XJ V8 - 3.2 vs 4.0 power difference
Discussion
Hi all, last year I drove my friends 1998 Jaguar Xj with a 4.0 litre V8 engine. A nice smooth quiet car but really opened up when you put your foot down. The power felt immense compared to anything I've driven before (I've only driven cars over ten years old). I've recently been looking at these older Jags online and see more for sale with the 3.2 V8 engine and quite a few with the 3.2 V6. Could anyone shed some light on how fast and powerful the 3.2 litre V8's are compared to the 4.0? And also does the V6 version still feel quick by any means?
Hi,
Jaguar is good at doing this. The 3.2 and 4.0 V8 are essentially the same engine but with different swept volumes. Same is true for the 2.1 litre, 2.5 and 3.0 AJ-V6 engines used in X-Types, S-Types and X350 XJs.
To within a tolerance so small as makes no difference, the smaller versions cost exactly the same to run as the biggest ones but they're slower. In terms of everything that dictates how much fuel it burns cruising along in the same car at the same speed, the 3.2 V8 and the 4.0 V8 are virtually identical. Servicing costs are likewise identical. The 3.2 feels pretty lethargic compared to the 4.0 V8 though.
The 3.0 V6 in the X350 is actually a really nice engine, but it's an engine better suited to a lighter, sportier car. Being over-square, with a larger cylinder bore than stroke, it loves to rev but its low down torque isn't very impressive. You have to rev it to get the power from it. Put the 3.0 V6 into a Mazda MX-5 using Rocketeer's conversion kit and you'll be grinning from ear to ear for a long time. In a big saloon you do have to drive in a way that's perhaps not the lazy, effortless way you'd expect from a big lazy saloon.
Jaguar is good at doing this. The 3.2 and 4.0 V8 are essentially the same engine but with different swept volumes. Same is true for the 2.1 litre, 2.5 and 3.0 AJ-V6 engines used in X-Types, S-Types and X350 XJs.
To within a tolerance so small as makes no difference, the smaller versions cost exactly the same to run as the biggest ones but they're slower. In terms of everything that dictates how much fuel it burns cruising along in the same car at the same speed, the 3.2 V8 and the 4.0 V8 are virtually identical. Servicing costs are likewise identical. The 3.2 feels pretty lethargic compared to the 4.0 V8 though.
The 3.0 V6 in the X350 is actually a really nice engine, but it's an engine better suited to a lighter, sportier car. Being over-square, with a larger cylinder bore than stroke, it loves to rev but its low down torque isn't very impressive. You have to rev it to get the power from it. Put the 3.0 V6 into a Mazda MX-5 using Rocketeer's conversion kit and you'll be grinning from ear to ear for a long time. In a big saloon you do have to drive in a way that's perhaps not the lazy, effortless way you'd expect from a big lazy saloon.
Once you're looking newer than the AJ6/16 straight sixes that were phased out in 1997 it's a better plan to buy the best example you can find rather than letting engine capacity restrict your choice.
The 3.2 V8 does 0-60 in around 8 sec, the 4.0 is a second or so so quicker. Although the numbers are pretty close the ally bodied 3.0 V6 feels way more agile and nimble than both the first gen V8 cars and they're easier on fuel too..
Prices have fallen for the ally bodied cars to the point where it's almost a no brainer to look at those rather than the earlier ones which unless you can find a really well loved example have pretty much all descended into ropey old Jag territory.
The 3.2 V8 does 0-60 in around 8 sec, the 4.0 is a second or so so quicker. Although the numbers are pretty close the ally bodied 3.0 V6 feels way more agile and nimble than both the first gen V8 cars and they're easier on fuel too..
Prices have fallen for the ally bodied cars to the point where it's almost a no brainer to look at those rather than the earlier ones which unless you can find a really well loved example have pretty much all descended into ropey old Jag territory.
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