Jaguar XJ8: Sleek, quick cat

Driving opulence is always a pleasure. And writing about it is almost as gratifying. Especially when one encounters a model with significant upgrades from its pervious iteration. Which is why when the father and son tandem of Willie and Mark Soong from Jaguar Philippines insisted that this writer be among the first to try out their brand new XJ8 test unit, we were more than open to the idea.

So, what’s so special about this particular feline, you ask? How about a one-piece "monocoque" body that’s constructed mostly from ultra-light aluminum? That’s right. The Jaguar XJ8 is unique in that it is among the few bona fide luxury cars being offered in the Philippines with a literally fantastic power to weight ratio. Hang on. Did you just read the words "fantastic power to weight ratio" in the previous sentence? Damn straight you did.

A very potent 4.2-liter V8 lurks beneath this Jaguar’s hood. As such, 0-100kph is a mere less than ten seconds away in an open straight. Doesn’t sound too Jaguar-ish? Believe it – because there’s even more to it. To make sure that all this power is put to good use responsibly, the new XJ8 comes with other goodies such as Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) for better handling, self-levelling air suspension for a more comfortable ride and Computer Active Technology Suspension (CATS) for better tuned suspension. These added technologies are significant because they give the Jaguar something its competitors have had for sometime now – better handling capabilities.

Now, we’ve argued time and again that as far as the line of luxury cars we have here are concerned, interior appointments are strictly Jaguar territory. The same, of course, holds true for this particular Jag. Tasteful if not downright luxurious leather adorns the XJ8’s interiors. And absolutely no one can get away with combining this with woodgrain highlights the way the Brits do. The little finishing details like knobs, the analog timepiece in the middle of the dash and that insanely gratifying to use "J" shiftgate are mere icing on the cake. The atmosphere created by the juxtaposition is so warm and inviting that it’s simply beautiful from just about anywhere inside the vehicle.

Before I begin to sound like a kid with a million bucks inside a candy store, let me make it clear that this car is not exactly perfect. Close, really. But still not quite. If there is one thing I wish could be improved in this luxurious automobile, it would be the rather slushy brakes. Because while I did enjoy the significant jump in power delivery and the added maneuverability accorded by all the gee-whiz technology, those brakes seemed like they could still use a bit more improvement. No, I did not exactly do a high-speed braking maneuver in the XJ8, but I’ve seen more reactive systems before. If only for this fact, I will give the XJ8 just this much leeway for improvement.

Either way, the XJ8 is still significant in that it improves on the previous version tremendously in more ways than one. Also, while the driving experience has moved up a notch or two, all it really takes is ten minutes in the backseat to realize just who this car was actually made for. When the car was with me, I made it a point to find a willing driver (say the word "Jaguar" and you’ll find that there are many) who would drive around town with me in the backseat. The legroom and adjustable dual climate control in the back – coupled with the most supple ride this side of luxury – make one want to practically live in the back of the XJ8. Yeah, it’s likely you’ll enjoy driving the XJ8, but you’ll just love riding it from the best seat in the house.

Want one? You’d better be ready to shell out some seven million smackeroos. Otherwise, you can do like the rest of the folk who saw me when the car was with me and drool yourselves silly. I’ll drool with you. I promise.