The article on the S Final Edition XKs was a great piece by Craig as usual. I really enjoy his tales of Jaguar addiction and how he can’t kick it! A few things to add if you’ll allow. The special colours mentioned were only supplemented by another four including Platinum, Racing Green, Midnight and Quartz. Montreal wheels were never an option. The XK8-S came with 19” Atlas wheels as standard with the 20” Sepang available as an option. The XKR-S came with Perseus as standard with no other option. But… the Perseus proved to be prone to buckling so the Sepangs were fitted on some XKR-S straight from the factory or fitted to replace the Perseus wheels under warranty.
Dove Grey leather was only available with Frost Blue and Quartz exterior and came with Dove Grey carpet. Only the XKR-S had red calipers. Silver calipers with cross-drilled discs were an option on the XK8-S. I have a full specification brochure which came with one of the cars I bought. It can be a bit confusing but it ties in with all the cars I’ve seen over the years.
Also Craig states only 500 of the S Final Edition were built in XK and XKR form but I believe it was a lot more and I have been unable to find any mention from the launch that the model was a limited edition. The earliest car I’ve seen is chassis 46613, an XKR-S Final Edition coupe in satin with black trim.
Also Jaguar Heritage gives the start of production of the S Final Edition as chassis 45289, making it 3395 cars built as S Final Edition models.
The earliest car I’ve bought and sold was chassis 46618 and I have the build sheet for this car showing it as a Sports pack which wasa £4000 option on the coupe and £3200 on the convertible, over and above the usual XKR-S Final Edition specification. Including, according to the brochure: Handling Pack, satellite navigation, adaptive cruise control and Recaro seats.
In the course of buying and selling many S Final Editions cars, I’ve not found any after the Heritage start number which have been anything other than S Final Edition cars.
However, having said that… I also have a build sheet for a XK coupe with a chassis number in the range for the Final Editions cars but which identifies as a 2006 MY car with 2004.5 MY parts: Quartz with Dove Grey interior, 2004.5MY Montreal alloys and birds eye maple dash plus loads of extras.
I feel it’s important to get these things pinned down because it affects values. There are already myths and legends being attached to these cars in the hope of higher prices.
‘The BMW is old enough to look and feel special, yet new enough to still use regularly’
All of the sports saloons featured here offer something different and are all compelling in their own way. The Ford Cortina 1600E excels as a comfortable yet swift cruiser, though it lacks excitement behind the wheel. Nostalgia and looks are on its side, plus there’s no shortage of buyers. Along with the BMW, it’s probably the safest place for your money.
The MG proves surprisingly entertaining, in spite of its modest performance and relative simplicity. The Magnette is a doddle to upgrade, doesn’t cost a lot and rarely goes wrong, though there’s not much of a market for them out there. The Dolomite is loud and lacks finesse in the cabin, although driving it will probably put a bigger smile on your face than any other car here. The engine’s great fun to rev out and the chassis, though not as accomplished, does a fair job of keeping up. Objectively, the BMW E30 is the best machine here. Its grip is prodigious yet not so much it saps the fun, even at sensible speeds. You won’t want to do those, though – this 325i pushes you to go that bit faster. Values have climbed steeply, though a lot of frankly average examples offered for sale recently have seen the model plateau. This will likely be the case for the short term until demand outstrips supply and we see another climb. That leaves us with the IS300. The stereotypical image of the Lexus brand doesn’t bond at all with the experience of driving this incisive saloon. Its chassis is as good as the contemporary BMW (E46), yet it’s yours for roughly half the price and is considerably rarer. Finding one that hasn’t been modified will be your biggest challenge, although £5000 will easily bag you a great and largely forgotten sports saloon.
Finding an outright winner among such a diverse bunch isn’t easy, but if it were my money I’d probably have to go for the BMW – although the temptation of buying most of the rest of these models for the same £20k outlay is also a tempting prospect. The E30 has a toe in both the classic and modern spheres. It’s old enough to look and feel special, yet new enough to still use regularly without having to be on first-name terms with your chiropractor. I’d probably regret it the first time I saw a Dolomite Sprint or MG Magnette out on the road, but once I was on a Welsh mountain pass or Yorkshire moor top route, I’d soon remember why it was the right decision.
They’re all lucky owners, but whose drive home do we envy the most?
