Jaguar XJL Supersport - go where no man has gone before

Recently, I thought I had been transported, along with Star Trek’s Scotty, to another place and another time. It was not quite into a James Bond movie set, but somewhere in the world of British aristocracy. I was the limousine driver – not the back-seat Lord of the Manor. The new 2011 Jaguar XJ can take you places you have never been before, such as a world of luxury and speed.

If a Jaguar could be described as “normal”, the XJL Supersport is in a galaxy far, far away. This was our test car to drive for a week. The XJ is Jaguar’s top-of-the-line model. The XJ was first introduced in 1968 and proclaimed the “flagship” for the Jaguar fleet. It is known for is luxurious ride, pampering the occupants, and its seemingly effortless bursts of energy. The XJL is five inches longer in the rear seat area and designed for use as a limousine.

The XJ is powered by a new 5.0 liter V8 engine, but there are three variations. The base is a 385 hp naturally aspirated model. The XJ Supercharged features a 470 hp version that is, well, supercharged. Then there is the engine designed for James Bond, errr- I meant to say, Jeeves and his bosses. The Supersport XJL contains a 510 horsepower supercharged engine. This baby can evade any of those lurking, dark-suited, sunglass-wearing persons. Errr- I meant to say this unique engine is fast enough to deliver the occupants to their appointed times and places without interruption. The XJ Supercharged engine can rip to illicit speeds in the time it takes to transport Captain Kirk to the Enterprise bridge.

The XJ is built on a very strong, but very light, all-aluminum structure. There is an adjustable air suspension that is one of the main influences in all the impressive road handling ability and accompanying soft ride.
The new Jaguar XJ is not always instantly recognizable as a Jaguar. The primary clues are there, such as the massive front grille and the elongated silhouette. The leaping cat is missing off of the hood, unfortunately, but the car definitely draws mesmerized stares from anyone nearby. My test drive model was a beautiful shade of blue called “Navy Parchment.”

The interior is gorgeous. It is difficult to describe it any better without using a laundry list of adjectives. There is a blended mixture of modern design with traditional English old-school elegance. The seats have perfect contours and there is subtle accent lighting. Everything adds to the pampering of the occupant. Perhaps it is not necessary to mention that the heated seats also include a massage feature that is marvelous. As with most of today’s cars, a touchscreen display in imposing in the center of the console. The display unit features all the function controls for the navigation, radio and other sound systems, and even the climate control. As I attempted to use it, it was almost necessary to pull over and stop the car. Gone are those past days of simple buttons, switches, and dials that allowed the driver to operate everything by touch. Now you must be able to read and work through a series of computer screens just to find a favorite radio station.

The rear seat passengers are fully pampered in their own right. There are rear fold-down trays, a rear window screen that raises and lowers easily, and of course, those extra five inches of leg room. An optional rear-seat entertainment package is available that includes dual 8-inch LCD screens that are mounted in the back of the front headrests. They include wireless digital headphones. The screens and headphones operate independently.

Jaguar takes care of the owners of the XJ with a benefit they call “Platinum Coverage.” This includes all scheduled maintenance for five full years and includes the standard oil and fluid changes, but also consumables such as windshield wipers, brakes, and more. The XJL Supersport is EPA rated at 15 mpg in the city and 21 mpg on the highway. However, with the ability to move from 0 to 60 in five seconds, most drivers will attempt this often enough to bring that mileage down. That is just a guess, of course – a pure supposition on my part. The 2011 XJ ranges in price from about $89,000 upwards. My test drive model had an MSRP sticker price of $113,000, but remember - this was the extended-length model with the supercharged engine.

The XJL Supersport is destined to go down in the annals of automotive history as one of the best luxury cars for its time. Maybe it is a new breed of executive transport limos. It is a stretched-out sports car that moves in nano-seconds while pampering the driver and occupants. Perhaps it will take you and “go where no man has gone before”.