Today I drove the Ser. 3 XJ6 to the Post Office to mail a bunch of
Christmas packages. When I returned, there was a brand new, white
Jag sedan (V8 badge on the B-pillar) parked right next to mine.
This was the first time that I’d seen one of these cars up close,
and in fact only the second one that I’ve encountered anywhere.
Naturally this invited a side-by side comparison.
A couple of impressions… The exterior does indeed retain that
very special Jaguar panache. The car’s dimensions and overall body
shape are very close to those of the Ser. 3. Even had a nice leaper
perched on the bonnet, although in a slightly different style than
the traditional one. The base was rounded rather than
straight-sided. I like the new-style tail lights too, but find the
restyled front grille a tad too low. Happily, there’s lots of
chrome on the new car… all around the “greenhouse” and even on
the bumpers. Delighted to see that at a time when most cars go
naked in the world, shorn of all their chrome.
On the other hand, I’m quite ambivalent about the interior. Oh it’s
luxurious enough, with plenty of wood and leather as befits a Jag,
but it’s been “modernized” too much for my taste. The extensive use
of oval shapes in door handle recesses, door pockets, and even in
the wood trim, reminds me of the bizarre and hideous Ford Taurus.
My conclusion (based entirely on appearance, since I’ve never
driven one of the new Jags), is that even if I could afford one,
I’d still prefer the older Jags that I own now.
– Carl Ratner
'86 XJ6
'79 XJ12l