In a market segment that thrives on the newest, latest, and greatest, the Jaguar Vanden Plas soldiers along with a basic body shape that dates to the 1970s.  It doesn’t quite reach the extremely high luxo-technology bar set by the Lexus LS430 and Mercedes S500, nor can it match the performance available from a BMW M5 or Mercedes E55 AMG.  Yet it costs more than any of them.  Are we missing something here?

By virtue of longevity, the XJ sedan is Jaguar’s signature car.  Although it’s not the most technologically advanced car in the lineup, and not the most modern by a long shot, the XJ’s ultra-luxury Vanden Plas model is the most recognizable, thanks to a basic design that dates to about 1975.  The Vanden Plas was updated to its current guise in 1998, incorporating many classic Jaguar cues that had been lost during the Eighties.  The car was all-new, but retained the now-classic, low-slung body shell.  For 2001 the big Jag gets heated front and rear seats as standard equipment and new 17″ alloy wheels.  Does it match up to the technology and performance leaders of the large luxury class?  Nope.  But the Jaguar offers something that neither Lexus nor Mercedes nor BMW can:  an unmistakably British atmosphere.

There’s just no mistaking the XJ for anything but a Jaguar.  Quad round headlights flank a vertical-barred chrome grille, and if there were any doubts as to the car’s heritage, the chrome “leaper” cat which serves as a hood ornament easily banishes them.  The Vanden Plas has a long, low stance, as Jaguars should, and the rear doors are longer than the fronts.  The car seems to taper all the way to the rear; a long, low trunk is surprisingly roomy.

The Vanden Plas holds a place in the luxury car market that’s similar to that of Rolls-Royce, in that it seems to have been designed to be most pleasurable from the back seat.  Those lengthy rear doors hint at the ample legroom to be had.  Reading lights, wooden writing desks, a large wood console, and plush carpeting also give the rear of the car the feel of a smoking room on wheels.  By contrast, the driver’s seat is a bit cramped, thanks to a huge center console.  The many-buttoned central pod which houses controls for the climate control, sound system, and optional satellite navigation system takes quite a bit of getting used to.  Amenities are plentiful; rain-sensing wipers, heated seats all around, and a 320-watt sound system are all standard equipment.  But apart from the cool view down that long, sculpted hood that the driver gets, it’s somewhat more fun to be driven in a Vanden Plas than it is to drive one.

Not that the drive itself is an exercise in misery; quite the opposite.  Jaguar’s supercharged 4.0 liter, 32-valve V8 is nothing short of amazing.  370 horsepower is the end result of all that growling under the hood.  The tall-geared five-speed transmission handles the power with phenomenal smoothness, and at seventy miles per hour the wave of power is just getting started.  The punch is even more surprising with the knowledge that the Vanden Plas Supercharged isn’t the fastest XJ; that honor goes (by a tenth of a second) to the XJR, a slightly less civilized, more race-bred beast.  And it boggles the mind to think that the with a 0-60 time of 5.4 seconds, the XJR isn’t even the fastest luxury car out there.

Hiding behind those big wheels is a fully independent double wishbone suspension which preserves Jaguar’s well-known silky ride.  It keeps the Vanden Plas in line, absorbing enough road noise to keep the “smoking room” feel intact, but large road humps upset the Vanden Plas terribly.  We bounded over a few irregularities that were sufficient to annoy the Computer Active Technology Suspension (CATS), intended to keep the powerful Vanden Plas Supercharged discreet, into setting off the traction control.  The car regained its composure quickly, but supposedly lesser luxury sedans were not as upset by the same bumps.  Antilock brakes are standard, of course, and the Vanden Plas stops with race car-like authority despite its weight of over two tons.

So…what do you pay for that unmistakable Jaguar atmosphere?  Unfortunately, as they say, if you have to ask…  Our top-of-the line Vanden Plas Supercharged test car stickered for $83,950.  And that’s the base price.  Ouch.  All of the equipment mentioned is included, of course, but it’s still stratospheric.  Thankfully, a normally aspirated XJ8 can be had for $56,355.  It still seems a bit much.  The “Jaguarness” is a wonderful thing, but it’s also available in spades in the $45,000, better-handling S-Type.

Specifications:
All specs are for the 2001 Jaguar XJ Vanden Plas Supercharged, which we tested.
Length:     202.7 in.
Width:        81.7 in.
Height:        53.2 in.
Wheelbase:    117.9 in.
Curb weight:    4079 lb.
Cargo space:    12.7 cu.ft.
Base price:        $83,355
Price as tested:     $83,950
Engine:     4.0 liter 32-valve supercharged V8
Drivetrain:     five speed automatic, rear wheel drive
Horsepower:     370 @ 6150
Torque:     387 @ 3600
Fuel capacity:    23.1 gal.
Est. mileage:    16/22