2006 JAGUAR XK 3.5L V8 6AT (258 HP)

Vehicle Overview

Ian Callum was one of the best designers that ever shaped the Jaguar vehicles’ lines, and the XK was a great example of what he did for the British brand.

While Ford was still owning the Jaguar, they understood that the two-decades-old Jaguar XJS had to be replaced. Ian Callum was assigned to design the new cat, which had to be a GT fast enough to compete against the finest European coupes from those times.

Callum 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 all-aluminum unibody construction was continued by a very raked windshield and a short roof before the sloped, aerodynamic rear end.

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. It was the first Jaguar that didn’t feature the traditional J pattern for the gear selector. It was more of a reversed L.

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.