Test drive Jaguar XJ 1997 - 2003 sedan
Living classic
Jaguar XJ8 Executive'98 There are many different cars in the world. Extremely expensive and extremely cheap. But most of them have a means of transportation. Jaguar is different, and this is much more than the car. Jaguar is a style, taste, a symbol of social status, in the end the philosophy and fidelity of tradition. Jaguar, with rare exceptions, is a symbol of belonging to an elite, closed and self -sufficient caste.
The strength of tradition
Jaguar, even in complete darkness, will not confuse with anyone. Its rapid and lean silhouette, predatory and at the same time elegant lines give rise to the only association - the beast that fell to the ground in the last second before the jump.
XJ8 Executive 1998 of the model year almost like two drops of water is similar to its predecessors - XJ6 and XJ12. The continuity of generations is the tradition of style. He is not subject to the momentary influences of fashion, he over it, declaring himself exquisitely - politely, but very cold, arrogantly and confidently. Just as the owner of the family estate, whose family story is rooted deeper into centuries, can talk to his servants. It will not be an exaggeration to call it a model of perfection - so all the details are thought out and honed, and classics and modernity are harmoniously combined. Only insignificant details, including chrome linings on the bumper, the v8 nameplate on the middle rack and headlights with smooth glasses and crystal faces of reflectors, are distinguished by executive'98 from its predecessors.
How the theater begins with a hanger, so Jaguar begins with a special, inherent in it, sound of the opening and closing door - an obligatory branded attribute, which remains unchanged for decades, and acoustics monitors that the special Yaguar tonality of this sound is absolutely identical to everyone without exception coming from the conveyor cars. It sounds like a gong that marks your transition to a completely different world. In the one where people, turning to each other, will necessarily pronounce a sir where a visit to the club (note, not at all night) or the golf game is an indispensable part of Week-End and a traditional tea party occurs at five o’clock in the afternoon.
Sheep and predators
The model range of 1998 received a new salon, only the seats remained the same, but the traditional style was fully preserved. One of the unchanged and carefully observed traditions is that the internal decorative panels are made by one master made of natural nut and only manually. There are two fully identical sets for each released car. The second is stored in the warehouse until the company receives an official notification that this car no longer exists.
And somewhere on the fields of the Yutland peninsula, herds of sheep granted, which, from birth, is destined to become the prey of a jaguar. A special mode of life, special feeding and at the end of life manual skin dressing - all this is only so that the seats of this car acquire their beauty and deliver amazing comfort to its passengers. The best characteristic of the Salon Jaguar gave one of its owners, saying that there is no better way for him to gather with thoughts and think about the most important solutions: you just need to get behind the wheel. And just sit.
Island ambitions Meanwhile, the strict laws of the market, even the Jaguar company, made the principles somewhat, and the release of the 1998 model series can be called a truly revolutionary transformation. The company began to gradually leave its ivory tower and focus on a slightly wider circle of consumers, primarily continental. So, in Executive there were a steering column and seats with mechanical adjustments, tissue inserts in them, the rear seats, cruise control and some other, previously mandatory elements of the configuration, have been transferred to the list of additional options. However, about mechanical windows or on the decoration of the salon in dark colors, you should not even stutter.
It is possible to add something, but to abandon the branded elements that are included in the standard equipment, and thereby it is impossible to reduce the purchase. It is impossible to hang on executive what is provided exclusively for Sovereign or XJR, for example, an active CATS suspension or a double rear seat. Each of his own: this is not a S600 wool for the 280th to glue. Jaguar is a one -way road - only forward, but to a certain limit.
The client is respected and loved, but at the same time they are not in the pose of what is pleasing, sir. The situation similar to membership conditions in the elite club. Hard rules imply their full adoption. If you, sir, do not suit you, please ask, contact another club.
Up to a millimeter
The characteristic of the salon fits into one phrase: bordering on the ideal. Traditional, in the sports style of the front panel, with separate devices, sunk into deep cylindrical niches. There are three of them: a speedometer with a tripper-computer display, a tachometer and a temperature indicator with a fuel sensor. A completely black background of dials on which the contours of the icons of control lamps are not visible. The unique backlight of the color of the sea wave turns on even in the daylight, so deeply recessed devices are perfectly visible and readable.
