My first year in a Jaguar XJ6

[Winston Smith]

I bought my first Jaguar, a beautiful Platinum Silver 04 plated XJ6 3.0 V6 SE, in June 2014. It had 99,996 miles on. It's parked outside, a year and a bit later, just turned 114,000mls, two major dealer services (and another 3 grand on just about every bush and shim known to modern suspension) later, and still I love this car. I don't CARE that it looks like I'm constantly going to a wedding or a funeral (near where I was working just after I bought my lovely silver Jaguar there was a crematorium. As I was driving past, a car slowed and flashed me in, presuming I had a funeral to do.) and I don't CARE if, after having entrusted it to my Jaguar dealer to service it and get it straight I still find myself plagued by the little orange "Check Engine" light, and have shelled out to an indy garage to trace the fault and shut the light off only to have it pop back on six days later with an angry looking kind of 'should've taken me to the dealership' scowl on it's little glowy face.

                          I will take it to the dealer. Thing is, my wife and my 11 year old son love this car now. I love this car, too. In January, I drove to Stonehouse, Gloucestershire and back in it. 721 miles in one day, through some of the thickest snow and icy roads imaginable, stopping just twice for fuel, marvelling at the average consumption (27mpg) and the general effortlessness of the V6 on the open road. (anyone who tells you that the V6 Jaguar is inferior to the V8 is wrong. The V6 wants for nothing; it is whisper quiet, astonishingly economical and, when asked to by kicking down two gears in the fast lane, amazingly quick). I tend to find that the people who suggest that the V8 is "purer" Jaguar are the same people who wouldn't have fancied a straight 6 XJ if a 5.3 V12 were available. The poor little V6 is perpetually shunned: it's not a straight six, and it's not a V8, whither shall it go? More powerful than the 5.3 litre V12 is where the 'little' Ford 2997cc V6 goes! 240 bhp is a lot powering an old fashioned steel car, it's a helluva lot powering an all aluminium car!

              I feel I may be rambling now. The fact is, my plan is to drive this motor all over Europe. I can happily see myself still driving this motor in five years, having resisted the temptations of V8s, or maybe even supercharged XEs, to proudly still be driving one of the last XJ6s.

 

Having said all that, should a 2009> XJ suddenly appear within my budget, I wonder, would my loyalty to the old four lamps and the tucked in tail be able to resist the instruments going red in 'sports' mode and the ambient lights in the door pockets of the current XJ....It is a beautiful motor. Of course it is, it's a Jaguar. But in the future, I'll probably still not really think of it as an XJ. Everyone knows the Jaguar XJ6 is Arthur Daley's car (in silver, and sometimes a Daimler) and is STILL the car people conjure in their minds when you say "I've got a Jag". People will never ask "Wow, really? Is it an E-Type?", they'll just picture the XJ6. If people say "I've got an E-Type", people will tend to politely say "wow, really." I absolutely am rambling now, and I apologise:

 

In summary: Jaguar XJ6 good. Changed my life.

 

 

 

 

ps. if there's a prize for drunkest debut I'd like to donate it to charity

[Old Peter]

Welcome to the Club, Gary.

 

Great first post!    The Club is about exchanging experiences, which usually help or inspire other Jaguar Owners..

 

It is also rather good to see someone caring about their car which also shows where Jaguar is coming from rather than where it is going.

 

If I won millions in the lottery I would buy my wife and brand new XE, but I would still keep my S type 2.7D V6  --  a model that is still a head turner, even in Brummagem where the car was built.

 

Keep enjoying you Jaguar.

 

Regards,

 

Peter.