X Is For: 1998 Jaguar XJR vs 2002 Nissan Xterra

Good morning, and welcome to a supercharged edition of Shitbox Showdown! That’s right; both of today’s cars feature a little something extra in the form of belt-driven forced induction. Which one will you blow your imaginary money on? We’ll find out.

Yesterday we looked at a couple of out-of-the-ordinary ’50s hot rods, and, probably not surprisingly, the Willys Wagon emerged victorious. It’s just too cool, with that poly-head Dodge engine and an absolutely perfect stance. And I agree that the builder probably started with the Willys and a wrecked or rusted-out ’62 Dodge, and pulled a Reese’s with them.

The Woodill Wildfire is cool, but in an AMT model kit sort of way. It’s more about looking cool than actually going somewhere. It would be fun to drive once, but I don’t think I’d want to own it. Oh, and for those who said it’s a Cobra ripoff, I’m afraid the math doesn’t quite add up. The Wildfire was introduced in 1952; the AC Ace (on which the Cobra was based) appeared a year later. And both of them probably owe at least a little something to George Phillips’s 1951 MGTD LeMans race car.

So what could a Nissan SUV and a Jaguar sedan possibly have in common, besides the first letter of their model names? A supercharger. This engine-driven air pump is used to force more air down an engine’s gullet in order to make more power. Superchargers in production cars first appeared in 1923, but have largely been replaced by turbochargers (which do the same thing, only driven by the engine’s exhaust) in recent years. But once in a while, we got a little supercharged treat from one manufacturer or another–in this case, Jaguar and Nissan. Let’s take a look.

1998 Jaguar XJR – $6,900

Engine/drivetrain: Supercharged 4.0-liter dual overhead cam V8, five-speed automatic, RWD

Location: Hollister, CA

Odometer reading: 139,000 miles

Operational status: Runs and drives great

Jaguar is famous for two types of cars: fast, stylish sports cars and fast, elegant sedans. The sedans don’t get as much credit, and for a long time, they were something of a joke. Far too many of them had their legendary, LeMans-winning DOHC inline sixes ripped out and cast aside in favor of a Chevy V8. In 1997, under Ford’s direction, Jaguar gave the sixes the boot, in favor of an all-new V8 of its own.

Not content with the new engine’s 290 horsepower, Jaguar developed a supercharged version, with 370, for a special XJ called the XJR. Tighter suspension, larger tires and brakes, and special trim were all part of the package. This XJR has 139,000 miles on the clock, and the seller says it runs and drives well. These cars tend to have issues with the timing chain tensioners wearing out; it’s worth asking if they’ve been replaced on this one.

The driver’s seat is a little rough, but the rest of the interior is pretty nice. Even with a few rips, Jaguar interiors are nice places to be, stuffed full of leather and wood and power features. And since this one is from the Ford years, there’s a better chance that all that power stuff still works.

It has been repainted in the original color, and it looks great. The tires, on nice factory 18-inch wheels, are nearly new, and the seller even includes a car cover. The only thing that it needs on the outside is a new power antenna installed, but a new one is included.

2002 Nissan Xterra SE – $6,999

Engine/drivetrain: Supercharged 3.3-liter overhead cam V6, five-speed manual, 4WD

Location: Glendale, CA

Odometer reading: 171,000 miles

Operational status: Runs and drives great

It’s common for most things to lose their edge as time goes on. The first version is usually the purest, the second gets a little softer around the edges, and so on. Once in a while, someone says the next version of something is going to get back to its roots, or the next album is going to be way heavier, or whatever. It rarely happens. Nissan’s first SUV, the Pathfinder, was a simple, tough, capable machine. The second generation got nicer and fancier, but also more complicated. Fans of the old Pathfinder longed for the simplicity of the original, and Nissan responded with the Xterra. “Everything you need,” the ads said, “and nothing you don’t.”

You don’t strictly need 210 horsepower in an SUV this size, but Nissan made it available, in the form of a supercharged version of its VG33E engine. This one has a five-speed manual, and part-time 4WD with a dual-range transfer case. The seller bought this car from Cars & Bids last year, drove it home to California from Colorado, and did a little work to fix a few minor issues. It runs and drives great, and is ready for a new steward.

I always liked the Xterra’s back-to-basics philosophy, but I prefer simple vehicles. This is the only interior shot we get, but it looks promising. The upholstery looks fine, and I don’t see any wear on the dash or steering wheel. The Xterra doesn’t have much in the way of options inside; air conditioning and a big-ass stereo are about it. I’m not even sure it has power windows.

It’s rust-free outside, and very clean. The Xterra is proof that you can make a truck look tough without making it look angry; I don’t know why nobody can figure that out these days. This truck looks capable and purposeful, but approachable. And I love the color. It’s a nice change from the boring silver or eye-searing yellow you usually see on these.

We’re almost to the end of the alphabet – just two more letters to go. I already know what I’m going to do for them, more or less; feel free to speculate in the comments. In the meantime, you have two supercharged cars from either side of the turn of the century to choose from: one luxury sedan, and one tough SUV. The choice is yours.