Long on luxury: getting stretched in the Jaguar XJ8 LWB

Forget those prom night party-boats— this long-wheelbase edition cat, packing 125mm onto the standard XJ frame, is the civilized way of getting to your fox hunting rally. The car offers all of the amenities (fine leather, DVD system, sliding electric rear seats) of top flight sedans from the other luxury players, but with the particular sophistication and handsomeness (and some might say outright pretension) inherent in a Jaguar. Which is not to say that the car isn't interesting to drive, should Jeeves ever catch the flu; the long body doesn't add much weight and thus does little to counteract the 4.2 liter V8 making 300-hp. It's only on the most twisting back roads that the extra length can be felt. And even though most XJ8 LWB buyers wouldn't sniff twice at a few grand, the Jag does come in at thousands less than similar offerings from Mercedes and Audi. And if 300-hp can't get you to the rally on time, a 400-hp supercharged version is also available.