Jaguar XFR review

Your say

Jaguar XF 5.0 V8 XFR Road Test

Test date 26 May 2009 Price as tested £64,400

For Great ride and handling, huge performance, refinement, space, looks

Against Minor switchgear is fiddly, thirsty if you're really going for it

Although the timing of the Jaguar XFR’s arrival is somewhat unfortunate, the quality of its execution would certainly seem to compensate. For while a 503bhp super-saloon with a supercharged 5.0-litre V8 beneath its bonnet and a range-topping price tag probably isn’t what the world needs at the moment, there is equally little doubt that Jaguar has produced a genuinely excellent car in the form of the XFR.

Watch the Jaguar XFR on video

To date, it has taken care of any obstacle that has stood in its path, including the mighty BMW M5, which it roundly thumped when we tried the pair on foreign soil.

And now that it is finally here in the UK, priced at £59,900, there seems to be little standing between the XFR and total domination of the class. The niche may be small but it’s a highly significant arena, not just for Jaguar but also for BMW, Audi and Mercedes, all of whom have at least one performance executive saloon in the running.

So, just how comfortably does the XFR sit in this company in the cold light of a wet and windy day in the UK?