Jaguar XK

The Jaguar XK is the car that began the turnaround of Jaguar's fortunes. Fabulous to drive, has great street presence and the quality to match more expensive rivals. A Jaguar XKR in the same breath as an Aston Martin Vantage V8? Actually yes. The XK instantly feels more forgiving than its rivals no matter what arena you pick for it. Strangely, even the 20-inch wheels don't destroy the ride. The XK is relatively light at under 1600kg (coupe), so motivation from either the normally aspirated 4.2-litre V8 or the supercharged XKR 4.2 is more than adequate. You lose tenths for the convertible, but with the stock 4.2 hitting 62mph in just 5.9 seconds and on to 155mph and the 'R' sprinting to 62mph in 5.0 dead, you won't lose any face at the traffic lights.

Voted by US News as one of the top super luxury sportscar for 2009. The regal Jaguar XK is a timeless beauty and was once voted as the most beautiful sportscar. It's not too loud and yet a real head turner with class.

The standard luxury fittings surpass her rivals and comes without additional costs.

The ride is superb and handling is very easy. It's a real practical sportscar that you can use daily. A golfbag fits easily into the boot with much space to spare.

Performance is more than adequate for use on our roads. Fuel economy is one of the best for a car of its class.

Really beats the mundane BM 6 series or the elderly Mercedes SL, and with a touch of gentlemanly class above the boy racers from Porsche.