The XK8 sports car, first introduced at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1996 (sometimes referred to by its product code of X100) was the replacement for the XJS. The new XK8 was a typical Jaguar, combining tradition with innovation. The inspiration for the elegant design clearly came from the style of classic Jaguar sports cars of the past, notably the E-type of the 1960s, but interpreted in a modern manner. The car was styled by Fergus Pollock, working under the late Geoff Lawson and the Project Director was the engineer Bob Dover, who went on to become Jaguar’s Chairman.

Under the bonnet lay the first Jaguar V8 engine. Although the Daimler sister marque had made some excellent V8s in the 1960s, and a Jaguar V8 design had been under consideration at the same time, this was the first Jaguar production car to be fitted with this type of engine. As used in the XK8, capacity was originally 4 litres, in 2002 enlarged to 4.2 litres. The AJV8 engine was of all-aluminium construction, with two overhead camshafts per bank and 32 valves producing 290 bhp.

In 1998 a supercharger was fitted on the XKR version, even more powerful at 370 bhp, although the top speed of both models was identical, limited to 155 mph. Both the XK8 and XKR were available in coupé and convertible form. They made a significant impact on the world market for luxury sports cars, with most of the production being exported, especially to the USA.

Total production of the XK8 and XKR range was 91,406 cars, and it is worth noting that there were two convertibles for every coupé, reflecting the greater popularity of the open car in the USA.