Used Jaguar XJ8 and XJR8 review and buying guide (1997 to 2003): which one to buy and what to check

Which used Jaguar XJ8 or XJR8 should you buy?

The safer XJ8 or XJR8 is one built from September 2000, because engines from then on have cast iron bore liners. Earlier Jaguar V8s used Nikasil liners, and the sulphur in UK petrol before mid 2000 ate into them. That's why a 1997, 1998 or 1999 car can still carry damage from it, and it's the first thing to settle on any early car.

An earlier car isn't ruled out if it's had a replacement engine built after September 2000, since that unit gets the cast iron liners too. These engines carry a tag fixed to the block's nearside, so find it before you go any further. Without that tag, treat a 1997 to 1999 XJ8 as still running its original engine and every risk that comes with it.

Early X308s had more against them than the bore liners: the timing chain tensioners, the water pump and the gearbox were all known weak points. Steel tensioners took over from the original plastic ones, and they'll fit the older engines, so an early car with receipts for steel tensioners is a far stronger buy than one that's still on the plastic parts.

Which XJ8 and XJR8 engines and gearboxes are the safe choices?

The V8 to have is a September 2000 or later build, since it's got cast iron bore liners and isn't exposed to the sulphur erosion that hit earlier Nikasil engines. The XJR8 adds an Eaton supercharger, and its whine can get tiresome, though it's only there when you floor the throttle. Don't let the noise decide it; the bore liners and the tensioners are what matter on either car.

Tensioners are the other V8 worry. They can fail and wreck the timing chain, and once a secondary tensioner snaps and lets the chain jump more than two sprockets, the engine's finished. A rattle from the chain is the warning that a tensioner's close to giving up. Steel tensioners replaced the plastic originals and can go on earlier engines, so an early car without them isn't one to take on.

The 5-speed ZF automatic is the weak link next to the engine. There's no way to check its oil level or top it up, because Jaguar sealed it for life, yet a box that never sees an oil change can last as little as 10 years. The gearbox was also one of the early X308's known weak points, so an early car's box deserves the most suspicion on the test drive.

What should you check when viewing a used XJ8 or XJR8?

Listen hard for a rattle from the timing chain, because that's the sign a tensioner's close to failing. If the V8 feels rough or uneven on the drive, don't buy it, since that points to serious engine trouble. On a 1997 to 1999 car, look for the tag on the block's nearside that marks a replacement engine, and ask for receipts if the tensioners have been changed to steel.

Front wishbone bushes can wear out after about 20,000 miles, which shows up as steering problems and uneven tyre wear, and left alone it can damage the suspension. Rear dampers fail often too, especially on cars with CATS suspension, so ask for receipts showing they've been replaced. One owner has reported that rear air suspension, where it's fitted, can fail as well.

The painted front bumper scratches easily, so look it over closely. The best cars come with every service stamped by a Jaguar dealer, and that's the history to hold out for. Ask for proof of two recalls: one added a clip to the accelerator cable bracket on 1997 XJ8s after a weak bracket could cause sudden deceleration, and another secured a power steering pipe clear of the alternator cable it could chafe on, risking a short, a fire and lost steering assistance.

Paste the advert into the free check and it runs these against the listing, the MOT history and the DVLA record before you travel.