Loved the articles on Jim Clark, and his Elan but According to the superb David Tremayne book (Jim Clark, the best of the best) the wireframe car on the Chirnside monument is a 33 and not a Lotus 49; the small no 1 confirms that. Clark won races in a 49 but never a World Championship.
Your excellent tribute to the Lotus Elan brought to mind my love affair with Vera which lasted eight short years. It was while driving my MGB on the swooping curves of the North Wales A5104 that it happened – overtaken on a bend by an Elan proceeding at impressive pace, I decided an Elan would be my next car. I struck lucky when a garage proprietor from Bakewell needed funds and was prepared to part with his perfect yellow Sprint with the Big Valve engine. Driving it was magic. Its lightness of foot and instant throttle and steering response was like nothing I’d ever experienced then and since – including my 1275 Cooper S, BMW M3 and Subaru Impreza Turbo. Sure, it felt small and a tad flimsy. It was like a jet-propelled butterfly, but it was exhilarating. To maintain optimum performance it needed much tlc. I had it serviced by ace mechanic Louis Lorenzini. I wrote to Lotus Cars requesting a replacement service book when mine became full, with a covering letter saying how much pleasure I was having with this remarkable car. To my amazement I received a fresh service book together with a lovely note from Colin Chapman saying how pleased he was to receive my letter.
A new 296bhp 3.0-litre straight-six diesel 300 Sport model has been added to the F-Pace line-up, bringing an extra dose of sportiness to the large SUV range. Gloss black 21-inch alloy wheels are standard, along with an exterior black pack, rear privacy glass and gloss black roof rails. A choice of ten exterior colours are offered, with the inside of the F-Pace 300 Sport uprated thanks to 16-way heated and ventilated electric memory seats, ebony suede cloth upholstery and satin charcoal ash veneers for the dashboard. In addition, there’s ambient lighting with a choice of 30 colours, together with a fixed panoramic roof. The price for the new model is £62,250. Meanwhile, all versions of the F-Pace fitted with the Pivi Pro infotainment system now come with Amazon Alexa for the first time. This also applies to cars already on the roads, with upgrades carried out in an over-the-air software update.
Final Edition facts
The article on the S Final Edition XKs was a great piece by Craig as usual. I really enjoy his tales of Jaguar addiction and how he can’t kick it! A few things to add if you’ll allow. The special colours mentioned were only supplemented by another four including Platinum, Racing Green, Midnight and Quartz. Montreal wheels were never an option. The XK8-S came with 19” Atlas wheels as standard with the 20” Sepang available as an option. The XKR-S came with Perseus as standard with no other option. But… the Perseus proved to be prone to buckling so the Sepangs were fitted on some XKR-S straight from the factory or fitted to replace the Perseus wheels under warranty.
Dove Grey leather was only available with Frost Blue and Quartz exterior and came with Dove Grey carpet. Only the XKR-S had red calipers. Silver calipers with cross-drilled discs were an option on the XK8-S. I have a full specification brochure which came with one of the cars I bought. It can be a bit confusing but it ties in with all the cars I’ve seen over the years.
Also Craig states only 500 of the S Final Edition were built in XK and XKR form but I believe it was a lot more and I have been unable to find any mention from the launch that the model was a limited edition. The earliest car I’ve seen is chassis 46613, an XKR-S Final Edition coupe in satin with black trim.
Also Jaguar Heritage gives the start of production of the S Final Edition as chassis 45289, making it 3395 cars built as S Final Edition models.
The earliest car I’ve bought and sold was chassis 46618 and I have the build sheet for this car showing it as a Sports pack which wasa £4000 option on the coupe and £3200 on the convertible, over and above the usual XKR-S Final Edition specification. Including, according to the brochure: Handling Pack, satellite navigation, adaptive cruise control and Recaro seats.
In the course of buying and selling many S Final Editions cars, I’ve not found any after the Heritage start number which have been anything other than S Final Edition cars.
However, having said that… I also have a build sheet for a XK coupe with a chassis number in the range for the Final Editions cars but which identifies as a 2006 MY car with 2004.5 MY parts: Quartz with Dove Grey interior, 2004.5MY Montreal alloys and birds eye maple dash plus loads of extras.
I feel it’s important to get these things pinned down because it affects values. There are already myths and legends being attached to these cars in the hope of higher prices.
