Jaguar XFR: Fiery feline

Jaguar's got the right idea lately. The Coventry company has had us swoon over its new styling (especially with the ravishing modern interpretation of the XJ) and the chassis underpinning the XK coupé and XF saloon isn't a bad piece of work either. It may not be as tight as BMW's E60 and E63 chassis - 5 Series and 6 Series - but it's still always been begging for more power than you get from the lesser 3.0-litre V6 and normally-aspirated V8.

That's where a supercharger comes in, ready to exploit any faults that may be hiding in the XF's chassis - which so far seems perfectly tuned for comfort. So how well does it handle 503 horses?

The newly-launched XFR gets a 5.0-litre V8, supercharged for good measure. Sure, 503bhp is great, and it would've put Jaguar on the top tier of super-saloon horsepower wars a decade ago, but today it comes under the ageing BMW M5 by four horses on total output. And anyway, a new 5er is on the way and it should have over 550bhp that you find in the X5M and X6M with the twin-turbocharged 4.4-litre V8.

As for the rest, they all tower over the Jag. The Goliath is the Audi RS6, which tops the XFR with almost 70bhp thanks to a mega V10 with two turbos, while America's effort is headed by the Cadillac CTS-V and its 556 horses. How does it do it? Displacement, displacement, displacement; the Caddy weighs in with a 6.2-litre engine. Then of course there is the new (but not yet in the UAE) Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG, with just as cavernous cylinders as those of the Caddy, but worth about 30bhp less.

So really, the Jag is the least powerful of the new-age super-saloons. And it doesn't even care. Because when you look as good as this - come on, everybody knows it - you don't need brains. Or power, in this case. You just charm your way to the top. And the Jag's got me charmed in every possible way. Obviously, the XF looks hot to start with, and to make it an R, Jag's just added 20in wheels with "Supercharged" etched on them, a new bumper with huge grilles, quad exhaust pipes and a vented bonnet with more etching. No harm done; it looks every ounce the classy and mature Jag it is, but with a performance enhancing pill in the top pocket. And to pop it, just step on the big pedal.

The big cat starts squirming and rocketing up the road as if it's target-locked on a yummy, overweight prairie rabbit. It really does behave a bit like a jaguar on pull off. The rear end squats over the rear tyres as they initially scramble for grip with the traction control off (it's never actually all the way off, in fact, it's one of the most intrusive systems ever) and a moment later when the rubber settles, the car leaps forward with a lunge and then immediately settles into linear, smooth progress. Zero to 100kph takes 4.9 seconds and it feels quicker with those deep notes coming out of the engine. Yet, it is slower than all its rivals: the 'old' M5 beats it by almost half a second, so does the RS6 and E63, and the Yank can knock a second off that time.

But nothing can touch the XFR on ride and composure. The suspension is beautifully set-up to even out the most neglected roads and the perfect steering wheel (multi-function with shift paddles on the column, so they move with the wheel) feels well balanced in terms of its weight; good enough for the parking lot and the aggressive drive through an empty mountain pass. It's clear that Jaguar was focussed on making the XFR schizophrenic. It's calm and serene one minute, cossetting you with its special R leather and Bowers & Wilkins 440W surround sound system, and then you wind up all 503bhp and slingshot past in a frenzy. The engine has great power delivery. It's constant and very flat, but the pedals (as in all Jags) are too sensitive for the volcanic power underneath them. Even the brake pedal gives you a false sense of security sometimes and the brakes themselves lock too easily. The accelerator pedal's so overly responsive that it makes pulling off a chore and although you do get used to it, there will always be moments when you'll accidentally lurch forward when you were just trying to ease into traffic.

It does handle well though, but mostly that feeling is down to the precise steering. The back end gets twitchy all too soon despite the nosey electronics. It's just not on par with what its rivals can do to corners, especially the RS6.

But it is a Jag, and it does the cool cat thing better than anything. Think of it as a poor man's Rolls Royce and you'll get the right idea. The power is there, sure, but that's not its real intention. Instead of being all clever and high and mighty, like its rivals who can give you all the power you want in an instant, the Jag will win you over simply because it's a bit of a tease. And you know you like it like that.