2005 Jaguar XJR

This car was originally supplied new in the UK, after which it did a stint in Japan. It was re-imported from Japan, where it’s spent the overwhelming majority of its life, in 2022. This stunning Jaguar XJR is finished in Black, with a warm Charcoal leather interior.

As is almost always the case with cars from Japan, it has been beautifully maintained and is in a much better condition than any UK car of the same age and mileage – not that it has covered many miles; with just 60,460 miles recorded – that’s just over 3,000 miles per annum on average.

And it does record your speed in miles rather than kilometres because that mighty 4.2-litre, 395bhp supercharged V8 engine sits inside a full domestic-spec car, including a UK sat-nav system and full-size numberplate plinths.

To get a modern classic Jag in this kind of condition is an enthusiasts’ dream in many ways, and combines the very best of all worlds, making it one for the discerning performance Jaguar enthusiast who refuses to compromise when buying their forever XJR saloon.

The impressive spec of this car includes:

• Leather trim.
• R Embossed leather seats.
• Electric tilt slide sunroof.
• Radar active cruise control.
• Bi-Xenon Headlamps.
• Headlamp power wash.
• Mesh front grille.
• Memory to front seats, pedals, mirrors and steering.
• Three stage heated front seats.
• Speed limiter control.
• Alpine 11 Speaker audio system.
• Rear entertainment console in arm rest .
• Rear heated seats.
• Rear door blinds Electric rear screen blind.

The Black coachwork is nothing short of stunning. Putting paid to any lingering doubts you might be harbouring about Jaguar quality back-in-the-day, its tight and even shut lines, gleaming paintwork and wonderful panel alignment speak of a car built with a great deal of care by the sort of craftsmen and women for which the West Midlands is famous.

And that care has been repaid in spades over the years too, because it’s very nearly as good now as it was when it left Coventry almost twenty years ago. Still wearing ripple-free flanks and straight panels, it’s fair to say that it has been cossetted over the years, and curated with an uncommonly high degree of care.

It also wears excellent quality tyres on the 19-inch alloy wheels, and those alloy wheels are in such a good condition that you could be mistaken for thinking that that had been replaced recently. The Japanese love British quality cars such as this one, and they really look after them too.

As we will never tire of explaining, our experience shows that matching tyres are an infallible sign of a caring and mechanically sympathetic owner who is prepared to spend the appropriate amount in maintaining their car properly. Their presence does not, of course, preclude the need for a thorough inspection – something the vendor would welcome, by the way – but it does perhaps give you a shortcut into their attitude towards maintenance.

Factory-fit extras include bi-Xenon headlamps including a power wash system, and a mesh front grille. The whole thing reeks of class and understated elegance, something the discreet silver, Jaguar-branded brake calipers reinforce. This is a very well-judged car and we applaud whoever spec’d it in the showroom all those years ago.

And, if you are expecting to find a list of faults here then you haven’t been listening. Cars from Japan are invariably pampered, and this one is a credit to that nation’s car enthusiasts.

As for imperfections, there are some marks to the rear right hand side of the lower bumper.

The R embossed leather seats are in excellent condition. Heated both front and rear, the front ones are electrically adjustable, as are the steering wheel and pedals.

Plump and yet massively supportive via deep side bolsters, something you’ll appreciate when you start to make the most of the car’s legendary performance and handling. They’re still in great shape, too. With only very gentle creasing, you could be forgiven for mistaking them for seats that have seen three years of use rather than being old enough to vote.

The rear seats are just as good, and the headrests fold down when they aren’t being used, which is a lovely touch that increases rearwards visibility immensely.

The rest of the leather trim is equally impressive, as is the extensive wooden veneer trim, deep-pile carpets, door cards, dashboard instruments, and the chrome controls. It really is a absolutely wonderful cabin to be in – and all the better for being so well preserved.

It’s also got radar-assisted active cruise control with distance ahead control, and we’re assured that everything works as it should. This means you pick your cruising speed and the car will automatically keep you a safe distance from the car in front of you, should it be going slower than you’d like.

The boot, which is home to what looks like a totally unused space-saver spare wheel, tool kit and warning triangle, is in great shape – and the fact that lifting the immaculate carpets shows only solid, rust-free metal underneath won’t come as a surprise by now, will it?

As for issues, the speaker system is only partially working so may require attention.

The paperwork includes a mileage verification certificate from Japan, so under the bonnet you won’t be surprised to hear that everything looks almost factory fresh. We’ve seen three year old cars with more signs of use than his one.

In fact the engine bay is so nicely presented that while those of a fastidious nature may want to detail it, the rest of us could leave it as it is and never give it a second thought.

Even the heatshield on the underside of the bonnet looks to be in incredible shape.

Underneath, the fact that the Japanese aren’t daft enough to smother salt all over their roads means no corrosion that we could see – another massive benefit of buying a car that’s spent most of its life in the far east. You won’t see a car that’s spent any time on winter UK roads looking like this one does.

This XJR comes with some paperwork from its time in Japan, plus some recent bills. In July of last year it was treated to a service, and while this was being done the vendor took the opportunity to rectify a few issues. The water pump and engine intake pipe were both replaced, as was the n/s/r track rod end. Alignment was done on all four wheels, and an air bag light that was displaying was rectified by replacing a sensor. Expenditure for these repairs came to £1,235.24, with the invoice illustrated in the gallery.

The current MOT is valid until April next year.

What an absolutely stunning example of the superb Jaguar X350 XJR. Is there a better one? We don’t know of it if there is, and it’s hard to imagine how a 20 year old Jag could be any better than this beautiful Jaguar sporting saloon. We estimate that it will sell for £15,000-£20,000.

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located at the Bonhams|Cars Online HQ. Viewings are strictly by appointment. To make a booking, please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, and read our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.