Jag V6 is a kitty with sharp claws

I want one - but I will need a good win on the Lotto... or a rich uncle to pop his clogs.

It was one of the strongest non-supercar ownership desires I have felt for a long time and the more time I spent with this sleek and elegant wild cat-mobile, the more I fell for its charms.

Just looking at it made me want to stroke and hug it. Whenever I drove it, I sang out loud. For a week I was a spotty teenager again, hopelessly in love, this time round not with the girl in red shorts next door, but with a chunk of gleaming powdery blue metal that purred and roared with exceptional charm.

Oh Yes! Dr No!

The magic of the XJ 3.0 V6 Supercharged Premium Luxury begins with its looks. Beautifully shaped right from the tip of its prominent mesh grille it provides an eye-fest of double-lined sloping bonnet, racing alloys wrapped in 20-inch high-speed, low-profile rubber, tapering coupe-like roofline, chrome leaping cat badge on its cubed boot lid and twin bazooka-sized chrome exhaust outlets.

The supercharged V6 engine is the newest addition to the local Jaguar range and it shares many of its technologies with the leaping cat’s award-winning 5.0-litre V8.

click to enlarge

Taking in the XJ for the first time was like re-watching that iconic moment in pop culture history when Ursula Andress walked out of the sea wearing THAT clinging white bikini in the Dr No movie...

Like all Jaguars over time, the interior of the XJ is pure all-leather, air-cooled, wall-to-wall refined luxury. Bigger, brighter and much more high tech that Jags of old, some might find it a touch garish, but the connected New Worlders will love it, for they have no memories of cravats, jackets with leather patches, driving caps, gloves with string backs and driveways stained by leaking Jaguar oil.

Now where's that gear knob... ah, there it is...

They will love the shiny silver dial surrounds, subdued lighting, gear knob that rises from the central console when you press the ignition button and the multi-info and connectivity options easily accessible via a touch screen.

The instrumentation is clear and classy.

click to enlarge

But what young professional high-earners (plus the old-timers with fond memories of good old Jag days) will probably like best of all, even if they have just the merest hint of high octane fuel in their veins, is the fun and excitement this Jaguar brings when you ignite its sophisticated supercharged engine and all of its 250kW/450Nm comes on stream.

Dignified, but with more than a hint of feline fury

Tickle the accelerator and the large saloon purrs along sedately and very dignified in the confined spaces of the city. Load it with luggage and four adults and it becomes a comfortable cruiser, happy to swallow up long stretches of inter-city tar with its occupants wrapped in Platinum Class comfort and luxury.

Wall-to-wall luxury.

click to enlarge

But, if the red mist comes down and the driver grows little devil horns sharp enough for him to floor the fun pedal, everything changes quite dramatically. Suddenly the gently purring kitty-cat becomes a snarling, hissing scalded cat that will claw its way from standstill to 100km/h in 5.9 seconds which is about the same as the Porsche Panamera 4 PDK and other main competitors such as the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, BMW 7-Series, Audi A8 and Lexus LS will clock.

A smooth, virtually seamless output

The supercharged V6 engine is the newest addition to the local Jaguar range and it shares many of its technologies with the leaping cat's award-winning 5.0-litre V8. It delivers a smooth, virtually seamless output and works in smooth harmony with an ultra-slick and quick eight-speed automatic transmission. The auto is also easily converted into manual by flicking the settings to S for Sport and then flicking the flappies on the steering wheel. Either way, the cog swapping happens lightning fast and the only time I really preferred the do-it-myself option was when down gearing on twisty sections.

What a fancy pair of bazookas.

I have to confess though, I played around in manual mode mainly for the goose-flesh aural buzz provided by the roar and grumble the engine and exhausts emit.

The only sad thing about the XJ is that average Joes like me will never be able to raise a high enough stack of printed paper to persuade a Jaguar sales-person to part with the car's key and ownership documents...

Even a Lottery win should have to be substantial to justify an outlay of R1,050,400 for the pleasure of owning this car. So all I can do is enjoy the memories of a brief encounter and stare at my computer screen-saver, which is a photo-shopped combination of Ursula and the XJ...