Jaguar XJS 4.0 in the driving report: An XJS as an everyday car

Stefan Mayer is seriously not interested in cars. The managing director of the Stuttgart company Music Express ( w ww.musicex.de ) strictly speaking, no time at all. Organizing concerts and events is his thing. Talking about cars all night long, he leaves that to others - even if the talks are about his Jaguar XJS, which the entrepreneur has been driving through the Swabian metropolis as an everyday vehicle for five years.

'I just loved the shape', Mayer justifies his purchase and looks at the rain-soaked Jaguar XJS Coupé, which dates from 1992. It crouches wide and flat on the asphalt and looks at least as terrifying in black from a distance as the Batmobile did back then. Even when Ford, as the new Jaguar owner, turned the XJ-S into an XJS in 1991 under the direction of William Hayden and carried out a facelift, the original proportions of the coupé, which had already been presented in 1975, remained almost unchanged.

The sedan was more popular than the Jaguar XJS Coupé

Jaguar XJS Coupé - that means: a tight driver's compartment between the seemingly endless bonnet and the long rear, plus a high belt line and up to the taillights Drawn C-pillars with a hidden rear window - fans steeped in tradition were at best not amused by Malcoms Sayer's idiosyncratic design, which was completed by the Italian bodywork manufacturer Vignale. Nice was different, for example the limousine, which still asserted its leading role as a stylish glider for the better-off.

'When Stefan arrived with this car, I thought it was a Mazda,' says friend Anni Then also openly light up. She means that at first she didn't really like the Jaguar XJS Coupé either. Of course, she now enjoys driving the eye-catching car. And she has long since got used to the looks of many passers-by who, due to the image of the jaguar, assign the couple to the red light district. Those who achieved something there liked to demonstrate this with an XJS in front of the door. Since then, the coupé has never really recovered from its wicked reputation and is now quite inexpensive even in good condition.

With the six-cylinder -Version remain the costmanageable

While the twelve-cylinder version of the Jaguar XJ-S /XJS, which has been available since the beginning, should have been as mandatory as the diamond-studded Rolex on the wrist for the guys from the neighborhood, Stefan Mayer is half so many pots satisfied. The 222 hp, four-liter unit, made entirely of light metal, comes from the Jaguar XJ 40 and replaced the 3.6-liter six-cylinder engine that had been installed since 1983. The engine is considered to be fully developed and helps keep costs manageable. The four-speed automatic, an extra that once cost 4,104 marks extra, is a matter of honor for the Stuttgart owner.

Car testers sometimes saw things differently and clearly recommended the five-speed gearbox for this engine. Because otherwise ordinary cars like a VW Corrado or Opel Calibra drove from zero to one hundred at the start. A Jaguar XJS Coupé didn't really need such pubescent games back then.

Especially not today, because he is competing in a completely different league, clearly claiming the role of the gentleman among sports coupes. The fine leather armchairs and the shiny root wood create a touch of club atmosphere, even if the world outside threatens to end as it is at this moment. The driver and front passenger live deep behind a comparatively small windscreen and separated by a mighty center console. The Jaguar XJS Coupé conveys intimacy and security even during the seat rehearsal.

The Jaguar XJS cost around 100,000 marks

For this exclusive ambience, including the costs for additional equipment such as air conditioning (5,016 marks) or leather upholstery (2,588 marks), around 100,000 marks to be transferred to Jaguar. In order not to jeopardize the classic overall appearance, over the years the interior was redesigned.

The bottom line was that the designers of the Jaguar XJS Coupé left it with a new on-board computer, modified switches and four more contemporary ones Round instruments in addition to the speedometer and rev counter instead of the idiosyncratic dial rollers for oil pressure, water temperature, tank content and battery voltage. On the other hand, some factual defects could not have been remedied in the first place. The confusion to the rear, for example. Or the turning circle of 14 meters. When maneuvering, the driver is better aiming for an empty parking lot in a shopping center.

At the latest when the six-cylinder of the Jaguar XJS Coupé starts up and grumbles quietly in idle, you forgive this car for any ailments on the spot. In position D the car glides effortlessly away, and the next moment the automatic shifts up smoothly and almost smoothly. Although such a Jaguar XJS Coupé is quite heavy at 1,662 kilosThe engine does not have to work particularly hard, it runs quietly and with little vibration. He is less fond of sporty drivers. When the pedal is depressed, it takes ten seconds to reach a speed of 100, and you can feel that the long-stroke engine feels most comfortable between 2,000 and 4,000 revolutions.

The flagship discipline of the Jaguar XJS is country road surfing

Relaxed country road surfing and fast gliding over the motorway turn out to be the main disciplines of the coupé with its wide track and long wheelbase. But even curves that are tackled with great care do not seriously unbalance a Jaguar XJS Coupé for a long time. 38 years after its presentation, it is easy to spontaneously succumb to this coupé, which in no way resembles a classic beauty. Wherever a Jaguar XJS appears today, it nevertheless easily marks its territory and guarantees a strong appearance at all times.