XKR 4L or 4.2

[stuart1927]

Hi folks

I've been looking at the prospects of getting an XKR for some time now, having owned a few XJR's in the past.

I had both a 4l XJR (2001) and a 4.2 XJR (2005) and to be honest, I preferred the 2001 with the older 4l supercharged V8 and 5sp auto. The 4.2l always felt a bit more "delicate" and perhaps less robust than the 4.0L, although that is really a subjective view.

I know some folks advise getting the later 4.2 l XKR with 6 spd auto, but I must admit I'm still drawn to the earlier cars and like the idea of the older 5 spd auto. Prices aren't so different so I guess I'm looking for something to convince me that the later 4.2L car really is the way to go.
I've found a really nice example of each variant within a few thousand £'s of each other. Assuming timing chain/water pump issues have been addressed, is there anything else to be worried about on the earlier car, that might not be a concern on the later car?


sbb

[Lucky]

Stuart,

Tough one. Hopefully someone who has ownership experience of both will pitch in with their experiences.

I have the 4.0L Coupe as when I bought it (used) I couldn't afford a 4.2L as they were too new, but I have never regretted it. The 4.2L has slightly more power and torque at slightly lower revs, and slightly better fuel consumption but I'm not sure how significant the difference is in reality. Might be worth checking the car tax and insurance between the two cars. The key might be if Jaguar made some more fundamental changes when they introduced the 4.2L.

Either way I don't think you will be disappointed.

[J44EAG]

The 4.2 is MUCH more robust than the 4 litre. There`s no contest...it also has the ali tensioners and an improved timing chain not to mention a revised oil pick up pipe. It has a significant power and torque increase and the six speed ZF gearbox. The cooling system was also improoved and got rid of the plastic cooling tower found on the 4 litre. That used to fall to pieces. It took the after market to produce an ali version.

Going from a 4 litre to the 4.2 was a marked experience. The 4 litre was just Jaguars starting point. The 4.2 got the best from the V8. I`d not go back.

The 4 litre was dropped around mid 2002.5MY. Its old technology.

Mike K

[Astromorg]

All as Mike says!
Unfortunately this Forum won't allow pdf documents to be posted, but if you , or anyone else would like a copy of Jaguar's publication of the technical improvements and service guide when introducing the 4.2 models for MY 2003, please PM me your email address and I'll forward it to you. There's about 50 pages.

[stuart1927]

Interesting...thanks guys. I suspect my 2005 xjr was a bit of a lemon! It has all sorts of issues with oxidation of the aluminum that was very expensive to fix and the engine was glitchy. It may have just been a bad example.

I just got some details of the 4.2 xkr (2004) and it looks like it has a great history. A lot of stuff replaced only 7k miles ago, including suspension components, brakes, gearbox service ...rear subframe was removed and powder coated at considerable cost ....in all, about £12k spent on this extensive service. Seems like a lot of the typical problem items have been attended to.

Now the negotiation!

cheers

Stuart