Take a look at my Instagram account at... / paul.atkinson.photography Jeremy Clarkson tests the new ('93) Jaguar XJ12 Michele Newman has a ride on a trike fitted with a Jaguar V12.
If anything, they were run a wee bit rich, for smoothness. That's why consumption is a bit poor. They also had very restrictive intakes and exhausts to keep them quiet. A 5.3 litre, 150mph monster can sneak up behind you easily! To keep flow even over the cylinders,the cooling system is quite complex and is often neglected. People let it silt up, causing overheating.
Seems mad to think that once upon a time (and not so long ago) 318bhp from a 6L V12 motor was considered impressive. Plenty of puny little 4-cyl units can beat that nowadays! But of course there is more to the experience of a V12 than just its power output. As a Yorkshire lad myself it was quite nice to recognise all the filming locations seen here. That V12 trike thing is bonkers! Still, the owner is from from Bradford!... Enough said, haha
@@E34Benzin HELL NO, the X308 is the Last British Super (Sport) Sedan ever Build . Sit as low as a Ferrari 355, or a standard 911 build 2000, being Faster with uncomparable Luxury !
@@skelejp9982 I actually like the X308 to be honest, but it's not 100% Jaguar like the previous ones. It still retains the good looks of the XJ though.
Interesting that a show in 1993 would chose to use Doors songs from 1967 to 1971. I guess it goes to show that, just like good old cars, the old songs are still the best,
Development time was adequate, the engine is near enough perfect. It gained its poor reputation thanks to nothing more than improper maintenance and due to its builders spending more time striking because the management was shit, than actually building engines. Mine has never really broken down, nor has it ever overheated, bar problems caused by my own negligence or inexperience. Now, after 8 years of ownership, my skills are enough that I can give it the proper treatment, it runs like a dream.
I miss the BBC having money to burn on making quality television. Can you imagine the licensing costs for most of the Door's first album on this section. It would have been a lot. Luv it.
This was filmed around Slaithwaite near Huddersfield at the beginning and around Wilberlee near the M62 and Buckstones. Castle Hill and it's 'now missing' Hotel Pub is featured at 05:39.
I had an XJ40 Daimler Double Six also V12 and it was great. I paid £2.5k for it 16 years ago and it was a comfortable beast that could still chew up new BMWs and Mercs when they were new and worth £40k. Downsides were keeping it going which was bizarre because seemed well engineered but always had issues and it would use a full tank at £80 just to get between Cambridge and Essex and back at 12mpg. Still glad I had one and nothing like a V12 at high revs.
Needed someone like me to sort it. The problems with them are many but all of them simple in their own right. What's needed goes something like this, a systematic reset of the throttle stops, rods, throttle position sensor, check of all the other sensor values, and a complete examination of the ignition system. While you're doing this clean the injectors, replace the fuel pump (even if the pressure tests OK*) and put a new filter on it. A new O2 sensor helps. A complete inspection of all the routing of any vacuum hoses, specific to the market the car was sold in. Believe it or not after it's all done they get pretty good fuel consumption - in the range of 19-21 Imp MPG. Unfortunately that might've all required your purchase cost with labour and parts. Thing is once it's all done it's done. Return the car back to the same workshop and we know where we're at and don't have to go searching, so ownership gets cheaper. I've got 2x V12's and fixed many. My specialty was fixing fire damaged engine bays on V12s - done quite a few over the years. I'm a qualified mechanic trained by Merc-Benz originally but used my skills to buy a cheap V12 Jag for myself because I worked on one, onetime and thought, "I got to get me one of these." Since I had one, it was a no brainer fixing them for others. Like anything they're easy when you know how but you do need comprehensive reference material - it's half the battle. *I've found on 3 or 4 occasions that even though the fuel pressure was OK when tested, when old pumps were opened up the commutator segments had worn almost down to the armature shaft causing erratic and intermittent rough running particularly after a hot restart. I discovered this by fitting a customer supplied secondhand fuel pump on an XJS that was trailered to me and although the car started, ran and drove well it had this rough running thing going on when hot after being stopped. I didn't know it was the fuel pump but took a risk, opened it up that's what I found. On that car, I opened up the old one too and it WAS the cause of failure. Opened up two others over the years as well, some deal. Pretty good discovery. Pump, filter, injectors - do them all at the same time.
