To some a Jaguar is just about looks, but to most it's more about driving. Those who enjoy driving know that a lighter car is nicer to drive. Comfort and lots of features are expected, but add weight. It's a conflict of interests that can be difficult to overcome. That's why Jaguar designed an aluminum body for the new XJ. Although the new body is larger than before, it weighs 400 pounds less. That's equivalent to more than two passengers. Those who might be concerned that an aluminum body is not as strong as a steel body can rest assured that this body is just fine. Like the shell of an airplane, the Jaguar's body is riveted (with about 3200 rivets) and glued (with 120 yards of adhesive) to form an immensely stiff bodyshell that meets or exceeds all safety standards. Perhaps more important the body is 60-percent stiffer than the body it replaces. This rigidity and absence of weight lead to a better handling car. Toss this big car into a tight corner on a narrow winding road and you'll find it tenaciously hugs the road surface with nary a complaint. It's just what one would expect from British engineers who learned at an early age how to drive fast along those narrow country lanes. It's no wonder the world's fastest race cars are built in England.

The power steering is precise without being too heavy and the new XJ goes where it's aimed. The wheels stay glued to the road surface thanks to the double-wishbone suspension and Jaguar's Computer Active Technology Suspension (CATS) that continuously and instantly adjusts damping. CATS works well with the air suspension and ensures stability whether the car is undergoing heavy acceleration, hard braking, or traversing an undulating road. During several hundred miles of driving on a variety of different roads and surfaces we found the car was stable and handled predictably at all times.

Even the base model, if it's fair to call it that, with its 294 horsepower V8 engine can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in about 6.3 seconds, according to Jaguar. That's quite quick. The new XJ8 offers improved fuel economy as well. The V8 engine delivers good low-end torque so power is instantly available. Shifting is seamless thanks to the six-speed automatic transmission. Jaguar's J-gate transmission allows you to flick the lever to the left and manually shift gears, if you wish. In reality, there's enough power and the electronic brain controlling the gearbox does such a good job that shifting manually seems superfluous.

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The XJR adds a supercharger that forces air into the V8, producing 390 horsepower. This propels the XJR from 0 to 60 mph in 5 seconds, according to Jaguar, very quick indeed. This rocket ship also gets a stiffer suspension, bigger brakes and fat 19-inch tires that grip the road even better. Amazingly the ride is not too harsh despite the short sidewalls. These tires cause the steering to feel a little tighter. But it is the whine of the supercharger as you press the gas pedal that sets the XJR apart from the rest of the pack. Previously the XJR has been penalized with the gas guzzler tax but no more. Its lighter weight means fuel consumption is all but identical to the old XJ8.

Brakes on the new XJ models are powerful yet smooth and don't grab unless you really need them to. The XJ now gets the same electronic parking brake that first appeared in the 2003 S-Type. A small lever is pulled to set it and it's automatically deactivated when drive or reverse is engaged, an elegant setup.