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Sedans High Performance Luxury Sedans
1038 messages, Last post on Jun 18, 2008 at 1:12 PM
You are in the Sedans Forum. Your Hosts are pat & karens
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Does anyone have experience or insight regarding performance modifications to a 1998/99 Jaguar XJR? Essentially, I am looking to get the car from 370 HP to ~425 HP. I have contacted an outfit in Bronxville, NY called Eurotek Designs (http://www.eurotekdesigns.com) who indicate that the following things must be done to acheive such a goal: 1. Under drive pulley and exhaust: ~ $5000. This will get the car to about 450BHp w/ 423lb/ft. torque Additional modifications: 2. Brakes (Brembo): ~ $3,500 3. Suspension: ~ $900 4. Gear ratio: $2,300 These are parts prices, not installed prices. It was explained to me that a reputable Jaguar dealer (Seattle has no such thing) would likely charge $1,200 for installation of the exhaust, underdrive pully and maybe brakes. The suspension and gear ratio are not factored into the costs. The brakes, suspension and gear ratio are not necessary for the Horsepower gains but brakes and suspension are recommended. The modifications can be done at Eurotek (if you want to pay to ship the car) or at an approved local Jaguar dealer who is willing to do the work (Eurotek will ship the parts). I live in the Seattle area so I would probably find a dealer in California since the Jaguar establishments in my area are such avaricious swine! So basically it is possible to add an additional 50-60 HP to the vehicle for under $10,000. If the brakes weren't included it would be around $7,000. My question is for the 'real' user community out there to determine if this is realistic and/or recommended activity. Your perspective on this is appreciated... |
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These are all good points: "why would I want more horsepower?". What, with a vehicle that already produces 370 HP. Really, why would I want a car with 370 HP in the first place, the 290 HP XJ8 would probaly suit me just fine - or for that matter my Acura Legend does the job. But no, I want the XJR because I am interested in an automobile that does more than just get me from point A to point B. If I were interested in merely transportation I likely would not be changing automobiles. I want an XJR for the same reason that anyone in the market wants one: very high cool factor, takes the mundane out of daily driving, sporty, yet semi-practical (it has 4 doors, right). Performance improvements stand to enhance the driving experience, further individualize the car and finally, possess the ability to let any BMW M5 know that he is about to be sorely embarrassed if he attempts a confrontation. Regarding the warranty, that is a question that I asked Eurotek. Based on their explanation, the changes do not void or otherwise compromise existing warranty on the car. I will be hooking up with a local Jaguar dealer to flat out ask the question. I will post the answer I get. Exhaust modifications would be the most obvious change, doing so does not invalidate warranty. The only other mechanical change is the underdrive pulley which would be undetectable unless a mechanic were looking specifically at or for it. Visual modifications - I don't know. I am interested in making changes for a reason. In other words what benefit will I derive if I make this change. Horsepower improvements are clear, suspension makes sense, brakes make sense. But just asthetic changes. I am concerned that it will make the car look too 'pimpy' or 'high school'. The car has such an elegant and understated look to it deserves to be preserved. The only change that I am planning in this regard may be wheel/tire change. Perhaps a 19" Arden/Oz 2-piece wheel. No body modifications are necessary to compensate for this larger wheel. This would be visually striking yet subtle enough to maintain the original character of the car. Good observations, thanks for you input... |
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| If you want a recommendation for a dealer to do your modifications or tell you why it's not a good idea, and are willing to take the car to (Southern) California, I would recommend Silver Star (yes, they handle Jags too) in Thousand Oaks. We have bought two Jags from them (the first one got stuffed) and I am very happy with their service and their knowledge of the marque. In fact, ask for Ray Marcuse. What he doesn't know about Jags isn't true. The dealership's number is (805) 371-5400 (Ray's direct number is 5483). | |
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As far as interior modifications to the XJR are concerned – none necessary as far as I am concerned. The interior of the XJR is posh and one of the biggest selling points over the E55 and M5 right out of the factory. As far as ‘peakier’ torque, I called Phil at Eurotek (http://www.eurotekdesigns.com) and asked him what to expect if a new rear-end were installed (gear ratio). He said this is the most dramatic improvement for this car and will likely shave about a second off the 0-60 time – indicating that the low-end torque is greatly improved. I visited a new Jaguar dealer in my area that has just opened to introduce myself and took the opportunity to drive a new XJR. Maybe it’s me (and maybe its due to the traction control being on) but the car doesn’t get off the line quite like the M5 – or the E55 for that matter. The new gear ratio (at $2,300 parts/$800 install) will improve this. Both Paramount Performance (http://www.paramount-performance.com) and Arden (http://www.arden.de) have wheel/tire packages that include 19” wheels with 255/40 – ZR 19 tires and maintain the 8J wheel width that do not require any body modifications on the XJR. While the Arden/Oz Opera 2-piece wheels are striking, Phil suggested HRE wheels due to their strength and light weight. However, these wheels are pricey at ~$1,200/ea. Bhill2 – Thanks for the referral to Silver Star Motors in Thousand Oaks. I gave Ray Marcuse a call yesterday but was only able to leave a message. Hopefully I will hear from him today and can discuss his experience with doing aftermarket modifications to Jaguars to see if the things that I want to do are reasonable or if I am insane. I know that I am not the first to pursue Jaguar tuning (just looking at Arden and Paramount proves this). If the modifications are AMG or Dinan quality I will do them. By the way, what do you mean by "the first one got stuffed" when referring to one of the Jaguars you purchased at Silver Star? Warranty issues are still a minor concern and I asked the Jaguar dealer to confirm/deny any issues with this. The service manager wasn’t around to talk to but they suggested that they would find out for certain. I guess what I really want to know is if I do these changes and the engine or tranny explode, am I out of pocket because I put a new exhaust or gear ratio in. Hmmm.... Stand by for an answer. |
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| Sorry for the slang. A driver on a side street forgot there was a stop sign and pulled DIRECTLY out in front of me when I was going about 45 with my wife beside me. Our Jag (XK8) was totalled, but we both opened our doors and walked away. This impressed us enough to go get another. I hope you enjoy Ray, I find him great fun to talk to. | |
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Just placed a bigger engine into 5-series and E series ? I do agree they are the best sports sedan on market,and demand is so strong. Do you know Chrysler will build its 5.7L hemi power 300N/convertable in 2004, the Hemi V8 engine has the same power as MB's 5.5L AMG V8, 353hp, big torque 393pound/foot at 4000rpm. If DC put the same tranny of E55 into hemi 300, I expect the same performance as E55. However, Chrysler only ask for no more than $40K, half price of E55, M5. I agree E55 and M5 are superior in quality and refinement, but are they worth 100% primium ? With stock market buble burst, so does this forum. |
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