True story; I was a contractor for Lucas in Birmingham back in the early 90s & I used to see cars before they were released to the buying public in the workshop under testing as they manufactured & supplied ECUs, instruments etc. to the car industry. One day in the workshop was one of these XJ40 V12s. I was (& still am) quite an avid petrol head so had a bit of a sniff round it. I then noticed a big red emergency stop button on the centre console. When I asked what it was for I was told that it had been fitted temporarily as a testing engineer had been out on the public roads in it & on the approach to a roundabout it had decided to go full throttle of it's own accord & the auto gearbox had kicked down in response. Apparently it was as much as the engineer could do to hold 320 bhp of V12 back on the brakes before being able to shut the engine down via the column mounted ignition lol. Hence the emergency stop button in a more accessible place until they'd ironed the bug out. It turned out to be interference from house burglar alarms.
That is an amazing story sir. I love when people behind the scene share these true and formidable stories that the average person would never knew happened.
"True story" no. How the would a burglar alarm, or anything on the planet, interfere with a cable operated throttle to make it go full throttle? It's purely mechanical.
@@StavTech if it's fuel injected then ECU's can cause a car to go wide open without the cable throttle even moving mate. Back in the early days of electronics in cars and daily life all sorts of weird shit happened hell, back in the 90's model RC planes used to crash when taxis drove past the field they were flying in because of interference.
@@zoltanfazekas5142 Growing domestic population plus immigration driving up demand for houses. Less houses being built so supply not keeping up with demand. Result = prices go up as people competing in the market.
Jaguar are a unique car, i absolutely love 60's/70's and 80's models they looked like nothing else on the road!!!. I wasn't a fan of the 90's models looked too square for me, I do own a 2006 Jaguar sovereign 4.2. And I absolutely love it.
I think anything later than the x308 looks squareish. "Jaaag can do better" and they did... the x300s were very nice. Well built. Brilliant engines too. The Smooothest of Jaaags without doubt
Cars were so much better back then. These days everything looks vaguely similar. We are told its better, better fuel economy, better road holding, but as someone who owns a few cars from the 80s and drives a few modern vehicles for work, its not true.
I did my apprenticeship in the early 80s on the XJ6. What a disaster! Endless problems with the automatic choke (over-fueling, engine failures), head gasket failures, oil leaks, gearbox failures (we overhauled auto boxes almost on a daily basis). The Series 3 (injection) was an improvement, yet it retained the problematic 4.2 engine.
Why was the 4.2 inline six such a disaster? Hadn't Jaguar been making that engine since the original xk cars? Back in the 50's? Didn't they have all the bugs worked out by then?
The motion of the crank spinning and the pistons whizzing up and down are dynamic, not static. The bottom line is V6s aren't as well balanced as V8s or I6s. They're more expensive to make than I6s and any NVH engineer will tell you that they don't sound as good. I think you're on your own prefering the sound of a V6 against an I6 or V8. The Jag V8 was meant to be part of a family of engines; I6, V8 & V12.
That old V12 engine was capable of so much more, it was just strangled by emission controls. Also Michelle Newman was just so much hotter than VBH ever was.
So many years ago my father had spent most of his working life with B.L.M.C. then Austin, Morris, Jaguar, Rover & Triumph. Although it would have made sense to use the alloy (ex-Buick) Rover V8 & all the companies were part of the same group only Land Rover & M.G. were to use the V8 besides Rover. Yes Morgan, T.V.R. & others used the V8 but because of rivalry between the divisions they would rather compete than co-operate with each other. Like the Triumph Stag V8. Sad, what could have been......
The government forced to merge them together, and these once competing companies become part of one house, you wouldn't really think that they will stop competing with each other especially with a weak management. Thus they will compete to not lose their individuality. The whole British-Leyland behemoth is a huge mistake, shouldn't have happened in the first place.
The guys at Jaguar thought, perhaps correctly so, that the pushrod V8 would cheapen the brand. It was using OHC straight sixes & V12s with LeMans pedigree whereas the the Rover V8 was a Buick reject. The Stag V8 wa already underway before Triumph & Rover joined, so they stayed with it. There was clerly no hi-level programme management there PLUS, the unions would have fought over job losses from amalgamations. It was messy in the '60s & '70s.
