Driven: Jaguar XFR - Introduction

Jaguar XFR
On Sale Now
Price £59,900
Youll like: As brilliant as any other XF, but a lot faster
You won't: You have to pay an extra £1100 for the top stereo!

Things are looking good for Jaguar: sales were up last year (few can say that), the award-winning XF is being upgraded with a bigger, faster (yet greener) diesel engine, there's a new XJ due later this year, and the hot new XFR has arrived. If the Government could help out with a scheme to kickstart the supply of consumer credit, things would be pretty much perfect.

As flagships go, the XFR certainly looks – and sounds – the part. A dramatic new 503bhp supercharged V8 engine sits under the bonnet (there's a standard V8 available in non 'R' cars, too), while the visual drama is taken care of by a deep front spoiler, subtle sideskirts, a tiny boot spoiler and 20-inch alloys – all of which, when combined, successfully manages to enhance the XF's natural style.

As far as we're concerned, every time you step into an XF is like an opening night, with the automatically swivelling air vents and gearshifter rising into view. In the XFR, though, there are big leather chairs to embrace you (with more electric adjustments than ever) and a few R flourishes here and there, too.