Jaguar XJ Supersport (2010) CAR review

The steering is an allegory for the XJ’s lightweight construction. The chassis is an aluminium monocoque, clothed in aluminium panels, making the 1955kg XJ Supersport fractionally lighter than the class’s other whippet, the Porsche Panamera Turbo. Of the flabby old guard, the Supersport is a whopping two-thirds of a Caterham lighter than Merc’s S63 AMG.

Does that light weight translate into class-leading performance and dynamics?

It’s a cliché, but the XJ’s lightness and agility makes it feel no bigger than the (steel) XF. On tightening bends, the chassis stays neutral long after you’d expect a 5.1m-long barge to start understeering. In comparison, an S-class rolls more in corners, but it offers a more relaxed ride, with the body floating back into position while the Jag settles more abruptly. The XJ is more compliant at motorway speeds than around town, and wind noise is nicely suppressed: Jaguar has not forsaken the XJ’s talents as a refined, long distance express.

The Supersport runs a supercharged 5.0-litre V8 engine, yielding 503bhp at 6000 revs and 461lb ft at 2500. The previous XJR’s supercharger whine is history, and although the creamy V8 whips up a raspy snarl, it’s kept in the background. The Supersport is quick –4.9sec from 0-62mph is hardly the work of a slouch – but the Panamera Turbo feels ballistic in comparison. The XJ feels balletic, though. Fuel economy is a claimed 24.9mpg with 264g/km of CO2, edging out the Panamera Turbo’s 23.2mpg and 286g/km.

A supersmooth, six-speed ZF transmission feeds power to the rear wheels. Press the dynamic button by the cylindrical transmission selector and the computer-rendered dials glow red, and the seatbelt pretensioner flexes as the safety features are primed. The XJ is subconsciously saying: ‘strap yourself in, it’s going to be a wild ride’.

Pootling through a village with the transmission in S, the software maintains second gear, rather than switching up to fourth to save fuel unlike many transmission programmes. It’s as if the chips are encouraging you to nail it as soon as the speed restriction lifts. This is a limousine with a sports car’s rakishness, remember.

Verdict

The new XJ is a limousine to make Britain proud. Its design is the most stylish and modern in its class, and the cabin is peerless. Throw in a lightweight, high-tech chassis, brilliant dynamics and notable efficiency, and you have a limousine which is a genuine match for some of Germany’s finest vehicles. Whisper it, but it’s the coolest and most efficient car in its class. Who’d have thought that from Jaguar?