Despite the highest level of comfort for passengers, this car still honors the one who was driving. Even the body is combined in such a way that the driver's and front passenger seats are in the most comfortable zone: almost in the middle of the wheelbase. Passengers sit much closer to the rear axle and therefore feel more and hearing the road.
Turning the key - and that the engine has earned, can only be understood by the tachometer. The 8-cylinder V-shaped motor, which was replaced by the former 6- and 12-cylinder, is so thinly configured and balanced that a coin can be placed on its valve cover during operation. Rib.
The classic, not changing for a couple of decades, the automatic checkpoint lever moves along the guide in the form of an inverted letter P. In automatic mode, the dynamics may seem sluggish to someone, but this is easily corrective. The new box allows you to switch the speed -restraint manually, and the same shape of the guide allows you to make all manipulations blindly. And the armrest seemed to be created so that the right hand relaxed on it relaxed, and light movements are made with one brush.
Just a jaguar On the potholes of Moscow streets, a magnificent suspension of this car immediately showed herself. Upper class. In combination with a rubber 225/60 ZR16, which is successfully selected for Russia, it provides an unknown level of comfort. But the traffic jams and the crowd of a large city inevitably equalize the chances of both a 240-horsepower jaguar with a 3.2-liter engine and a 60-horsepower soap dish. Behind the line of the city, Executive is completely revealed. Acceleration occurs powerfully, stably and rapidly, transfers of gears are completely imperceptible, as on an electric car.
Another analogy - with a locomotive - causes stability on the road. As if by rails, with the only difference being that the slightest movement with an acute and sensitive steering wheel, which has become tangibly heavier, easily changes the direction. It is as if there is no need to especially reduce the speed in the turns, so a car is going on so stably and without the slightest hint to skid. Somewhere there, in its bowels there is a silent operation of a dynamic stabilization system that receives signals from the engine and wheels and reacting immediately, as if at least one of them tries to break into sliding.
Music plays quietly, satellites, no extraneous noises in an undertone. It seems to be nothing special. Until the gaze falls on the speedometer. The arrow froze at the mark 210. Everything is so simple: a perfectly working motor, a perfectly designed and calculated pendant, high quality sound insulation, just magnificent aerodynamics and all these are simply jaguar.
The autopilot thanks Musa Motors, (095) 785-1111, 785-1185, for the car provided for the test. For the period of the test, the car was insured in the company of RESO-Garantia, (095) 250-3600, 255-6834.
The club of Jaguars owners in the usual sense is a cozy house with a rapid cat silhouette on the door and on a frock -coching coaching coat, leather sofas, club jackets, etc. - does not exist in Russia. But the owners of rare, intricate machines, like the one in question, cannot but communicate with each other. Those who have jaguars so far meet in an informal setting in the store a Jaguar collection on Zhukov Avenue
Who are they, these cream of automobile society? Mostly television and singers. Vladimir Voroshilov (what? Where? When?) Dark-gray metallic metallic with an absolutely white leather salon drives a jaguar. The famous jaguar -owner and Boris Zosimov. Behind the wheel always. The back is always security in the Cherokee jeep. And Alexander Buinov rides on the jaguar. This famous singer, by the way, has repeatedly been a participant in the rally for survival and generally loves all sorts of driver's experiments. Once, for example, I decided to ride a small Italian bike. After the obedient and comfortable jaguar, this was not so easy: it lost control, it flew over the border the case ended with a clinic of plastic surgery
Bogdan Titomir, who generally knows a lot about automotive equipment (his personal fleet has five cars), recently joined the Parisian club of Jaguar owners and now moves only to Jaguar-Cabrio piercing yellow. And Frank Sinatra admitted that all his life he had a weakness for this brand, in confirmation of which he put at the auction of Christie's auction the 1976 Jaguar XJS.
