The refined and powerful Jaguar XK convertible was a nice blend of performance, comfort and luxury.
Revised for 2011, the XK featured several updates.

Both front and rear exterior styling changes were made and the interior was updated with a navigation system and a back-up camera as standard.

At the front, the updated XK featured slimmer headlamps fitted with LED running lights, a refreshed larger grille and small air scoops on the grille’s sides. The redesigned taillights were fitted with LED technology.

Well loaded in its base (XK) level, the Jaguar XK was equipped with 19-inch alloys, bi-xenon headlights, parking sensors (front and rear), keyless ignition, keyless entry, leather upholstery, heated and cooled front seats, automatic dual-zone climate control, a touchscreen display, Bluetooth connectivity, a premium Bower & Wilking sound system, a heated steering wheel and a power-retractable soft top and power rear windows.

Many stand-alone options were available, such as interior piano black wood, a heated windshield, adaptive cruise control, active headlights, a supercharged engine, bigger 20-inch alloys, more effective brakes, unique interior trims and different body colors. The XKR trim level added optional red brake callipers and included all the optional features available for the XK.

The interior offered upper-class comfort with a well-tailored cockpit and high-quality materials used throughout.

Safety wise, the standard equipment included ABS with brake assist, stability control, traction control, front-seat side airbags and pop-up rollover hoops.

Ian Callum admitted that it took its inspiration from the famous E-Type when he designed the XK, and the open-top version was even more convincing than its coupe sibling.
When the 2006 XK was introduced, its predecessor, the XK8, was already ten-years-old. The British company knew that it needs a new vehicle, not just another facelift. With that said, Ian Callum and his team gathered and designed another astonishing vehicle, but with more aluminum to make the car more spirited to drive than the XK8. While they were working on the look, the engineering team worked hard to find a way to install a new 5.0-liter engine under the hood.

The design team took its inspiration from one of the most beautiful cars in the world, the E-Type. Enzo Ferrari himself made that statement about the E-Type, so blame him if I’m wrong. The oval-shaped grille of the XK resembled the glorious ’60s model from Jaguar. Its odd-looking headlights were unique on the market, and the deep holes for the fog-lights looked like they were designed for the machine-guns in a James Bond car. The canvas-top offered good sound and thermal insulation.

Inside, the British luxury could have been at its best. Apart from some Ford Fiesta buttons and switches, everything else was luxurious. The expensive Connely leather and the wood trims completed an atmosphere of exclusivity and good taste. While the front seats were made for comfort, the rear ones were fit only for a small child since the legroom was almost non-existent.

Apart from the ferocious XKR, the rest of the range was fitted with a choice of three V8 engines. All of them were paired to a 6-speed automatic gearbox and sent the power to the rear wheels.

Jaguar refreshed its gran-tourer, the XK8, for the first time in 2002.
The car was enhanced in most of the areas, including under the hood.

Ian Callum did a great job when it drew the lines of the Jaguar XK8. It successfully resembled the E-Type front grille and followed the curved lines of the D-Type into one vehicle that turned the attention toward Jaguar coupes once again. Unfortunately, the car lacked some of the German reliability factors, and its performances didn’t match the look. But it was a show-stopper, and Ford’s management agreed to improve the vehicle. In 2002, Jaguar introduced the first facelift for the beautiful XK8.

It was quite challenging to improve the XK8’s look and not damage it from the aesthetical point of view. The designers took a careful approach and changed the headlights with clear lenses and slightly improved the grille. Its redesigned bumper featured flush fog-lights instead of the older, ones which were “buried” in individual scoops. With the top down, there was nothing between the A-pillar and the trunk. The soft top could have been completely retracted behind the rear seats.

Inside, there was a slight upgrade - the models fitted with a navigation system that replaced the three dials from the center stack. Jaguar dismissed the older air-vents and installed a new set with a rounded design.

The most important upgrades were found under the hood. Jaguar improved its 4.0-liter V8 engine and increased its displacement up to 4.2-liter. Strangely though, the power increase was not that noticeable.

Jaguar needed a lot of time to replace its already old XJS model, which was introduced in 1975.
Despite the classic look of its evergreen GT, it needed a new model. And that came in 1996.

The British carmaker employed Ian Callum, who took its inspiration from the most beautiful Jaguar ever existed to date, the E-Type to design the car. It took the proportions, the hood opening style, and the grille’s shape. He was disappointed because he wasn’t allowed to lift the hood together with the headlights. There were new safety regulations, and that affected Callum’s ideas.

From the exterior, the XK8 Convertible featured a long and low hood and a very raked windshield. Its side windows were narrow and long. To bring more light inside when the top was up, Callum installed a set of windows behind the front seats. With the top down, there was nothing between the A-pillar and the trunk. Even the soft top could have been completely retracted behind the rear seats.

Inside, Jaguar fitted the XK8 with comfortable bucket seats installed for a low seating position, ideal for long drives. It was a GT vehicle, not a sports car. While two adult passengers could sit comfortably in the front seats, in the back, there was room for two shopping bags and, maybe, an umbrella.

Under the hood, Jaguar installed their latest technological piece: a 4.0-liter V8 engine. It was paired to a standard 5-speed automatic gearbox.