You are never expected to drive the Jaguar XJL Ultimate. That's for your driver to worry about.
Once you grasp that concept you can sit back and enjoy the sheer luxury of the latest top of the range Jaguar from the rear seat as the world flies past the window.
Not content with already having a pretty impressive top of the range model, Jaguar has decided to up the ante and create the Ultimate, an even better top of the range Jag than the one before it. Feeling the urge to quaff a glass of champagne, Pocket-lint was the first in the UK to borrow one, complete with suited driver, for the morning to see if it really is worth the price.
The car comes in two options, a standard XJ Ultimate model or the long-wheel based version. We got the XJL and the one with the incredibly powerful 5.0-litre V8 supercharged petrol engine. There is a more conservative 3.0-litre V6 turbocharged diesel as well, but hey, if you're investing in a car like this you aren't really going to be fussed with fuel consumption. Needless to say the V8 had absolutely no issues getting us out of trouble when we needed it and as our driver told us: "You need power to get out of a situation, not to put yourself in one". Wise words.
Beyond the bonnet the car offers a beautiful line that exudes the prowess that we've come to expect from Jaguar. In London, heads turned.
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At the two luxury hotels we stopped at (Coworth Park in Ascot and the W in Leicester Square) both sets of doormen where keen to rush to open our door. That's not something you can guarantee with an all too common Aston Martin for example.
The dramatic styling is accompanied by 20-inch Maroa forged alloy wheels, and don't worry there is a badge that tells people this is top of the range.
You are definitively making a statement here, and it is not a bad one.
That kudos and cool value quickly seeps inside the moment the rear passenger door is opened for you, from the 15-channel, 20 speaker surround sound system by Meridian spotted on the door, to the central console that dominates the interior.
It is the console that is the start of your luxury experience. It houses your champagne glasses, a work table, a host of connectors for your gadgets, the remote control for the entertainment system, and numerous buttons for the air conditioning, seat settings, and the chilled champagne cabinet.
The worktable slowly rises into place with the press of a switch before swivelling around into position - it has full 360 degree movement. It is strong enough to support a laptop for working and there is space for your phone or glass next to it as well. It is not without its issues though. It would have been far easier if the button just raised and lowered the table in one swoop rather than you having to hold a switch to do the whole process for example.
While the glasses have a deep enough compartment - that's Paul Smith purple by the way - to store neatly away, the drinks holders don't. If you've got a bottle of water in the hole you won't be able to shut the table. Annoying.
Get beyond the table and you have the joys of the individual air con settings as well as the ability to manage the heat of your seat. Yes, you can have the car determine how warm or cold your bottom should be. There is also a cigarette lighter cum charging socket.
After that and there is another compartment, mainly to store the remote for the entertainment system, as well as various connectors for iPhones, DVD players and the like. Finally there is a hidden compartment that reveals space for a champagne bottle, chilled of course.
Further buttons on the side of the seat let you recline it for longer journeys, set whether you want a massage, and how far you want the passenger seat in front of you moved forward - you can't for the driver understandably. Everything you do your driver can do too if you really can't be fussed with that level of control.
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Directly in front of you you'll find a headrest screen that comes with a built in TV tuner and DVD player and each of the three passengers can watch something different at the same time. To stop the cacophony of noise all the TV sets are supplied with Bluetooth headphones - they sound really good - and the front passenger can also watch TV without the driver seeing thanks to some dual screen magic - he just gets the boring satnav.
Jaguar, understanding you might want to do more than watch episode of Cash In the Attic, has included docking stations for the iPad 3 and the car comes with two as standard alongside a wireless keyboard to make typing even easier. The iPads are constantly charged.
Sadly for us the XJL we had had come straight from the factory and didn't have its assigned iPads, but that didn't stop us slipping our white iPad 3 in instead.
Understanding your privacy there are screens for the side and rear windows, and they are good enough to completely block photographers flashes Jaguar tell us - important if you are someone who gets "papped" a lot.
With so many toys and pleasures to hand it's hard to wonder what more you could ask for.
Of course toys are one thing, what about performance? The car is quiet, but not quiet enough for you to miss the sound of that powerful engine, while the ride is incredibly comfortable. We covered about 40 miles in our test drive from Ascot to the centre of London via the M4 and enjoyed the experience. This is a car that will certainly keep you comfortable on journeys of over 2 hours easily.
While the V8 is a thirsty bugger, Jaguar have included an eco mode that, when in traffic and stopped, cuts out the engine automatically based on whether you've got your foot on the brake - the model we were in was an automatic. While that technology can be found on other cars, its nice that Jaguar have included it here and should save you some money if you are more a city passenger.
As a complete package we like the Jaguar very much indeed. There are plenty of nice little extras that are there to be enjoyed: the chilled champagne cooler, the work table, the iPad dock, and of course the ride.
READ: Jaguar XJ review
For those that do want to drive it themselves, the drivers cockpit is well organised and the full electronic dash easy to read and use as it changes according to the information at hand. Go into sports mode and the dials change to red, at key turns, the clock face becomes the satnav direction. It's all very clever.
Jaguar is very much a company that is embracing tech in a good way, and more than by just giving you an iPhone connector.
Whether you buy a XJL Ultimate or happen to book one for your next ride, one thing is for certain, you'll be beaming when you step out with a sense of excitement that will only rub off on to others.
The Jaguar XJ ranges from 3.0 V6 Diesel Luxury 275PS at £56,260 to a 5.0 V8 S/C Petrol Supersport LWB at £95,235.
The Jaguar XJ Ultimate as featured here costs £121,980.
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