Minneapolis Street Sightings: Jaguar XJS V12

Want a British sports car? Don't want to pay a fortune for a new Jaguar XK or a new Bristol? The 1980s and 1990s Jaguar XJS is for you. Introduced in 1976, it sported a 5.3L Jaguar V12 with only 290 hp, enough to propel the vehicle to 60 MPH in 8.9 seconds, or roughly the time it takes a Prius to achieve the same speed. Unlike the Prius, though, the Jaguar didn't get 45 MPG. Instead it achieved barely 14 MPG--and that's on the highway. Top speed was the big coupe's forte. It could reach 144 MPH, and look good while doing so. The downside to the Jaguar is--you guessed it--reliability. In the US, prices skyrocketed over the years, and desirability fell, with the introduction of other sport coupes such as Mercedes' SL roadster, and eventually the ho-hum Lexus SC series. Nissan even lopped the roof of it's legendary 300ZX Z32.
So what makes the Jaguar an interesting car? It's styling, from the slender rectangular headlights, to the wide-spoked alloy wheels, this car is distinctly British. The interior was a treat too--when new that is. And don't get me started on the engine note. My god. It sounds like a cross between an older Aston Martin V8 and new Jaguar XJ series--and that's no bad thing.
So, if you're looking for that quintessential piece of the British Motoring pie, look no further. Your car has arrived. And the best part is... you can have one for less than the price of a new Ford Focus. Don't say I didn't warn you about the reliability though.

Minneapolis Street Sightings: Mercedes 300TD wagon

Aaah what can I say? Another hearty old Benz 300TD variant rumbling around in the Minnesota fall. Nope, they won't die. You can drive em through the worst of all conditions for hundreds of thousands of miles, and they won't give up.
I was actually pretty impressed with this particular car, more so than previous Mercedes finds for a few reasons. Not only do I adore this bodystyle of Benz in the first place, but seeing a wagon in great shape rather than the oh-so-common sedan makes this find much more special to me. First off, the cream/tan color combination is spectacular, especially on this car. Second off, the condition is simply amazing. Not one single dent or rust spot, although that could be attributed to the Washington plates rather than the Minnesota dealies that seem to grace the cars featured here. Also, the paint is in great shape, too. So often when I spot older metal roaming the streets here, the paint is faded to all hell, and all the trim is missing. Not in this case. It appears as if this car hasn't aged at all. I don't know whether that's a good thing though, because these Benzes were so common back in the day it's almost sad to see one untouched. At the same time, I'm quite happy the car has been preserved for future generations to oogle over.