That's it. Spring is finally here in most of the country. Sorry, the Territories. What does that mean? It means that all of the nice cars are coming out of hibernation to rumble down to the drive-through or local cruise spots once again. It also means that it's finally convertible time. Nothing says warm weather better than an open roof. So for our Find of the Week this week, we're bringing you an affordable luxury convertible: a 1997 Jaguar XK8. With heated seats, just in case the temperature drops again.
Jaguar has been making beautiful open-top cars since 1935. You might have noticed one or two of them before. Like the XK120 of the 1950s, the 1970s XJ-S. Oh yeah, and the E-type.
By the early 1990s, Jag's then-current XJ-S had been on the market for nearly 20 years. It was still a good looking car, but time and tide wait for no designer. The look was dated, the platform and powertrains even more so, and Jaguar needed a new model. That car would arrive at the Geneva auto show, in March of 1996.
The XK was a huge departure from the XJ-S it replaced. The styling was still clearly Jaguar, but added modern sleekness in place of the old car's 1970s upright body. The XK also offered Jaguar's first eight-cylinder engine. An all-aluminum engine that was thoroughly modern. The first-generation XK was a sales success and would live on until 2006 before being replaced with a new generation car.
The engine is a 4.0L V8 that makes 290 hp and 284 lb-ft of torque. It's backed by a five-speed automatic that is controlled by Jaguar's J-gate shifter. It gives the car performance that was excellent for the time, and still more than adequate. The car shared a platform with the Aston Martin DB7, as the two were under shared ownership at the time. It was a car that looked good, handled well, and offered the Jaguar experience for drivers wanting a two-seat option instead of the much larger sedan. And yes, this car has four seats, but the rear seats are best reserved for child seats, luggage, or people who don't mind a complete lack of legroom.
This XK8 convertible, for sale in Vaughan, ON, is in one of the classic colours. Carnival (burgundy) with Oatmeal (beige) interior. And it's loaded with real wood trim. This car, a 1997 model, has just 92,000 km on the odometer. It's all ready for top-down cruising or back road spirited driving this summer. For about the same price as a base-model Chevrolet Spark.
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