MURRAY SCULLION

STAFF WRITER

What’s it like to drive? Fast – addictively so. It’s a car that really hides its speed well, cocooning you in leather and wood, luring you into a false sense of security, only allowing you to understand just how fast you’re going by the blur of cars you’re passing. I’m not a huge fan of autos – but Sport mode in the Jag is just perfect, diving head first into its 7000rpm redline when you mash your foot hard enough to the floor. Slip the lever across the J-plate and it’ll let you stir the cogs yourself if you’re really feeling brave.

The driving position’s spot on too – it really feels every bit the low-slung coupé it is. The glorious V8 engine devours roads for fun, although the sound is a bit muted for my own taste. As is the steering – it’s got very little feedback or feel but that’s the price you pay for the opulence, comfort and power the XK8 delivers. The 4.0-litre V8 has 290bhp and eagerly gets you to 60mph in less than 6.5 seconds and is as solid as a rock no matter what you do, as long as the traction control’s on. An absolute corker.