Jaguar Experience Day: XF, XK Coupé, XKR-S and XJ220 = Fun

What do you get if you cross a Jaguar XF 2.2 Diesel with a Jaguar XK 5.0 V8 Coupé with a Jaguar 5.0 V8 XKR-S Coupé with an old school supercar in the form of a Jaguar 3.5 V6 XJ220? I'll tell you what. A day full of desires, lusts, wants and in the end unfortunate disappointment upon learning that taking the keys back home for "thorough vehicular examination" wasn't on the day's agenda.

On a chilly winter's day, Team Car Throttle rolled out the Fiat 500 and quickly shimmied up the M40, destination Gaydon, home of British engineering and also the main residences of one James Bond-loving manufacturer and a mighty vehicle powerhouse dubbed Jaguar Land Rover.

Rocking up to JLR's facility and you know you've arrived somewhere a bit special; grassy mounds usher you down a one-way route which passes various checkpoints and winds all the way round the back of the Heritage Motor Centre to a car park. And in this tarmaced joint lay twenty or so of JLR's latest and greatest.

Where to start? I guess it's better to chronologically follow my day rather than to hop and skip to my favourite parts. If you prefer to watch rather than to read, then go check our video of the Jaguar Experience Day and make sure you turn the volume up, you won't regret it.

Like a boss in the XF

Like a boss. No, that's not what Team CT say about me behind my back. Rather it's how I felt when commandeering the driver's seat in the Jaguar XF 2.2 Diesel. Regal really is the word despite the shorter wheelbase than the "proper boss" - the Jag XJ - which Prince William and her Duchess-ness found out on their wedding day.

On the outside it looks relatively coy but with the MY12 update it's all a little taughter and tighter. Check the LED rear lamps, bi-function HID Xenon headlamps with LED daytime running lights. You'll have probably seen these on the roads as they stand out like a Nike tick.

The car was introduced in 2007 as a replacement to the senile S Type Jaguar and it's proven to be a popular offering amongst more youthful family chaps. It no longer feels like something your Grandad should drive and instead finds itself open to mass market purchase. On the inside the luxury theme continues with full leather on the most basic of models, dual zone climate control, heated seats and leather steering wheel. These are things you really come to expect from a high-end manufacturer like Jaguar but then there are those little extra touches; namely the way the gear selector knob rises out of the centre console and the smart air vents rotate upon ignition. Rear space too is generous in much the same way a 5 Series goes about its business.

As the car did have the base 2.2-litre engine, I decided to treat the XF to a cruise and not a thrash, which is how it would be used in so-called real life tests. But with a 0-60mph acceleration time of 8 seconds, 450Nm of torque and 190hp, it's certainly no slouch despite it's kerb vehicle weight topping the scales at a beefy 1745kg. The car pulls away from the line without fuss and the cabin insulates well against the dreaded wail from tyres and wind roar. What it means is that you can literally hear a pin drop within the cabin (which for us had rich oak interior veneer). And that really cements itself in the upper echelons of class.

Despite a short 20 minute session with the XF, I found myself curiously lusting after one. And isn't that what Jag should be doing - attracting mainstream younger fans who will grow up with that same JLR urge? At a smidge over £43,000 this isn't a cheap car but the badge allows for some leeway with your budget, surely?

Note to self: must remember to try the XFR Supercharged next time...

Vroom vroom V8; XK Coupé

Before I could runaway back down the M40 with XF keys in pocket, it was time to hand them back over to the lovely folk in Jaguar's Press Team and sample the XK. The particular one we tested, again for a short stint, was the XK Coupe kitted out in Crystal Blue paint with Ivory/Slate interior trim. I recall initially thinking that the Coupe had a slightly feminine touch to it, maybe it was the paint, but my initial prejudices changed shortly after firing up the engine.

For under the hood was a 5.0-litre V8 set to a limited top speed of 155mph and capable of doing the "to 60" sprint in a rapid 5.2 seconds. Interior-wise, everything seemed quite similar to the XF including all the knob-rising we found at the start of the day. Make of that what you will. But the pièce de résistance for sure was the front-mid mounted unit which churns out 385hp at a lofty 6,500rpm, which means that it loves a nice rev. And rev we did.

The ride for this £70,550 sports car is still supple, allowing the driver to waft over bumps and imperfections in the Gaydon road surfaces. The 6-speed electronic auto transmission pops off shifts without fuss and without feeling, but perhaps I was after a bit more drama to feel at one with the car. Electronic systems dominate the XK - namely JaguarDrive Control with Winter Mode & Dynamic Mode, Cruise control with Auto Speed Limiter, DSC Dynamic Stability Control, Electronic Parking Brake and a whole host of other nannies. This isn't a burbling track monster, but then if you wanted one of those, you probably would be looking at the XK's older brother.

