2005 Jaguar XKR Final Edition

And then there’s this – the Final Edition XKR, a special run out model built in limited numbers. Its 4.2-litre, 32-valve supercharged V8 is quite the animal, offering nearly 100bhp more than the normally aspirated XK8, at 400 horsepower and a stump-pulling 400+lb-ft of torque. Mated with a smooth six-speed automatic transmission, the XKR rockets to speed with great enthusiasm and contemporary road tests reported that cruising at 90mph felt like a leisurely drive through the park for the big Jag coupé.

‘Thanks to its slippery aerodynamics, wind noise is minimal, barely a whisper. Virtually the only sound is the rhythmic hum of the fine tuned engine. Squash the pedal and the blower chimes in with characteristic harmony. It's music to our ears’, said Motortrend magazine in the States.

This XKR is in stunning condition. The very nearly black paintwork (it’s called Midnight Pearl) is hard to fault. There might be the merest hint of a tiny stone chip or two on the curvaceous snout, but then again it may be just the way the paint’s catching the light.

A car that’s 17 years old really has no right to look this immaculate, but it does, and it’s not uncommon with cars reimported from Japan by this seller, whose vehicles are invariably first rate. And with fewer than 56,000 miles on the clock, its mechanical condition is likely to echo the superb exterior appearance.

Giant cross-drilled brake discs and bright red Brembo calipers peer through equally massive 20 inch Sepang split rim alloy wheels, which are, naturally, wrapped in performance rubber, and in unmarked condition. Don’t the Japanese have kerbs?

Regardless of its pleasing handling traits, the XKR is more at home on the open highway or cruising the King’s Road. That said, it’s a Jaguar and road tests described the handling as extremely lithe for a car of its size (it’s around a foot longer than a contemporary Porsche 911).

A nod to the elegant styling of the classic first-generation E-Type, the XKR draws its fair share of attention and when launched was by far the best looking coupé from Jag in decades. In typical Jaguar fashion, the cabin was wonderfully luxurious, clad in rich leather upholstery and trademark burl walnut trim – usually. But this XKR has piano black trim for a more sporting, youthful look, and it’s in beautiful condition.

A pair of Recaro front bucket seats are well bolstered and keep you snug behind the wheel. The car does have two rear seats, but you’ll be hard pressed to fit a small child back there, let alone a fully-grown adult, which renders it pretty much useless. Still, style comes at a price – look at the exterior shape again, with that low, sloping roof line. Pretty, ain’t it.

Factor in a long list of creature comforts and safety features such as Computer Active Suspension, Dynamic Stability Control, Adaptive Cruise Control, Ultrasonic Parking Assist and Bluetooth connectivity and this coupé is about as tech-savvy as you can get for a car of this period.

There is the usual slight wear on driver’s seat bolster and to the Alcantara seat base panel, and a mark on the inner panel of the passenger seat, possibly where it’s rubbed on the centre console. These minor blemishes would be worth sorting out as the rest of the interior is beautiful.

Under the louvred bonnet there is slight paint loss on the V8’s twin plenums where they’ve contacted the under-bonnet sound proofing, but otherwise the engine bay could be six months old. And the car’s underside is nearly as pretty too. Remember, the Japanese don’t do anything as daft as pour salt all over their roads, so the levels of corrosion are miniscule – tiny areas of surface degradation on the odd fixing, and that’s it.

This XKR Final Edition comes with a fully stamped Jaguar Service History, although you’ll need to polish up your Japanese if you want to read the details. I wouldn’t worry though, it’s clearly been very well looked after. The seller has given it a full service and the car comes UK registered and with a new MoT certificate. He says:

‘This Jaguar XKR Final Edition 4.2 V8 Supercharged has 400bhp and a six-speed automatic gearbox. It’s just had major service, which included new ventilated brake discs, pads and bushes. The Final Edition spec includes an extended body kit with deeper bumper, boot lid spoiler and side skirts. The Midnight Pearl paint is complimented by interior Piano Black gloss veneers and Alcantara seat inserts.

‘It’s totally original and rust free throughout, with 20in Sepang alloy wheels. It has radar active cruise control, forward distance alert control, aluminium pedals and an aluminium gear shift surround. The air conditioning blows ice cold. There’s an Alpine audio system, memory electric seats and steering adjust, anthracite headlining, quad exhausts, rear wheel arch spats, Brembo brakes, a cup holder in the arm rest and a switchable sport gearbox setting.

‘It also has auto lights, auto wipers, Bluetooth, and a six slot CD changer. The car has a mesh front grille and all original rust free panels in near unmarked condition. It runs and drives as new, and the sound from the supercharged V8 engine is brilliant. It comes with 12 months’ MoT – and the car still has the delivery plastic film on the driver’s carpet, fitted at the Jaguar factory when it was built.’

The supercharged XKR coupé is quite a rare beast, as the vast majority of XKRs sold were convertibles. But to find one in this condition, that’s clearly been cossetted (you don’t leave the delivery film on the carpet and then trash the car) is incredible.

The Final Edition cars were built in limited numbers (the Americans got just 1000 of them) so if you’re in the market for a collectible XKR coupé, this is it.

Classic Jaguars always go up in value. This one represents something of a bargain – and an investment opportunity. You get to own a stunning Jaguar coupé, and watch its value steadily climb. Every home should have one. We estimate the value of this car to be between £15,000 - £20,000.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon; we are open weekdays 9am-5pm, to arrange an appointment please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.