The Ford Premier Automotive Group was once a form of corporate high school which step-brothers Jaguar and Aston Martin attended. The latter firm was the big man on campus who got the cool 12-cylinder engines, dramatic styling and flagship position in the blue oval’s brand portfolio. It was also its parents’ unofficial favorite child. Jaguar wasn’t allowed to outshine Aston Martin in terms of prestige or horsepower.
Now owned by Tata, the leaping cat brand is in the equivalent of college. It’s now free to establish its own identity and have the spotlight solely on its accomplishments. Most importantly, Jaguar can fully bare its performance claws. And it certainly has. Even the mid-size XF sedan can be stuffed with a supercharged 5.0-liter V8 that puts out an XJ220-beating 550 horsepower.
That same motor is the beating heart of the biggest aluminum kitty of all – the XJR L. Compared to the previous feline flagship, the discontinued XJ Supersport, it has 40 more horsepower and 41 more pound-feet (502). Springs and dampers are 30 percent stiffer than those in more domesticated XJs. The executive-class cat also gets steering and electronic differential tweaks in keeping with the ECU-enabled power hikes.
It seems the XJR L has become quite the athlete. Car and Driver showed its support by taking the “responsive and nimble” sedan to Seattle’s Ridge Motorsports Park. “With steering that was weighty and immediate and brakes that placed uncommon strain on optic nerves, it became obvious the chassis was developed with track use in mind.” Its 3.9-second zero to 60 time doesn’t beat the all-wheel-drive Audi S8’s, but it does trump those of the BMW 760 Li and the last-generation Mercedes-Benz S63 AMG.
Ultimately, the XJR’s less-than-smooth ride quality takes it out of the magazine’s hypothetical running for a cross-country trip over bumpy pavement. Its fidgety steering and occasionally clumsy eight-speed auto also get low marks. “But if we could pick the route and maybe find a few side roads with which to exercise this car’s charms, we’d be leaning toward the Jag.”
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
