When you experience this supercharged V8 in an XK, you pretty much expect the performance coming from it. When it’s slotted into a 1.9 tonne Executive saloon however… that experience is something else.

The 461lb ft of torque is more than what the 3.0 twin-turbo diesel ‘S’ produces (@ 442lb ft), and so this engine barely hesitates to get into its stride. The 0 – 62mph (4.7secs) and 0 – 100mph (10.2secs) figures achieved by Autocar matches the smaller and lighter E92 BMW M3. In a car this size, that’s more impressive than the XK. If you then factor in Jaguar’s pride statistic of doing 50 – 70mph in 1.9 secs, this car really hauls ass on motorway slip roads. It doesn’t require much of the driver; you just point, barge your way through the horizon, and experience the hefty shove pushing you into the thick seat!

Switching on ‘Dynamic Mode’ – the button with the chequered flag (naturally) – brings quicker shifts, alterations to the adaptive damping and diff, a loosened stability control, and a more sensitive throttle response. Having both Dynamic Mode and the gearbox in its ‘S’ setting will prevent the auto from changing up at the rev limiter. The gear display between the driver’s dials will change to orange as you near the limiter to prompt changes too.

The 6-speed auto has become the most noticeable ageing aspect of the package though; and with 8 speed auto’s now becoming more and more common, you notice it staying that fraction longer through each of the gears.

There is a flip side to this however as that slower reaction time does make it feel a lot calmer when you’re not in the mood and just wanting to cruise.

I have found a caveat with all this performance though; as capable as this engine seems to be, it does make the fun within legal limits quite short-lived. If you want to go beyond and find the car’s own limits, you do need quite a lot of room and that isn’t so easy to find on the roads where I live!

Spec: XFR
Engine: 5.0 Supercharged V8 Petrol, 503bhp, 461lb ft (2500-5500rpm)
Transmission: 6 Speed Auto
Mpg: Official: 23.0mpg Achieved: 20-22mpg
Performance: 0-62mph: 4.7 Secs, 160mph
Colour: Silver
Pictures referenced with ** sourced from Pistonheads