Nick Graves

Interesting choice - I've only been in a boggo one and it was a proper Jaaaag; cramped, but very refined.

Perhaps the colourway is a bit 'in yer face' and a more boring 'pipe & slippers' one would result in less ag from de babylon.

Looks an intriguing drive, though.

Tell you what, I was tagging along the A1 for some miles with a cooking XF ('Lude) and despite the wet road, I was impressed by the stability of its chassis and overall performance level for a cruisy-type car. It looked well-balanced for such a heavy bugger. And elegant, too; the more pretty XFs out there, the fewer E-segment Germans which are like rubbing sand in one's eyes these days.

gaddafi

This is anything but cramped. Will see if I can stick up some interior pics when I get a few minutes.

I am experimenting with tyre pressures at the moment. The gap between recommended pressures for standard and high speed is massive but so far standard is best. Can't do much high speed anyway!

The electrickery/FREDS on this is something called CATS. You will no doubt know about it. Doesn't seem intrusive to me but I don't claim to be able to feel coins I run over or stones stuck in the n/s rear tread...

Nick Graves

Cramped was probably the wrong term; close-fitting with porthole windows (like the old S-Type) might be more apt, rather than the very light & airy I'm used to. I don't want to use the hackneyed "gentlemen's club". Oh bugger!

Yes, the electronically-valved damping seems quite a good compromise to retaining a decent ride with body control in a very fast, heavy car.

In theory, one ought also to adjust the spring rates along with the dampers, but only air or hydraulic systems can do that at present.

Nottm_S2

the Jag looks a lot more stylish than the W8 but it probably pays for that in terms of practicality, the boot access etc.

think i'm too young for wood interiors though, where are those pics Gad?

Nick Graves

I've had plastic (very!) wood in the 'Lude for the past six years.

I actually quite like it, because it's so kitsch. It sort of mocks all that carbon fibre applique that everyone's Di-Noccing* into their cars right now.





*I understand that is of practical benefit in supposed 'performance' cars like BMWs, where the shiny tinsel dash insert otherwise blinds the driver on a sunny day like it used to in the 1960s/70s, before matt black was invented. Oh, the youthful folly of these designer twunts!

gaddafi

here are a couple

wood is more like a pale grey

can't say I have any strong feelings about it

[attachment=40906:console.jpg]

[attachment=40907:seat.jpg]

Nottm_S2

That's not bad. I looked at one on pissedonheads and it was a lot more offensive. Reminds me of when I searched for the BM and found lots of bamboo, silver and fox red (brown) interiors. ffs

Nick do you ever drive that car?

The japs have never been kings of style IMHO, occasionally they've got lucky with things like that lovely Toyota (not the 86 )

gaddafi

Quite a few STRs have a two tone leather interior that divides opinions. I generally like fast cars to be more discreet unless they are out and out sportsters. Wood probably suits the Jag better than alloy say. My E39 M5 has alloy trim and it suited the car far better than the wood equivalent. Then again I had an E36 M3 with 'birds eye maple' which was a bit like the wood in the Jag and that worked ok.

Interiors really matter to me and are the reason I could not live with just about any 996 Porsche. They can also be truly dreadful on classics that I would otherwise sample. My biggest problem is with the De Tomaso Pantera. Much as I would like one (which is a lot), I would have to have a custom interior based on all the ones I've seen. Old luxury classics often have much better interiors than the sporting cars of the time.

Nick Graves

Which one? I have several.

Nottm_S2

The wooden 'lude

You have plenty of nice motors so if it were me it wouldn't see a lot of use