This is about the people of the creative direction. And lovers of the detective genre will be interested in knowing that the former resident of Moscow in the CIA Oldridge Aims traveled in America on communist-alla Yaguar.
Nevertheless, the player Alena Shirer, who did not even have to sell his homeland to get a lifelong right to use the jaguar, was most lucky. The company signed an agreement with the football star that it becomes his, so to speak, with an exclusive automobile supplier. Motivating this by the fact that Shirer is a type of dynamic, successful and far from poor young man, who has recently been attracted to our brand recently.
Model/Modification Jaguar XJ8 Executive
The manufacturer Jaguar Cars Limited.
Producer-producer England
BODY
Type sedan
Number of doors/places 4/5
ENGINE
Basin type with multi -point electronic injection
The location in front is longitudinally
Working volume (cubic cub) 3248
Number/location of cylinders 8/V-shaped
Cylinder x piston stroke (mm) 86.0x70.0
Compression degree 10.5: 1
Power, kW (L.S.) at about./Min. 179 (240) at 6350
Moment (nm at about./Min.) 316 at 4250
The number of valves per cylinder 4
TRANSMISSION
Rear -wheel drive, with an electronic anti -circus system
Gearbox five -speed automatic
SUSPENSION
The front independent spring, on two transverse levers of different lengths with reptile stability stabilizers and telescopic gas shock absorbers
The rear independent spring, on two levers, with a reptile stability stabilizer, telescopic gas shock absorbers
STEERING
Type gear rack with a hydraulic booster
and alternating gear ratio
Min. Diameter of turn (m) 12.1
Number of turns of the steering wheel between the extreme points 2.8
Brakes
Front disk ventilated
The rear circular ventilated
ABS four -sensor four -channel electronic
Wheels
Tire size 225/60 zr16
Alloy wheels, 7JX16 ''
Dimensions/Opam/Weight
Length/width/height (mm) 5024/1799/1360
Wheel base (mm) 2870
The front track/
ride back (mm) 1500/1500
Min. clearance (mm) 140
The volume of the fuel tank (l) 81
Dry mass/equipped (kg) 1710/2260
Dynamic characteristics
Maximum speed (km/h) 240
Acceleration to 100 km/h (sec.) 8.2
Aerodynamics coefficient, CX 0.37
Economy
Fuel consumption, l/100km:
City cycle 17.1
Highway 9.0
Mixed cycle 12.1
$ 90,000 molestered price in Moscow
What else
In the 1998 model year, Jaguar went to the people, but at the same time retained in almost complete integrity its main features - aristocracy and self -sufficiency. The emergence of a new version of Executive and others quite obviously proves the intentions of manufacturers to create a serious problem for the main competitors in this class. They should first be called Mercedes S320. Despite the fact that this version of the representative W140 is equipped with a 6-cylinder engine, and all modern jaguars will have only eight different modifications, their main technical parameters are extremely close. As close is the saturation with all kinds of pleasant options. In addition, MB is higher and, as a result, its interior is more spacious. If you leave aside the image aspect, then, all other things being equal, Jaguar Executive can make serious competition, especially due to its price.
Another closest class comrade is BMW 735i. In this case, you can find an almost complete coincidence - from technical characteristics to size. That's just in the configuration similar to Executive, the 735th will be ten to fifteen thousand more. Reliability, style, verification of time, everything as if also coincides, except for one thing: image. A person choosing a Jaguar will never sit behind the wheel of BMW and vice versa. The point is in small nuances, but in this case they decide everything.
The Land of the Rising Sun is actively breaking through that sector of the automotive market, which previously almost completely belonged to German and partly English cars. The luxury representative versions of various Toyota models under the Lexus trademark are actively introduced into Russia. From a technical point of view, LS400 is closest to Jaguar. With all the positive qualities and an attractive price, he is still deprived of the main thing - there is no one behind such a rich baggage of history and image exclusivity.
Andrey Timofeev, Andrey Bakuta, Dmitry Novokreshhenov (photo)
Source: "Autopilot"
