Automotive Einstein

“All politics is local.” So Congressman Thomas P. “Tip” O’Neill, the late Democratic power broker, once famously observed. Although the legendary New England buttonholer’s succinct aphorism originally concerned an election he’d lost in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in the 1930s, his words continue to resonate. As they did recently when I set off by Jaguar XJ from a rock-music festival in Latvia to catch up with Toomas Hendrik Ilves, president of Estonia, the smallest, most northern, and most thriving of the three former Soviet republics on the Baltic Sea. Ilves and I once had a political connection, and while it had been some time ago, it was very local. How’s that?

Photo Gallery: Through the Baltic States in a 2011 Jaguar XJ – Automobile Magazine

Photo Gallery: Through the Baltic States in a 2011 Jaguar XJ – Automobile Magazine

From previous experience, I know the Jaguar XJ to be dynamically astounding, but unfortunately I wasn’t able to fully enjoy its performance prowess due to the buckets of rain that fell during my time with the car. These conditions, however, did not prevent me from appreciating the big Jag’s lovely interior and abundance of luxury features.

Photo Gallery: 2012 Jaguar XJL Supersport – Editors’ Notebook – Automobile Magazine

Photo Gallery: 2012 Jaguar XJL Supersport – Editors’ Notebook – Automobile Magazine

If the only thing that kept you from placing an order for the hot 2012 Jaguar XKR-S was the fact it was offered only in hardtop form, you now have reason to fire a thank-you note off to the folks in Coventry. The automaker announced it will build a handful of 2012 XKR-S Convertibles, the first of which will be shown this week at the 2011 Los Angeles auto show.

Photo Gallery: First Look: 2012 Jaguar XKR-S Convertible – Automobile Magazine

Photo Gallery: First Look: 2012 Jaguar XKR-S Convertible – Automobile Magazine

The XF may be the most engaging offering in a segment overflowing with excellent choices. It starts with a throaty V-8, which comes in three basic flavors best summed up as fast (385 hp), faster (470 hp), and “ohmigosh” fast (510 hp). Even in its brawniest R guise, however, the XF remains refined and luxurious thanks to its sublime ride as well as its plush, modern interior. In any form, it steers and handles like a much smaller car, and yet it rides better than many of its competitors. But as enthralling as this car is to drive, the XF falls short in some areas. Finicky controls, a frustrating infotainment system, and less-than-perfect quality marred our yearlong test of an XF back in 2009. Jaguar says it has since fixed the car’s early teething issues, namely, by strengthening the failure-prone rear differential. A 2012 update addresses some of our other complaints. We’ve not yet had a chance to see if the revised touch-screen interface is quicker, but the additional physical buttons mean you no longer have to sift through several on-screen menus to turn on your seat heater. The exterior, which had looked a bit timid and generic, now wears a face similar to that of the larger XJ, and the racy XFR enjoys more visual distinction.

The XJ broke with its staid tradition last year and rocked the luxury sedan establishment with its first radical redesign in more than four decades. Jaguar design chief Ian Callum banished virtually all traces of familiarity, including the iconic four round headlights, in favor of unusual cues like blacked-out C-pillars and a blunt snout for a grille. The new styling turns off some but makes a much stronger statement than the old design. The spirit of Sir William Lyons survives inside, where warm leather and generous wood trim soften futuristic bits like the rotary shifter and color screens that replace traditional gauges. The navigation and infotainment system includes HD Radio and satellite radio and features two USB ports. However, it lacks cutting-edge features such as Google Maps and in-car internet. The XJ shares its line of 5.0-liter V-8 engines with the XF. The Supersport tops the range with the supercharged 510-hp V-8 as well as a leather headliner and laser-engraved veneers. It can be purchased only by custom order. The long-wheelbase version adds an extra five inches of legroom and can be had in any trim level. Even with the base engine, the XJ bursts away from stoplights and threads through corners with the agility of a sports car. Much of the credit goes to the relatively light aluminum structure that, Jaguar claims, saves 300 pounds versus conventional steel. But the car has also been tuned in a way that borders on magical, from its precise, almost delicate steering to the perfect ride-and-handling balance achieved by its active dampers.

Amid dramatic changes in the Jaguar lineup, the traditional-looking XK offers the clearest link to the brand’s past. Its sonorous 5.0-liter V-8 engine, available with power outputs ranging from 385 to a mind-blowing 550 hp, responds instantly to the tap of the gas pedal, with much of the credit going to the six-speed automatic transmission, which reacts almost as if it could read the driver’s mind. Although the XK’s styling harks back to the 1998 XK8, the car has benefited from several recent updates. Last year it received a line of direct-injection V-8 engines. At that time the interior was restyled to more closely match the newer XF and XJ, replacing the controversial J-gate shifter with the new, also controversial, rotary shifter. The front and rear fascias, updated last year, evolve further this year with a more aggressive lower grille and slimmer headlights that resemble Jaguar’s recent sports car concepts. The new-for-2012 XJR-S is the most powerful Jaguar you can buy, and it handily outguns the likes of the Porsche 911 Turbo S. But the XK, regardless of trim, is not as sharp as the best sports cars and, in convertible form, doesn’t always feel rigid enough. Like the sporting Jags of old, though, the XK expertly blends brutal performance with a helping of refinement. Pretty soon it will lose its monopoly on Jaguar sports car enthusiasts. A less expensive two-door based on the 2011 Frankfurt motor show’s C-X16 will arrive sometime in 2013, and a production version of the wild C-X75 — sans turbine power — is on the way.

Jaguar will use the Los Angeles auto show to unveil two new options packages for the XJ luxury sedan: the Sport appearance package, and the Speed performance package.

Photo Gallery: First Look: 2012 Jaguar XJ Speed and Sport Packages – Automobile Magazine