Jaguar's XKR-S: This. Is. Racecar.

And make the step-up we did in the early afternoon after a spot of cake-eating and note-taking. Oh and watching Chris Harris drive a blue beast XKR-S on the big screens in the Heritage Centre. Nice touch that. Before making our way to the car, we were handed the keys and what I can only describe as child-like anticipation arrived in a wave over me. Edward, Team CT's trusted producer, probably remembers a babbling, slightly nervous presenter walking towards an Italian Racing Red XKR-S and gasping in delight as the front door swung open awaiting his entry.

It just has presence. From the flared fenders, to the "Supercharged" bonnet scoops, to the quad exhausts hanging out of the derriere. And don't forget about that huge rear spoiler attempting to pin the rear wheel drive monster to the ground at high speeds, of which the XKR-S is capable of getting up to 186mph. For a car that costs £97,000, perhaps you would expect it to be a little closer to the magical 2-0-0, and at 4.2 seconds to 60, it isn't a 2.9 seconds Nissan GT-R.

But heck, the way it gets there is exciting. First is the noise. Another 5.0-litre V8 but this time uprated to 550hp coming in between 6,000 and 6,500rpm. There's 680Nm of torque on tap ready to burn up the rear rubbers.

Step inside the cabin and there are a few hints which makes you realise you're in control of a special beast. Red stitching around the interior features and racing seats are a slight giveaway. Put your foot on the brake and press the "Start/Stop" button on the centre console and the unit burbles into life. Prod the accelerator and a roar develops under the hood.

No time to hang around, the clock was ticking down and it really was a race against time to get in everything we needed to film. So we headed straight to the nearest empty roads and floored the thing. And we then instantly realised that traction was the primary issue. There really is a lot of power and given that the Gaydon roads were slightly damp after a winter downpour, this made for some rear wheel slips and subsequent adrenaline surges for your author.

Ferocious. Snarling. Fierce. Just some of the words I'm able to use to sum up the XKR-S. And unfortunately our time was cut short, but the opportunity to drive this special bit of metal and my first proper supercar was too much fun to warrant a complaint. But before I had time to catch my breath...

Old school with the XJ220

I was treated to a fine sight. Not one, but two vehicles dating from the 1990's. An XJ220 and XJ220 Sport. To guide me through the experience we spoke to Don Law who is an official Jaguar XJ220 specialist and restorer. From a pure aesthetic view, these cars are the real deal. Sitting low to the ground, the XJ220 at its time was one of the fastest cars going and featured in many landspeed records.

One of the record holders, Andy Wallace, was on hand to give me one very special passenger experience. Riding shotgun and sitting in front this time of a twin-turbo V6, the first things to spring to mind were the sensations; namely the smell of petrol, the loud noise coming from the running motor and the vibrations.

Andy crept out of JLR's gate and headed for their top-secret test track which unfortunately we weren't allowed to film - this is also where Aston Martin test vehicles like their special One-77. Upon passing security measure after security measure and talking to Andy about his racing history, it was time to witness pure, unadulterated acceleration.

Boom. Straight in the back of the seat and my head was pinned to the headrest. The numbers whizzed by; 50, 75, 100, 125 miles per hour. The multi-mile straight continued to stretch into the distance and the noise from the V6 twin-turbo started to eventually become drowned out by the huge amounts of wind roar; 150, 175 miles per hour. When I last looked, we had just crossed the 180mph threshold and a large grin was plastered across my face. The windscreen wipers too were completely lifted from the windshield - finesse it may not have, but star power it does.

After completing the lap, Andy drove me back to the Heritage Motor Centre and it took all of my strength not to stumble out of the car and fall to my knees as a result of the adrenaline build up. But my, what a rush.

That's a wrap

Such a fantastic day ended with a brief off-roading stint on Land Rover's special track in a TDV8. Another amazing experience but alas, not enough time in the day to properly savour it or the car. A massive thankyou must be sent to Jaguar and Land Rover UK who kindly allowed us to sample some of their finest creations. Sure their 2011 sales figures may not demonstrate the excitement that I've been harping on about (possibly incoherently), but with the arrival of their shorter wheelbase 3 Series competitor, and the continued success of the Evoque, JLR will certainly not be in any trouble for the foreseeable future.

Jaguar's XF, XK, XKR-S and XJ220. Certainly not one of the worst days I've had at work.

Jaguar Experience Day in Gaydon: Full Gallery