You can balance the static forces, that is, the motion of the crank spinning and the pistons whizzing up an down, but you can't balance them dynamically, that is, the forces of the power strokes themselves. There will never be a neat alternating pattern of vibration, which cancels itself out. This is the roughness to which I refer. That and the accompanying power fluctuations which make smooth accurate driving a pain V6s sound like teenage V12s the same, but with a bit of angst (good, basically)
Because the Rover V8 is a V8. V8s are rough, and harsh and entirely at odds with the Jaguar style. (yes, I know Jags are all V8 now, that was stupid of them. Hence I reccomend the V6s at all cost)
Why? Because if it weren't for British sports cars, we wouldn't have great cars like the Toyota AE86, AC Cobra, Toyota 2000GT and Mazda MX-5. You're basing your assumptions on what others say. I will vouch for myself, because we've had a MG F in the family for years. Never once has it broken down. Regular maintenance is the key. Any car can be reliable if you maintain it properly. We too had an MG B that had been sitting for years. Still started and ran.
That's why I bought both the Freelander and the Mini - because they have BMW mechanicals. I love British cars, but I wouldn't have been able to afford 3 cars in one go. Especially with a family, a business and so much more to spend on. The classic car owning stage will come later.
No I am not. But I can make it be as reliable if I maintain it. It's not just about reliability you know. There's always something intangible about British cars that makes them desirable. They have a different sort of charm. Most importantly, they were fun. Reliability isn't everything. Early Lamborghinis and Ferraris weren't reliable and were high maintenance cars, but aren't they great? Same applies to British cars. There's a reason why the Great Train Robbers used a Jaguar Mark 2.
yeah but the hp and torque curves are totally different. I've ran both and while they both are similar off the line...the 12 screams on the highway and has a lot more high end gut
The bottom line is, I guess, in 2012 the Jaguar XJ is still selling, and so is the correct product but somewhere Rover & BL management went wrong. It is a big shame as I love SD1 and think that there was a place for Rover & Triumph as well as Jaguar. Still, there is a Land Rover & Range Rover, which are Rover spin-offs!
Well here in Hong Kong, it's a case of utter impracticality. The roads are hilly and it's humid. Traffic is usually stop start and the drivers here are scared fools who refuse to drive Range Rovers in the rain. Any classic car CANNOT be owned here because 1) all old cars will rust, the humidity is horrendous. 2) there is nobody around who can take care of them. For one thing, nobody knows how to tune carbs well as far as I know. 3) spare parts for anything takes a lot of money and time.
You suddenly announced that I preferred V6s to I6s. News to me. Yes, which is why you build the engine properly. Up to about 4-5 litres is fine for a straight six. Beyond that you may as well go.the whole hog and V10 or V12 it. By your rule, a V8 should be no bigger than 4 litres!
Jaguar didn't cancel P8. P8 was cancelled mainly because of poor crash results and XJ6 was seen as a better vehicle for that market segment. Why shoukd they ruin each other? What SHOULD have happened was greater parts commonality between Jaguar, Rover & Triumph but even the Stag & Triumph 2000 shared very little.
I downloaded this video just because I have the same car in the same colour with the same mags the only thing is that my one is a 3.2 straight six manual, not powerful at all but its fun to drive.
Oh! That is something I only hear 50+ yr old men say. They used to make magnesium alloy wheels. They quit making those a long time ago here. Apparently magnesium is a fire hazard and a lot more expensive than aluminum.
But it wasn't. Lyons designed it well. It's like a good suit. Your great grandads one looked nearly identical, yet you still look good in it. It embodied the proper Jaguar mantra of grace pace and space perfectly, values people still hold dear.
Somehow I just keep thinking Jaguar got it hopelessy wrong with the series 3 replacement . I am a company chairman and also a fan of classic cars but after a hard grueling day of endless meetings , decisions and other problems mostly related to IT issues I drive home 30 miles in my 1991 Series 3 V12 daimler . because the car is super silent , wafting me in a different secure world totaly apart from the offices and noisy factory floor . My Daimler does not have gadjets nor idiot lights nor audible warnings and it doesnt have a growling vibrating engine like the xj40 v12 . I dont want to push my car along at anything but the speed limit and will not barrel into corners pushing the car to its limits . All I want is a fabulous car to give me "Me " time in a quiet atmosphere away from the hustle and bustle . The "40" wont give me that to the level that the series 3 does and that fact has been forgotten by Jaguar who seem to think their buyers want an extension of their everyday busy lives . This is why non of the models subsequent to the series 3 have ever been as good in this vital overlooked area . Thankfully there are a number of low mileage series 3's returning home from Japan and make very sensible alternatives to later model cars
I spy Suicide bridge, Saddleworth moor, Marsden moor, Titanic Mills, Slaithwaite and the Marsden to Slaithwaite section of the canal. Huddersfield filming location
How have I clearly missed something? Where have I said anything is better than an I6? The thing with I6 though, you have a along crank, which can lead to torsional vibrations at lower engine speeds and, using the 500cc/cylinder rule, can't go much above 3 litre for optimum efficiency.
