Giving a posh sedan the driving kicks of a fast sports car is extremely difficult, which is why few automakers build such an auto.
But Jaguar is an old hand at making sedans that provide sports car thrills. The sleek $69,355 XJR is such a car.
If the limited-production XJR seems too expensive, consider that only a few sedans can do what it does, and they're from BMW and Mercedes-Benz.
The problem with old Jaguar sports sedans--mostly from the 1960s--was that they quickly deteriorated. The front suspension fell apart, as did the electrical system, gearbox, interior, paint, body--everything.
That didn't sit well with most Americans in our disposable car culture. But Jaguar got away with it all because its cars were drop-dead beautiful and provided great performance and luxury for amazingly low prices.
Jaguar's cunning boss, William Lyons, also made sure special Jaguar race cars won major races to make his production cars sexier--although it took factory mechanics to keep the race cars winning. Buyers of production Jaguars had to pay through the nose for repair work done by regular mechanics.
Jaguar quality has improved dramatically since Ford bought the company in December 1989. Jaguars still aren't as trouble-free as, say, a Toyota Camry, but they no longer keep owners up at night worrying about repair bills.
The rear-wheel-drive XJR is a hot rod version of the short-wheelbase XJ8 sedan, which is plenty fast with its dual-overhead-camshaft 290-horsepower V-8.
The XJR has a supercharged, intercooled version of that 4-liter engine, which has 32 valves. It generates 370 horsepower and enough torque to nearly enable the XJR to climb a wall.
This highly refined, deceptively fast sedan thus hits 60 mph in merely 5.4 seconds and tops out at an electronically limited 155 mph. That acceleration provides a huge safety margin during tight passing or when merging into fast traffic. And the engine loafs at 2,600 rpm at 75 mph.
The five-speed automatic transmission upshifts seamlessly but is a bit slow to downshift for fast passing maneuvers. You can use the automatic as a clutchless manual, but the anachronistic old J-gate shifter makes it easy to accidentally engage the wrong gear.
Fuel economy is only an estimated 16 mpg in the city and 22 on the highway. After all, this is a two-ton sedan. At least the XJR has a big 23.1-gallon fuel tank for a decent cruising range.
One reason the XJR is so heavy is because it's loaded with luxury equipment, such as a killer 320-watt Alpine sound system with a six-disc autochanger. New heated rear seats accompany the heated front ones.
Safety items include side-impact air bags up front. And there's a new reverse parking warning system that's needed because you can't see where the trunk ends through the rear window.
Optional on my test XJR were $3,400 Milan alloy wheels, which don't allow you to check tire pressures unless you screw in valve stem extenders. Ridiculous. Standard wheels are just fine.
The XJR is visually distinguished from the XJ8 by a crosshatch wire grille that recalls Jaguars of the 1930s and special standard seven-spoke alloy wheels that carry huge 40-series tires on enormous 18-inch wheels.
Despite the car's weight, its wide tires work with quick steering and a sport suspension to provide athletic handling. A traction control system helps stability.
The XJR's anti-lock brakes stop it quickly, but the brake pedal is mushy--a curious fault for such a high-performance machine. Also, bumps cause the steering wheel to shake a bit, although the XJR is soundly constructed.
The firm, all-independent suspension provides an absorbent ride.
Four 6-footers fit in the quiet wood-and-leather interior, but there's little room to spare despite a long 113-inch wheelbase.
A big front console crowds front passengers and the deeply recessed gauges are hard to read quickly, and the dashboard layout isn't very good.
The nicely shaped trunk has a low, wide opening, but is rather small for such a large sedan. And the trunk lid has manual hinges instead of hydraulic struts.
But no car is perfect. Here's betting that most XJR buyers will feel it was the best $69,355 they ever spent.