January 2006 - the first outing after acquiring the car. Approaching Monterey, the sky darkened, and we hit the mightiest downpour I've ever experienced. We pulled in to a lay-by as the clouds parted and a wonderful triple rainbow appeared over the sea - the perfect photo opportunity.
Since then, the car has been upgraded with the 18" wheel option, which immediately improved the looks and the handling. And if any fellow XK8 owners want a tip on how to permanently mend the spring on the visor's vanity mirror, I'll be happy to help. Both of them had gone on mine, so I'm sure I'm not the only one to have had this problem. It's a small issue, but once the spring goes, the covers flap down and obstruct the driver's view when the visor is lowered. Jaguar would only replace the entire visor - at $300 each!