By David Colman
Likes:
- Easily guided missile
- Caviar paint color
- Special order only model
Dislikes:
- Mismatch of dog-leg joint on driver’s door
- Rear-view distortion due to back glass
- Hidden cruise control “cancel” button
I told my friend who sells Lexus products that his cars are going to have to go some to beat the custom order Jaguar I just drove. The XJL Supersport will dispense with any Lexus on a straight road. And on a curvy road as well. In addition, it has a back seat worthy of a first class ticket on British Airways. Its 512 hp supercharged V8 does 0-60 mph in under 5 seconds. Its front seats not only heat and cool you, but massage you as well. “But they all do that” protested my Lexus friend. I beg to differ. If you want a mobile bank vault, buy a Lexus. If you want a real sporting sedan, buy a Jaguar XJL Supersport.
Besides copious infusions of space, grace and pace, what does the Jaguar bring to the table that even the most expensive Lexus 460 does not? How about tables? The Jag’s elegant fold-down rear tray tables are finished in piano black and trimmed with chrome. Do they “all do that”? And what about sweeping spears of laser-engraved walnut curl veneer applied to both front door panels in traditional British book-end fashion? Who else but Jaguar does that?
The 2012 XJL Supersport is the potent successor to a proud line of Jaguar sporting sedans that look good, handle with agility, and go like vixen. Back in the 60s, my family purchased a Mk 10 sedan, which was the precursor of the modern Jaguar 4 seater. Our MK 10 was clothed in a sensuous body, finished like Swiss watch, and blessed with a wood paneled interior from stem to stern. Unfortunately, dependability was not a Jaguar forte at the time, and my father actually paid to have the Mark 10 hauled away after 5 years of mechanical grief.
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