Doug DeMuro knows a thing or two about cars. So much so that he launched a site specifically for enthusiasts to watch, track, bid on, and buy some of the coolest, rarest, and quirkiest cars out there. And when it comes to those panache-dripping rides that make you look rich without the big price tag, DeMuro has a list. But we love one very specific model on that cheap luxury car list that, frankly, we’re surprised flies under the radar.

The X150 Jaguar XK has a celebrity presence, without the crippling price tag

Doug DeMuro has many choices for what he calls “cheap flexin’.” But rather than shooting for the heartbreak-waiting-to-happen that is a Maserati GranTurismo, we love his fourth choice: the X150-generation Jaguar XK.

A V8 up front, a plush interior, and an exterior Jeremy Clarkson once called “impossibly pretty.” That’s the formula in the Aston Martin-esque replacement for the Jaguar XK8.

“It’s pretty impressive to be able to get a car that looks this beautiful and that has this connotation of wealth and taste and class for this price point,” DeMuro said about the aluminum-bodied GT car. 

Now, DeMuro is speaking specifically about the pre-facelift X150, which bowed out in favor of the 5.0L model in 2009. But that doesn’t mean you have to stick to the older models.

The updated XK with the naturally aspirated 5.0L heart upped the ante, raising the stock horsepower output to 385 compared to the 4.2L model’s 300 ponies. Quite the improvement.

They put the ‘cheap’ in ‘cheap luxury car’

So, how much are we talking here? A pre-facelift 2007 Jaguar XK sells for an average of $20,430. But on DeMuro’s very own site, Cars & Bids, a clean XK Coupe with 101,200 miles sold for a mere $8,700.

Better yet, the average sale price for a 5.0L 2010 model is around $24,143, per Classic.com. However, one of the big cats sold at auction for $15,250 last year. And that one had just 66,000 miles on the clock. Not bad for a car that delivers Aston Martin looks on a budget.