2003 Jaguar XJR Supercharged

Recently re-imported from Japan where it’s spent the overwhelming majority of its life, this stunning Jaguar XJR is finished in Slate Grey Metallic over Warm Charcoal leather. As is almost always the case with cars from Japan, it has been beautifully maintained and is in a much better condition than any UK car of the same age and mileage - not that it has covered many miles; with just 48,239 miles recorded and first registered in 2003, it’s covered fewer than 3,000 miles per annum on average.

And it does record your speed in miles rather than kilometers because that mighty 4.2-litre, 395bhp supercharged V8 engine sits inside a full domestic-spec car including a UK sat-nav system and full-size numberplate plinths.

With a long MOT, it combines the very best of all worlds, making it one for the discerning performance Jaguar enthusiast who simply refuses to compromise when buying their forever XJR saloon…

The Slate Grey Metallic coachwork is nothing short of stunning. Putting paid to any lingering doubts you might be harbouring about Jaguar quality back-in-the-day, its tight and even shutlines, gleaming paintwork and wonderful panel alignment speak of a car built with a great deal of care by the sort of craftsmen and women for which the West Midlands is famous.

And that care has been repaid in spades over the years too, because it’s very nearly as good now as it was when it left Coventry almost twenty years ago. Still wearing ripple-free flanks and straight panels, it’s fair to say that it has been cossetted over the years, and curated with an uncommonly high degree of care.

It also wears new tyres on the 19-inch alloy wheels, and while the matching Minerva tyres are new, the alloy wheels are in such a good condition that you could be mistaken for thinking that that had been replaced at the same time, too. But then you’d guessed that they’d be in this kind of condition, hadn’t you?

As we will never tire of explaining, our experience shows that matching 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. Their presence does not, of course, preclude the need for a thorough inspection - something the vendor would welcome, by the way – but it does perhaps give you a shortcut into their attitude towards maintenance.

Factory-fit extras include bi-Xenon headlamps including a power wash system, and a mesh front grille. The whole thing reeks of class and understated elegance, something the discreet silver, Jaguar-branded brake calipers reinforce. This is a very well-judged car and we applaud whoever spec’d it in the showroom all those years ago.

And, if you are expecting to find a list of faults here then you haven’t been listening. Cars from Japan are invariably pampered, and this one is a credit to the nation because other than the sort of stonechips and very minor marks that even a year-old car will have picked up, there’s nothing to worry about at all.

The 'R' embossed leather seats are finished with a very attractive double red stitching, which adds an element of bling to an otherwise staid interior. Heated both front and rear, the front ones are electrically adjustable, as are the steering wheel and pedals.

Plump and yet massively supportive via deep side bolsters, something you’ll appreciate when you start to make the most of the car’s legendary performance and handling, they’re still in great shape, too. With only very gentle creasing, you could be forgiven for mistaking them for seats that have seen three years of use rather than being old enough to vote.

The rear seats are just as good, and the headrests fold down when they aren’t being used, which is a lovely touch that increases rearwards visibility disproportionately.

The rest of the leather trim is equally impressive, as is the extensive wooden veneer trim, deep-pile carpets, door cards, dashboard instruments, and the chrome controls. It really is a very lovely place to be and all the better for being so well preserved.

It’s also got radar-assisted active cruise control with distance ahead control, and everything we have tested works as it should.

The boot, which is home to a space-saver spare wheel, tool kit and warning triangle, is in great shape – and the fact that lifting the (very good) carpets shows only solid, rust-free metal underneath won’t come as a surprise by now, will it?

A new headlining has been fitted and the window tint has been professionally removed, which means that the only job for you to do is to reclip the offside front door’s lower rubber trim back on (see photo #152).

The paperwork includes what looks to be records of services in Japan at 6,712kms, 15,989kms, and 30,322kms. Last serviced on the 26th of September 2020, as you can see in the video, it starts very well, ticks over like a 400bhp sewing machine, and howls like a demon.

The vendor says of it: “everything works perfectly, including the engine. It has smooth gear changes, and the brakes pull up square. The suspension is silent.”

The engine bay is nicely presented and while those of a fastidious nature will probably want to detail it, the rest of us could leave it as it is and never give it a second thought.

The underside is strong and solid and free of the sort of rusty components you tend to find on cars that’ve battle through 20 UK winters. This means that the only work to do under there is to sort the cracked plastic trim that is currently being held in place with the longest zip tie we’ve ever seen.

The Jaguar’s MOT certificate, which is valid until November 2021, was gained without a single advisory point.

It has a number of expired MOT certificates plus a sheaf of paperwork from its time in Japan including what appears to be some service records in addition to the usual Shaken (the Japanese equivalent of our MOT test) you usually see.

It also still has its original owner’s handbook, fully stamped service history, book pack, and storage wallet.

Please visit the documents section of the gallery of this listing where you will find photos of this and other paperwork to support our claim that this car has been maintained to a very good standard.

We include an online HPI report run at the auction start which shows no finance outstanding and no insurance markers for theft or damage.

The Jaguar XJR has semi-mythical status; as an ultra-quick, super-saloon 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 that 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 maintenance history we think it’s only going to fetch somewhere between £10,000 and £12,000, which seems like fine value to us for a car as well-preserved and original as this.

Inspection is always encouraged (within Govt. guidelines of course), and this particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon; 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’.