The Jaguar XK 180 is a 2-door roadster from Jaguar, built from 1999, when airbags, anti-lock brakes and Japanese build quality became the world standard. Under the bonnet: 4.0 litre supercharged V8. Keith Helfet drew it.
The background
The Jaguar XK 180 is a concept car created by the British car manufacturer Jaguar Cars to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the XK car and to show the world the skills of Jaguar stylists, craftsmen and engineers. It was presented at the Paris Motor Show in 1998.
The engineering
Power comes from 4.0 litre supercharged V8. It weighs 3450 lb. It shifts through a 5-speed automatic. The layout matters: a front engine drives the rear wheels, the classic proportion — long bonnet, cabin set back — that most people picture when they picture a sports saloon or a grand tourer. The wheelbase is 2461 mm. These are manufacturer figures carried by Wikipedia and Wikidata, not road-test measurements.
Where it sits
Its contemporaries in the catalogue — the Toyota Yaris, the BMW X5, the Škoda Auto Škoda Fabia — show what else the money bought that year. Its Jaguar stablemates include the F-Type and the Vanden Plas.
What it costs now
EPA combined economy is 19 mpg, about $4,450 a year in fuel at the EPA's assumptions. Condition, mileage and specification move any single car a long way from a headline figure.
Jaguar XK 
Jaguar XK (X100)