rear seats in XK8 convertible

[alanscat]

I am seriously considering an XK8 convertible but in order to have support of 'senior management' I have to reassure her that we can safely and comfortably accommodate up to 2 grandchildren now and then. Obviously there can be no compromises on safety and compliance with the law. Any comments/experiences would be much appreciated. Thanks

[designxkr50]

I am seriously considering an XK8 convertible but in order to have support of 'senior management' I have to reassure her that we can safely and comfortably accommodate up to 2 grandchildren now and then. Obviously there can be no compromises on safety and compliance with the law. Any comments/experiences would be much appreciated. Thanks

We have a convertible and have had 4 adults in the car (I admit is was for a very short run and was a really tight squeeze) but the seats can be used. It all depends on the age of the car (later cars have thicker seats leaving less leg room in the rear) and height of driver and passenger.

[MarkyM]

Marginally more headroom in the coupe than the Conv (with the roof up of course!)

With children what you have to take into account is the extra room the child seat will take up (as you are aware a legal requirement).

It really depends on the age of the grandchildren and their height...yours also as if your over 5'8" your seat may well be further back and not give children in the back any legroom. My newly adopted children of 3 & 4 96cm and 104cm respectively fit fine...but then i'm only 5'6" if I were any taller my daughters feet woul be crushed when the seat was returned to its normal/driving position. Best to take the shortest one with their car seat to your local dealer to check.

Either way I'm going to have to sell my XK8 in a couple of years

Regards

Mark

[alanscat]

Thanks designXKR & MarkyM, that's useful info. What I'm particularly focusing on is booster cushion use, I believe Jaguar have one that works with the XK rear seats. I would guess that 'standard' booster seats would be too deep and overhang the front edge of the seat. Presumably most under 12s would need a booster even with the XK's tiny seats?

[Em]

I've got a 1999 XKR convertible, and I'm 5'10. My 9 and 7 year olds fit behind me (just) for now, but before long it will be too much of a squeeze.
As for car seats and boosters, they seem too big to fit into the rear seats, and the seats are child sized anyway. So I've bought some padded seat belt covers (Jaguar ones from Ebay) to fit on the top of the seat belts to ensure that the seat belts don't dig into their necks. The covers wrap around the top and fasten with velcro.
My children do love to shout out to their friends when they're in the car with the roof down (I wonder why?), and they compare being in the car with being on a rollercoaster with its amazing acceleration, and they absolutely love it.
You've got to get one, it makes you feel like a million dollars each time you drive it, even if you're only doing 30mph.
Em

[MyQuest]

I have proof that you can get a fully grown drunken male into a rear seat of an XK8.

I can also confirm that it is almost impossible to get him out.

(Here's a thought. As Design XKR is located close to Britax in Andover, perhaps he can get a tie-up with them for special Jaguar seat mods...).

M Q

[match61]

I'm 6 feet 2 inches, so the rear seats good only for parcels etc. A good lock up storage like my XJS 1989 conv. would make more sense, a minor fault on otherwise great automobile. Maurice.