-footing down a back road or climbing a long grade and it varies shift points accordingly for optimum power and efficiency. The transmission also has a self-regulating adaptive capability; it compensates automatically for the effects of aging by adjusting shift quality based on any slippage it detects. Sport and standard modes can be selected by the driver: The standard PRNDL pattern can be used, or shifts can be made manually by moving the stick to the left. Automatic Stability Control comes standard on all Jaguars. ASC operates at all speeds, using engine intervention to control wheel spin on slippery roads. If a rear wheel starts to spin, the anti-lock brake (ABS) controller signals a computer, which controls the spinning by reducing throttle, retarding ignition timing or cutting fuel to the cylinders. An optional traction control system includes all ASC functions plus brake intervention. This system comes as part of the All-Weather package, which also includes heated front and rear seats. Both types of traction control can be switched off. The front suspension is fully independent with unequal-length upper and lower wishbones, coil springs, shocks and an anti-roll bar. Double wishbones are also used at the rear with the driveshafts acting as upper links. They are arranged for anti-lift under braking and anti-squat under acceleration. Variable-ratio rack-and-pinion power steering is speed-sensitive.
|