2003 Jaguar XKR

Martin, who is the owner of this stunning Midnight Black 2003 Jaguar XKR, purchased the car via us at The Market in July 2020. Not new to the XKR experience, having bought one new when they were first released, the itch to own another returned and obviously this needed scratching, which resulted in the purchase of this wonderful machine.

The reason for choosing this particular XKR was the low mileage and excellent condition. Registered in early 2003, the high spec XKR was sent to it’s only owner for the first 15 years of its life in Japan, where it was pampered rather than really driven. To own such a high end British car is seen somewhat as a status symbol, and therefore, these types of cars get well maintained and looked after, not to mention the lack of salt on the roads keeps the underside extremely clean. Since coming to the UK the car has been garaged and not really used in bad weather conditions, so is still very clean on the underside.

So why sell after such a short time of ownership? The short answer is kids come first! Martin is selling the XKR and also another classic from his collection, to fund getting his daughter on the property ladder.

Finished in Midnight Black, the 2003 XKR looks fantastic. As we all know with a black car, swirl marks are easily picked up and very noticeable. Although there are some to be seen, in general the paint is in excellent condition, with no signs of any paintwork being carried out.

From the front of the vehicle there are a couple of small stone chips by the nearside headlight and to the right of the badge, but really and truly these could be picked up driving it 1 mile, so with 23,932 miles it’s not doing too badly at all. The headlights are bright, clear and free from any chips and they self level as they should when switched on. The fog lights just below, which are like a stone chip magnet, have escaped any damage.

Around to the sides of the XKR, and the door shut lines look to be nice and equal. Just above the nearside wheel arch in the right light are two tiny dinks, and they really are tiny and you do have to be in the right light to catch them. The glass is all in good condition with no noticeable scratches to mention.

At the rear the boot aligns as it should and parking sensors have ensured the bumper has remained free from any scuffs. The XKR badge is present just to let others know what they've been overtaken by.

The 18” Hydra alloys are in excellent condition with no kerb rash or corrosion that we could see. The centre caps are generally good apart from being a little faded, one more so than the rest. The tyres are Dunlop Sport which all have good tread only having covered around 2,000 KM since fitting.

Open the door and the lovely Dove Grey interior is the perfect contrast to the Midnight Black exterior, making it seem nice and light. The seats are in nice condition. With the driver's seat there is some slight discoloration to the leather on the bolster and also to the centre armrest. The passenger seat is in excellent condition with no real signs of wear. The electric functions on both seats are working as you would expect. The rear seat doesn't look like it’s had any use and is therefore in excellent condition.

Sitting in the driver's seat is a nice place to be, with the wood/leather rim steering wheel showing no wear. The burr walnut facia of the dashboard is in good condition with no fading or cracking to the wood. The instruments are showing no warning lights and the odometer has a reading of 38,516 kilometers (23,932 miles). It’s worth pointing out here that the speedo display is now in MPH for easier reading day to day, but the odometer is in kilometers. As the car came from Japan, this is where the satellite navigation system is set to. The radio has been modified to accept UK radio stations. All the switches are reported to be working as they should, with no wear to the buttons. There is a small split to the walnut trim around the gear lever surround.

Into the boot area and, again, like the rest of the car, this shows no real signs of wear. There is a 6 disc CD changer to the right of the boot and just above it the brain for the sat nav system. Under the carpet is the original spare wheel, which has never been on the car.

As mentioned, cars from Japan don't really see any salt, therefore don't have the corrosion issues we get here in Britain. You'll be pleased to know the underside is exceptional for the year of the vehicle. The engine bay is well presented, with no areas of concern to point out.

The 4.2 V8 fires up first time and purrs along nice and smooth with just the distinct deep note of a V8 nearby. A light blip of the throttle confirms that there is in fact a V8 sitting in there, which sounds fantastic as it breathes through the two tailpipes.

Martin reports the XJR drives and handles just as it should, it pulls through the gears nicely and changes smoothly with no noises creeping in that shouldn't be there. The brakes are also excellent in the way of stopping you straight and also to look at. The calipers are nice and clean with no obvious corrosion and still finished with the Jaguar logo.

With a verified Jevic certificate and a full Japanese service history, what's not to love with the XKR? Since the car came to the UK it’s had exactly what it needed to keep up the pristine history, from new tyres, steering rack gaiters, and anti-roll bar drop links, to more recently in September 2020, a major service that came in at the £640 mark. Another thing to mention is the seller, Martin, has only managed to clock up between 500 - 600 kilometers in the short but enjoyable ownership.

The V5 is present and shows 2 previous keepers. There will be a fresh 12 months MoT on the vehicle by the time the auction ends.

Supercharged V8 with just 23,932 miles, definitely only just run in. Yes, it may be an import, which does seem to affect the prices slightly. However, it is a prime example, in excellent condition, with such low mileage and not seen salt every year since 2003.

The only thing to point out is the sat nav is in Japanese, but to be honest most people nowadays tend to use their phone, so we shouldn't see this as a massive issue. You can even buy a panel that would replace the sat nav with some more sporty looking gauges.

We estimate this Supercharged V8 will bring in the region of £12,500 - £16,000.

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