‘The BMW is old enough to look and feel special, yet new enough to still use regularly’
All of the sports saloons featured here offer something different and are all compelling in their own way. The Ford Cortina 1600E excels as a comfortable yet swift cruiser, though it lacks excitement behind the wheel. Nostalgia and looks are on its side, plus there’s no shortage of buyers. Along with the BMW, it’s probably the safest place for your money.
The MG proves surprisingly entertaining, in spite of its modest performance and relative simplicity. The Magnette is a doddle to upgrade, doesn’t cost a lot and rarely goes wrong, though there’s not much of a market for them out there. The Dolomite is loud and lacks finesse in the cabin, although driving it will probably put a bigger smile on your face than any other car here. The engine’s great fun to rev out and the chassis, though not as accomplished, does a fair job of keeping up. Objectively, the BMW E30 is the best machine here. Its grip is prodigious yet not so much it saps the fun, even at sensible speeds. You won’t want to do those, though – this 325i pushes you to go that bit faster. Values have climbed steeply, though a lot of frankly average examples offered for sale recently have seen the model plateau. This will likely be the case for the short term until demand outstrips supply and we see another climb. That leaves us with the IS300. The stereotypical image of the Lexus brand doesn’t bond at all with the experience of driving this incisive saloon. Its chassis is as good as the contemporary BMW (E46), yet it’s yours for roughly half the price and is considerably rarer. Finding one that hasn’t been modified will be your biggest challenge, although £5000 will easily bag you a great and largely forgotten sports saloon.
Finding an outright winner among such a diverse bunch isn’t easy, but if it were my money I’d probably have to go for the BMW – although the temptation of buying most of the rest of these models for the same £20k outlay is also a tempting prospect. The E30 has a toe in both the classic and modern spheres. It’s old enough to look and feel special, yet new enough to still use regularly without having to be on first-name terms with your chiropractor. I’d probably regret it the first time I saw a Dolomite Sprint or MG Magnette out on the road, but once I was on a Welsh mountain pass or Yorkshire moor top route, I’d soon remember why it was the right decision.
They’re all lucky owners, but whose drive home do we envy the most?
Loved the articles on Jim Clark, and his Elan but According to the superb David Tremayne book (Jim Clark, the best of the best) the wireframe car on the Chirnside monument is a 33 and not a Lotus 49; the small no 1 confirms that. Clark won races in a 49 but never a World Championship.
Your excellent tribute to the Lotus Elan brought to mind my love affair with Vera which lasted eight short years. It was while driving my MGB on the swooping curves of the North Wales A5104 that it happened – overtaken on a bend by an Elan proceeding at impressive pace, I decided an Elan would be my next car. I struck lucky when a garage proprietor from Bakewell needed funds and was prepared to part with his perfect yellow Sprint with the Big Valve engine. Driving it was magic. Its lightness of foot and instant throttle and steering response was like nothing I’d ever experienced then and since – including my 1275 Cooper S, BMW M3 and Subaru Impreza Turbo. Sure, it felt small and a tad flimsy. It was like a jet-propelled butterfly, but it was exhilarating. To maintain optimum performance it needed much tlc. I had it serviced by ace mechanic Louis Lorenzini. I wrote to Lotus Cars requesting a replacement service book when mine became full, with a covering letter saying how much pleasure I was having with this remarkable car. To my amazement I received a fresh service book together with a lovely note from Colin Chapman saying how pleased he was to receive my letter.
A new 296bhp 3.0-litre straight-six diesel 300 Sport model has been added to the F-Pace line-up, bringing an extra dose of sportiness to the large SUV range. Gloss black 21-inch alloy wheels are standard, along with an exterior black pack, rear privacy glass and gloss black roof rails. A choice of ten exterior colours are offered, with the inside of the F-Pace 300 Sport uprated thanks to 16-way heated and ventilated electric memory seats, ebony suede cloth upholstery and satin charcoal ash veneers for the dashboard. In addition, there’s ambient lighting with a choice of 30 colours, together with a fixed panoramic roof. The price for the new model is £62,250. Meanwhile, all versions of the F-Pace fitted with the Pivi Pro infotainment system now come with Amazon Alexa for the first time. This also applies to cars already on the roads, with upgrades carried out in an over-the-air software update.