How things change. Come the x308 they would introduce their own V8. Perhaps not in keeping with Jaguar straight 6 heritage, but better than a cheap lousy V6 - which is inferior to either a straight 6 or V8.
Facts are facts, You're not disagreeing with me, you're disagreeing with reality. The Jaguar AJ-V8 was designed and built by Jaguar in the UK. Ford, as the parent company at the time, used a derivative of the engine in at least a couple of their cars - one was the Lincoln LS, and the other was the 2002 Ford Thunderbird. It was also used by both Land Rover and Aston martin.
And why did the BMC Mini manage to win the Monte Carlo rally 3 times? Why was the Lister Storm the fastest 4-seater car in the world for 13 years? Why was the Jaguar XK120 the world's fastest production car in 1948? Why was the Aston Martin V8 Vantage the world's fastest production car in 1977? Britain has made its fair share of great and iconic cars over the years, much like America.
What I did was not fixing and rebuilding, what I did was preventative maintenance, to halt the issue before it actually happens. A car's desirability isn't based solely on its reliability. Buying and owning something because it's reliable is like marrying someone because they are punctual. You need something else, pretty eyes or nice breasts. And I didn't say that, Clarkson did.
the Rover V8 could easily be increased in displacement, and not to mention the fact that V8 engines have much more torque, also the Rover V8 was very light because it was all aluminium
Are wrong WF?But often companies get the customers they deserve. TheV12,i would suggest,was run lean to give better mileage / lower pollution.Lean runs hot,hot runs difficult,difficult dissembles,be it in the shop or on the street.As I understand it,in Germany,under a'barn use,the old XJ12 would run hot,till it pinked & disassemble..The devil is in the detail..May be bigger rads,may be a wetter mixture..the customer is not always wrong..may be it needed more MIRA / Gayden time ! ! !
Only flatplane V8s. Crossplane V8s are physically impossible to balance dynamically due to relationship between the throws and the fourstroke cycle making them impossible to time. Flatplanes are only really used by Ferrari and Aston Martin, now that TVR is no more. V6s deliver better, and sound far better than a V8 ever can. The V6 available is a great engine, and it suits the car so much better.
Actually, they don't. Just as I4s don't. If you build the engine right, the balance is near as damnit. However, flatplanes balance their power strokes properly, eliminating the classic V8 judder. This is why Ferrari use them. They're better, and Ferrari has the skill to build them right. V6s vibrate a little, but again, manufacturing tolerances affect this greatly. V6s also have a smoother firing cycle, giving an overall feeling of a smoother drive. Different sorts of balance. All important.
don't tell me that v8s have less torque, the chevrolet small block in 5.0 form had 170 hp and 300 ft/lbs of torque, also why did rover ditch its own I6 in favor of a V8, same thing with BMW, and eventually Jaguar themselves
@@farishanafiah8461 Well, 90 000 pounds then it is like 150 000 pounds today. An xj12 today in very good condition would go only for a small fraction of that is what am saying. But sure, a collectible car or a limited production brand would worth the investment.
So, are we back to the Imp problem? Lack of development time? And the perception that maintaince is run by saints in white overalls? S'pose ........ at least under current management, over heating problems may be look at under a different light, as the 'home' market has got a lot hotter . Regards Bob
Static, in that it's constant. Powerstrokes are a special circumstance in the cycle, and are considered then so be dynamic. At least, that's how I learned it. V6s aren't as easy to balance as V8s, BUT they don't suffer the exhaust headaches, giving them smoother delivery. I'd take a V8 over a V6 in a GT, say, but not in a sports car, no way. You've clearly missed something though, neither configuration comes close to the sound, performance and smoothness of an I6. Bettered only by I8s and V12s.
why wouldn't Jaguar want to use a Rover V8? It was a reliable engine, after all it was American and back in the 60s Jaguar was able to cancel Rover's P8 project to eliminate competition, so if jaguar ruined rover, rover should be able to ruin Jaguar
V6s are worse than V8s for out-of-balance forces ! In fact, the counter-weights on a V8 crank can perfectly balance a V8 dynamically. V12s & I6s are inherently dynamically balanced. V6 is a nasty configuration.
