2007 Jaguar XJ8 Supercharged LWB (X358)

Finished in Pearlescent Grey with a Barley leather interior, this listing is for a long-wheelbase Jaguar XJ8 that spent its first 16 years in Japan, giving it the very best possible start in life.

It arrived here in April 2022 and has been in the seller’s care ever since, only ever being wheeled out in the summer.

A rare and exclusive long-wheelbase model with just 49,000 miles on the odometer, its 4.2-litre supercharged V8 ensures the pampered rear-seat occupants – who enjoy extra legroom, heated rear seats, and fold-down picnic tables – get to their destination as quickly and as comfortably as possible.

With nigh-on three thousand pounds invested while it’s been in his hands and said to be running flawlessly, this is a very nicely presented example of one of Britain’s greatest modern-day luxury saloons.

As you’d expect of an aluminium saloon that’s spent its life in the salt-free environs of Japan, the XJ8 presents very well indeed.

Lunar Grey Metallic (colour code LJZ) is a very attractive colour anyway but when it’s applied to panels as straight and perfectly aligned as these before being finished off with a smattering of very good chrome and an imposing honeycomb grille, the result is car that still makes a helluva impact.

The factory sunroof fits the aperture very well and slides fore and aft at the press of a button. The rest all stacks up too as the light lenses, badges, and window glass are all good, as is the all-important Leaper on the bonnet.

Even the areas that betray a careless owner, like the four corners of the bumpers, the mirror casings, and the door handles, are all free of scuffs and scratches.

Ditto the 20-inch Callisto alloy wheels, whose open five-spoke design allows you to appreciate the vastness of the braking system within. These too are in a decent condition with only a few kerbing marks, something that’s almost inevitable given the low-profile tyres that are fitted these days.

But what tyres they are! No expense was spared in fitting a full set of matching Michelin Pilot Sport tyres only a couple of years ago. As you’d expect given their age, the tread depth is still impressive, and the receipt is in the car’s history file.

Also, we will never get tired of telling you that experience shows that matching high-quality tyres are an infallible sign of a caring and mechanically sympathetic owner who is prepared to spend the appropriate amount in maintaining their car properly.

As for work to do, you could give it another polish if you felt like it.

If the exterior was designed to make the right impression on the right people, the interior’s goal is to cosset its occupants.

It makes a great start by offering four heated and electrically adjustable seats – and those in the front add cooling to their repertoire.

They’re trimmed in Barley hide with grey piping, an attractive combination that lightens the cabin while still offering cohesion with the colour of the coachwork.

They are all in a very good condition with only the driver’s seat showing light creasing to its outer edges. None have any rips, tears, or other damage and they all work and adjust as they should.

The walnut burr veneer is also excellent. Free of chips and cracks and other age-related damage, it gleams, and its natural charm is offset by some equally impressive chrome handles and controls.

Speaking of walnut and chrome, as well as offering more legroom than even an NBA player could use, the rear seats offer their occupants a fold-down picnic table each. Made of proper wood and supported by some of the nicest hinges in the business, sunshades in both rear doors and along the rear parcel shelf allow the passengers to shield themselves from both the sun and prying eyes.

Those situated aft also have access to their own heating and media controls, and they can rest their Starbucks’ coffee in the cupholders in the rear armrest when they aren’t balancing flutes of Champagne on the picnic tables.

The very good carpets are protected by a set of Bentley-esque deep-pile lambs’ wool overmats.

Alpine speakers channel music from the headunit and boot-mounted CD multichanger. The dash-mounted CD player/radio will also stream your phone and has sat-nav built in.

Of course, the radio frequencies have been changed to the UK-specific ones and the sat-nav now has maps for Great Britain.

Other gadgets include automatic lights and wipers, electric door mirrors and windows, and central locking. We are told that everything works as it should, including “ice-cold air-conditioning”.

Nor are there any warning lights illuminated on the dashboard.

The boot is both vast and beautifully carpeted. It’s also home to a warning triangle in the lid and a space-saver spare wheel and tool kit underneath the floor.

As for flaws, there are some scuffs to the plastic sill trim on the nearside front door, the base of the driver’s seat is a little rumpled, and the gearknob is a different colour to the rest of the wood (although, to be fair, Jaguar does sometimes fit some odd colours here…).

September 2022 saw the seller invest almost a thousand pounds on a full set of Michelin Pilot Sport tyres followed shortly thereafter by another £2,300 sorting out the front suspension with new Bilstein dampers and much more.

The result is a car that “drives beautifully” and has been very reliable across the 15,000 miles he’s racked up in three summers.

There is also some paperwork from its time abroad, as well as two servicing stickers inside the driver’s door shut.

With two advisory-free MoTs under its belt, the Jaguar’s oily bits are anything but because the engine bay is very clean and a credit to its former owners.

We are also told by the vendor that the underside has been fully wax oiled including suspension control arms, all steel components, brake lines and complete floor plan.

Why only summer use? Well, the owner lives in Australia during our winter and only comes here in the summer, hence the seasonal use.

And we feel we must remind you – again – that this recent use was preceded by 16 salt-free winters in Japan.

The Jaguar’s MoT certificate, which is valid until April 2025, was issued with no advisories just like the one before.

The recent Vehicle History Check is clear bar the marker for being an imported car.

The history file contains the book pack and wallet, the two UK MoT certificates, invoices for the tyres and suspension work, plus some bits and bobs from its time in Japan.

NB: The personalized registration number ‘SDS 222’ is being retained by the seller and an age-related plate will be issued by the DVLA instead.

The X358 Jaguars are all hugely impressive being fast, comfortable, and very refined. They’re generally very reliable too; the seller has covered around 15,000-trouble-free miles in his over the past three summers and is full of praise for it.

Only for sale because he’s not sure he’s going to be here next summer, and he doesn’t think it makes any sense to leave it lying unused for the next 18 months, he’s adamant that “I’ll definitely be buying another Japanese-import Jaguar!”

All of which is Good News, even if it doesn’t explain why they’re currently so flippin’ cheap. This one, for example, with all the many benefits it brings and the positive points it offers, is likely to only fetch somewhere between £15,000 and £18,000, which feels like a real bargain to us.

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this particular car is located with the vendor in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire. To arrange an appointment to inspect this vehicle, please use the ‘Enquire About This Vehicle’ button on the listing. Feel free to ask any questions, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.