It was a P6 that started my love affair with the V8 engine.
My old man was a jag man - grew up riding shotgun in his XJ6s, always manual with overdrive. Great cars.
Up the road lived a certain SGT R Bernie of merseyside constabulary traffic division who was a rover man - a 2000TC being his main wheels - One day he comes rumbling past the house in his new machine - 3500S Manual in mexico Brown with brown roof and grey cast alloys with the rover emblem on them - made the sash window in the lounge vibrate as he went past.
I legged it up the road to have a butchers - age 9 or so - he took me for a blast in it - it was brand new - HRB 888N - and I just remember the noise, the torque and fantastic way it handled - he was a very good driver as you would expect.
Anyway, that was me hooked on V8s.
My Dad still preferred the straight 6 though.