I have been reading JaguarWorld for a few years and thought I would offer my Jaguar story: I have been lucky enough to own three versions of the XJ range since 1999 and give my experiences/thoughts on all three. I first purchased a 1998 X308 (XJ8) LWB 4.0 Sovereign in Madeira with ivory leather when it was six months old, an ex-demo. In my view, this was the last of the great looking Jaguars, inside and out; it was a true limousine and drove smoothly with plenty of power.
There’s a thread that runs through an entire bloodline of supercars that we can tease at during their lifetimes but which only really makes itself apparent through the lens of hindsight. Underrated, misunderstood, underbacked or merely out of place and time when they were launched, cars like the BMW M1 E26, the Porsche 911 Carrera RS 964, the Ferrari F50, the McLaren 12C and the BMW i8 all needed time beyond their respective production runs for us to appreciate them for what they achieved.
So with the new Midnight Purple look, the car deserved a set of NV Forged wheels, and we went with our brand new NVF-03C design, finished in the Champagne Brushed Gold. These are 2kg lighter per corner compared to the already ultralight BMW M wheels, and reducing unsprung mass is key to the agility of a heavyweight M car. We have maintained the OEM staggered setup with a slightly wider stance, opting for 19” at the front and 20” rears, maintaining all driveability and better grip.
Pay attention to the Porsche marketplace and you’ll have noticed a general inflation of prices for used 911s across the board, from collectibles at the very top, right the way down to the everyday 996 at the bottom. Whether this consumer confidence is boosted solely by a relaxing of year-long coronavirus restrictions remains to be seen, but there’s no doubting enthusiasts are happy to spend lavishly on acquiring 911s – perhaps best exemplified by the mammoth £7.
Mk1 Golf resto gets BAM 1.8T, 17" BBS RS & Recaro LS seats. Whilst it’s not unusual to take inspiration from Europe, Prittin Petal took things one step further and had his entire project built in Poland. Words: Graham Leigh. Photos: Tony Matthews. EUROPEAN UNION 1.8T BAM Mk1 GOLF Forty-four year old Prittin Patel hails from Farnham Common in South Buckinghamshire. Fittingly he works in the orthodontic industry, his car history and collection certainly induces a healthy grin.