2003 Jaguar XJR X350

This Jaguar XJR spent the first 19 years of its life in Japan, arriving back here in Blighty two years ago. With just the one former UK keeper, it’s been in the seller’s hands since June 2023.

A truly British car, the aluminium body came from Castle Bromwich, the engine came from Bridgend in Wales, and it was assembled in Coventry.

Imported by an independent Jaguar dealer who specializes in Japanese Jaguars, this Pearlescent Liquid Silver example was treated to the full UK-spec including a MPH speedometer face, full-sized number plate plinths, UK satellite navigation maps, and the full radio spectrum up to 108FM.

Since buying it the seller has covered around 10,000 miles and has, needless to say, loved every single one of them.

He’s recently downsized leaving him with limited space, hence this reluctant sale.

The Pearlescent Liquid Silver paintwork lends the XJR a hewn-from-solid look; the so-tight-and-consistent-they-could-have-been-drawn-on-with-a-Sharpie shutlines reinforce this. The result, apart from telling you all you need to know about its curation since leaving the factory, is menacing and understated.

It therefore meets the XJR’s design brief in full.

The doors and wings are free of ripples too, and as for the paintwork, all those years of living with relatively benign winters and no road salt has resulted in a car that still carries a very good finish and shine, even after more than two decades on the road.

The minimal chromework also still looks good, and the bonnet-mounted leaper folds down in the event of a collision. There are Xenon headlamps up front too, plus Jaguar’s trademark wire grille.

The open design of the unmarked 19-inch Jaguar Performance alloy wheels also allows passersby to appreciate the silver Jaguar brake calipers that lurk behind them, a combination that reinforces the saloon’s potential for ultra-high performance.

The wheels also sport a matching set of new Lassa Driveways Sport+ tyres, which were fitted in June 2024, thus taking care of the main advisory from this year’s MoT.

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 flaws, a section of the chrome bumper trim is missing from the offside.

The leather ‘n’ wood interior ticks all the usual boxes in the luxury car specification sheet but there’s no escaping the fact this is a high-performance sportscar rather than a saloon you waft to and from the golf club in.

The presence of ‘R’ emblems on the backrests might be your first clue – assuming, that is, you’ve missed the contrast red stitching, red seatbelts, and the deep bolsters on the front seats, there to stop driver and passenger sliding around during the sort of high-G jinks the XJR revels in.

They’re also electrically adjustable and feature three-stage heating – and the only signs of wear are some light creases throughout plus modest cracking to the outer edge of the driver’s seat.

Unusually, the rear seats display a slightly greater degree of patination than the fronts, but it is only slightly more and the presence of an audio control panel, a pair of cupholders, and headphone sockets in the rear armrest, along with switches for the three-stage seat heating, suggest this was a car purchased with passengers in mind as much as the driver.

Not that the driver has any cause feel short-changed because the steering wheel is fat-rimmed and chunky, the rev counter has a 6,000rpm red line, and the speedometer goes all the way up to 170mph; allow a 10% speedo error and you should be able to max it out on the autobahn.

The door cards are not only trimmed with veneer, they also feature contrasting red stitches and contain Alpine speakers as part of the 320W Alpine music system that includes a MiniDisc player. All four door trims are in a great condition with barely a mark on them.

The headlining is excellent, being taut and clean. Mind you, it was replaced when the car was re-imported, so it ought to be really.

The lettering on the switches is bright white and vivid, and the leather-covered dashboard and centre console feature the same light wood veneer used elsewhere in the cabin.

The carpets are good, although the rear one is stained.

Toys include UK satellite navigation, front and rear parking sensors, radar-assisted cruise control, central locking, electric windows, an electronic handbrake, and electrically adjustable pedals and steering wheel (with full memory function).

The boot is as well presented as everywhere else and plays host to the DVD reader for the satellite navigation and the Alpine CD multichanger in addition to what seems to be an unused space-saver spare wheel, warning triangle, jack, and tool kit.

As for cosmetic flaws, there is some wear to the rim of the steering wheel, colour loss to a couple of sections of the base of the rear seat, and the interior of the rear armrest/cubby is stained.

Since buying it just over a year ago, the seller tells us that he has invested the following sums:

• 30th June 2023 – full service by an independent Jaguar specialist
• 1st July 2023 – rear discs and pads plus new handbrake pads
• 28th July 2023 – new coolant bottle
• 23rd October 2023 – new battery
• 22nd October 2024 – pre-sale service by an independent Jaguar specialist including a new radiator, waterpump, coolant hoses, and numberplate unit

The total spend is £3577, which isn’t bad on a pounds-per-mile-covered basis and is supported by invoices in the seller’s possession.

We also believe the XJR benefitted from comprehensive dealer servicing while it was in Japan, and it was then put under the microscope by the chap who imported it and sold it to the car’s former keeper.

As you can see, it starts well, idles nicely, and revs as well as you’d hope of a 395bhp supercharged V8. As always, it’s a car of two halves: the engine is relatively subdued, making it ideal for stress-free long-distance travel – but when you press the throttle all hell breaks loose, which isn’t really a surprise given the Eaton supercharger displaces two litres all by itself…

NB: The highly appropriate personalized numberplate ‘SC03 XJR’ is staying with the Jaguar.

The XJR’s MoT certificate is valid until June 2025, and it was issued with just two advisories: the first was for the rear numberplate lamp, which had a bulb out. The second was for the tyres, which were old and bald. (Unlike pilots, tyres can be both old and bald. Sorry, I’ll get my coat…) Reassuringly, all four were replaced with a set of new Lassa Driveways Sport earlier this year in June.

The recent Vehicle History Check is clear bar the marker for being an import, and it comes with two keys (one of which is brand new), the Jaguar book pack and wallet, and the recent invoices we mentioned.

The Jaguar XJR has semi-mythical status; as an ultra-quick, supersaloon capable of destroying continents in a single sitting, it also soothes and cossets as only a Jaguar can.

The aluminium superstructure and body also rule out the sort of rust and corrosion that has killed more big cats than the Trump brothers, and servicing costs are more reasonable than you might imagine.

All of which should add up to a suitably impressive price tag.

But it doesn’t.

Because, despite this one’s impressive condition and back story we think it’s only going to fetch somewhere between £7,000 and £10,000, which seems almost criminal to us.

And we aren’t finished yet because the seller has sufficient faith in his car to offer it with no reserve, trusting you lot to treat him and his pride and joy fairly.

So play nicely, eh?

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this particular car is located with the vendor in Barrow-upon-Humber, Lincolnshire. To arrange an appointment to inspect this vehicle, please use the Contact Seller button on the listing. Feel free to ask any questions, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.