New member, sad story, advice sought

[drjrj]

I'm introducing myself here....until very recently was the owner of a beautiful immaculate 2015 V6 S convertible.....beautiful car, had been purchased by my late partner new and was left to me when she died after a brave battle with cancer three years ago this autumn. One thing that would still put a smile on her face during her illness was when I would take her out for a spin with the roof off......

August bank holiday the car was stolen off the drive of the house where I was staying after two youths broke in while we slept and stole all of our keys and wallets. After a police chase with helicopter/armed units during which the driver refused to pull over, the car was "stingered" to deflate the tyres and severely damaged in the process. It is a miracle that they did not kill anyone in their idiotic chase......obviously this was more than heartbreaking.
I am not materialistic....this was my one possession that meant so much to me and continued to put a smile on my own face every time I started her up..... The 16 and 15 year old perpetrators are being sentenced on Tuesday and likely to get custodial sentences.....

So now I am looking at replacing my beloved F type.....it will be a convertible, and I am looking at a V8 R this time.....I have many questions.....and would appreciate some input from those in the know about these things.....or should I stick to another V6? I can't say that I was in any way unhappy with the performance that I was used to....

I prefer the older body styling to the latest shape.....there are quite a few on Autotrader and other sites.....

Are there any better years to go for? 2017 and 2018 seems to hit a good sweet spot between price and age, and I have read about changes to the exhaust and engines after 2018 that took away from the growl factor.....is this true?

Does anyone have experience with Auto100 in the Midlands?.....they have a nice dark grey 2018 V8 R convertible with 18500 miles at the moment....

Should I hold out for the R and the extra power over the more recent 450's? They certainly hold a price premium at the moment. There was a 2020 450 V8 R-dynamic for sale more locally (Salisbury area) with very low mileage and about £5k less than older R's with higher mileage that I have seen.......I drove it and it seemed much quieter than my old V6 S.....

Should I have an independent inspection?.....my budget will be up to about 45k for the right car so it is fair sum for a used car.....can I rely on a full service history to be comfortable with the provenance?......

I would appreciate the input from those on here who have greater experience than myself.....this is very much a second car, will do a few thousand miles a year.....and it is very important to me that I find a good replacement for the car that meant so much to me personally and emotionally......many thanks for any advice that might be forthcoming......

Few pics added before and after.......

[mickjaguar]

The car you are looking at is OY18HFK and was originally a Jaguar fleet car, as it has an OY plate. It looks to have originally been on lease for 12 months and serviced on time before being offered for sale via the dealer network (could have been a management car).

Service history is below, which has some missed. And in answer to your questions, I would say you are correct on both assumptions. Yes, a V8 is the natural progression from the V6 and late 2018, around (68 plate) onwards have the particlulate filters in the exhaust and as a result are quieter.

[Lunar]

Like all on here must feel, you have my sincere condolences and thanks for taking the time to post about the history behind your car search. Hopefully we can go a small way to help you find the right car and bring a smile to your face on the drives.

I’m sure it’s important to you to renew the feelings and emotions of the drives in the car you had. As such don’t rush into finding a replacement - PPF filters and software noise reductions aside, the V6 has a very different song to sing to the gruffer sounding V8 and I feel you may miss the sound.

Also bear in mind that a V8 isn’t necessarily a progression, but a different option. It’s certainly worth driving a few different cars before deciding. Additionally you may have the difference between RWD and AWD to consider if you do go for a V8 - for a 2nd car I’d personally stick with RWD for a more connected feeling, although the AWD does shuffle the drive forwards and backwards as required.

We’re supposedly entering the best time of year to purchase a convertible so that’s certainly in your favour. If you let us know of any potential registration numbers you are considering there’s one of our forum members who will invest his time for you to look into the car’s history.

Good luck with your search and you’ve come to the right place for a supportive response to your questions

[scm]

...although the AWD does shuffle the drive forwards and backwards as required.

Not really a "shuffle" - AIUI it's RWD until the car thinks a bit of front pull will help!

[Billymcmred]

Good luck with the search, coming to a good time to be looking for convertible will be plenty of choices
I would definitely be looking to by from a dealer so you have some protection ( CRA ) just in case

[gf15]

Hi,
Your late partner had wonderful taste. Great colour and nicest wheels. Nothing constructive to add, but wish you every success in finding a suitable car.

[drjrj]

Thank you for all the replies and the kind and helpful words. It is not the car you suggest, mickjaguar, it was a 2015 and never serviced at the garages on the service record. My partner purchased it from Ridgeway Jaguar after it had been used for a short while as a demonstrator.....

I shall at least wait for the budget before buying a replacement, and it is interesting to see how the prices are moving on Autotrader etc.....

[Billymcmred]

Thank you for all the replies and the kind and helpful words. It is not the car you suggest, mickjaguar, it was a 2015 and never serviced at the garages on the service record. My partner purchased it from Ridgeway Jaguar after it had been used for a short while as a demonstrator.....

I shall at least wait for the budget before buying a replacement, and it is interesting to see how the prices are moving on Autotrader etc.....

I think mickjaguar shared information with the car at Auto 100 you mentioned you were looking at a car at that dealer, the service history is for that car not your car

[Lady Eleanore]

That's a heartbreaking story. The car obviously means so much more than just the pretty shape and nice noises. I'm sure your partner would be pleased to see you are replacing her beloved car and keeping the lineage going. No amount of punishment for the scrotes who wrecked your car can ever compensate you, but I hope they end up sharing a prison moment, with a rather unpleasant bloke called 'One Eared Dave' and you can imagine the rest.

[drjrj]

Many thanks again for your replies and comments following my post in September......just by way of an update I bought a 2018 V8 R at the end of November, and have been delighted with it......