A SUPER CHARGER
In 1961 Jaguar amazed the world by launching a 265bhp sports car that did 150mph, dashed to 60mph in around six seconds, and cost a mere £2000. Disregarding the fact that only the select few would be able to buy an E-Type at any price for several years, and that the real-world performance was rather less speedy, this was still brain-boggling news. But, moving forward half a century, such is progress that some diesel saloons go faster, while travelling at least twice as far on each precious gallon of fuel.
Better still for the incurably speed-crazed, about a tenth the price of an E-Type in real terms will bag a relatively modern Jaguar with performance in another dimension. Plus it has room for four and won’t throw any classic tantrums if the weather turns nasty or you get stuck in traffic. There are actually several Coventry cats that fit this bill, but the XJR built between 1997 and 2002 is a prime candidate, being cheap, stonkingly powerful, yet also completely unobtrusive. ‘Anonymous’ would be a less flattering description of the styling, but not standing out from the crowd can be a very useful quality in such a fast car, even though it won’t save you from preying GATSOs.
Jaguar saloons have a complicated
