2010 Jaguar XFR

Regular followers of these pages know I've made no secret of my passion for Jaguar cars. They also know I've felt the cars were underpowered for the segment they're crafted to compete in. I mean come on, how can you be proud of the fact that your Jaguar makes 300 horsepower, when a Nissan Z makes 330?

Fortunately, the powers that be in Coventry are good listeners, because for 2010, they’ve done something about it – in a major way. Witness the 2010 Jaguar XFR. Proudly cradled beneath that vented bonnet (that's hood in American) is a 5.0-liter supercharged V8 delivering 510 horsepower and 460 foot-pounds of torque.

Sounds good? It gets even better...

Zero to 60 happens in just over four seconds. And, according to independent reports, it will stop from 60 in around 110 feet. For a car that weighs in excess of 4200 pounds, this is absolutely exceptional. Additionally, the Jaguar XFR consumes a quarter of a mile in 12.7 seconds.

This is a car designed to cover large expanses of territory at exceptionally high speed. If that road just happens to have some twists and turns, the Jaguar will track them completely unperturbed. Road holding is exceptional for a car of its size.

While the styling cues of the XFR are subtle, the Ultimate Black sedan I tested accrued more admiring looks than any previous variant of the XF I've driven. I attribute this primarily to the extra brightwork around the grille and a pair of large vents that feed air to the twin intercoolers.

In the profile and the going away shots, bystanders are treated to 20-inch wheels, engraved with the word "supercharged", wearing low profile tires, discreet side skirts, a subtle tail spoiler, a tasteful "R" badge and four tailpipes tucked beneath a black valance. In sum, it all fits the overall shape Ian Callum originally approved for the XF, but adds just enough punctuation to signal this is the extremely potent version of Jaguar's XF.

And it is indeed extremely potent, switch off the traction control, nail the throttle and you will leave several pounds (that's pounds as in money) worth of Pirelli's finest blend on the pavement in the form of two long black streaks. But frankly, this really isn't what the Jaguar is about.

One need only look around the interior to see this car has way more class than that. Supple leather in a two-tone color scheme upholsters the seats. Monotone leather with contrasting stitching covers the dash and nearly everything else, including the steering wheel.

On the road, the Jaguar's Active Dynamics computer controlled suspension system delivers a remarkably comfortable ride. Pavement irregularities are readily absorbed without disturbing either the Jaguar's grace or its pace.

Bumps are simply absorbed and the car moves on as smooth as Denzel Washington playing the lead in a romantic story. But again, in typical Jaguar fashion, in the corners, the XFR's grip is tenacious like Eddie Murphy holding on to his career.

All in all, the XFR is a multi-dimensional car that will serve you when you feel rambunctious just as well as when you feel you'd rather relax and be catered to. Jaguar's sedans have an uncanny ability to to do both, and with the newfound power from the updated engines, they are even better at it.

Jaguar XFR pricing starts at $80,000.

Lyndon Conrad Bell