The new Jaguar XJ: it’s an absolute cracker. I’ve not driven one yet, and might not for some time, but I love the thing. In pictures it looks brilliant, in the metal simply sensational.
 
It’s caused quite some controversy already, of course, wildly departing from the XJ’s classic styling and veering off in the direction the XF should have taken. It’s a bold move for a company abundant with elegant classics and past glories, but it’s one well worth applauding.
 
Browse these pictures and tell me I’m wrong.
 
The XJ fascinates me, too. It’s not an evo car in the traditional sense, no matter how good it is to drive, but it’s definitely a petrolhead’s car. Stuffed full of tech (the TFT dials have to be seen to be believed) and weighing less than an equivalent (and smaller) XF, engineering love has been poured into it generously.
 
And curiously, my intrigue towards the new XJ has reawakened my need for a previous-gen car. Suddenly my commute is filled with late ‘90s/early ‘00s XJs, one in particular in ideal spec: a stealthy black XJR. In contemporary magazine twin tests I always rooted for that, not the E39 M5, and despite the doubtless catastrophic running costs, an XJR remains an itch I need to scratch. Anyone with me on this one?