CIRCUIT FAKER
THE BIG wing, wide arches, fat tyres and front splitter all point towards the only sensible conclusion: that this 2003 X-TYPE is a former touring car. Clearly developed during the popular Supertouring era of the Nineties and early 2000s, it would have competed against the likes of the Alfa Romeo 155, Ford Mondeo and Renault Laguna, plus many others.
However, like a Tudor-style house built in the Nineties, or a politician listing their favourite pop stars to make them seem more ‘of the people’, it’s all make-believe. Built this year and on a tight budget using mainly off-the-shelf parts, it’s spent as much time on the track as Boris Johnson has listening to Stormzy.
But, does that make it any less fun to drive?
Tear away the X-TYPE’s traditional, old-fashioned design and the saloon has all the makings of a decent racing car. There’s the V6 for a start. I know from testing the Palmer Sport JP1 track, March 2020, p60] that the free-revving and torquey 3.0-litre is perfect for circuit driving. Add the all-wheel drive, accurate steering and close-to-perfect 50:50 weight distribution and the saloon is one of the best-handling cars of the era. It’s said that Jaguar decided on the Subaru Impreza as the saloon to beat and, judging by previous examples I’ve driven, I reckon it achieved that.
