I've never been kicked in the back by a mule wearing moccasins, but I think I've got a pretty good idea how it might feel if I was. You see, I've just spent a week with the Jaguar XJR, all 500lbft of torque and 542bhp of it.

Those figures are enough to propel the big Jag to 62mph in just 4.4 seconds. No mean feat in a car that, by some measures, would be declared clinically obese. And if that's not enough to get your coccyx tingling, then the booming roar of the supercharged V8 should do the trick.

If you're either brave, or stupid, enough to keep your foot to the floor the XJR will hit an electronically limited 174mph.

All that power would be wasted without poise, and the Jag isn't lacking in that department either.

The XJR's steering hydraulics have been re-engineered to provide improved responsiveness while the suspension has been stiffened and the electronic aids remapped.

It provides the XJR with the sort of grip and guile that belies its size. The steering is consistent and the car turns in well despite its mass. There's plenty of information being fed to the driver through the wheel, which weights up nicely as the inputs increase.

The ride is on the firm side, naturally, but it's a fair trade-off for the excellent handling.

The XJR's design is bold, and certainly sets it apart from its rivals, but it's not to everyone's tastes. The black c-pillars, which are meant to make the rear windscreen wrap around the back of the car, can look a little awkward on lighter colours but no one can accuse Jaguar of being conservative.

Front and rear spoilers.,side skirts, quad exhausts and exclusive wheels set the XJR apart from its lesser brethren, but those visual upgrades really only hint at the prodigious performance available.

The interior is swathed in leather with subtle R branding that serves as either a reminder, or a warning while there's plenty of standard kit to keep technophiles happy. There are circular air vents protruding from the dash – gone is the visual drama you get in the XF as the air vents rotate into position – but the drive selector dial still rises from the transmission tunnel.

The touchscreen is, once again, disappointing. In a car that costs north of £90,000 the low-res graphics, cluttered interface and resistive (and it can be, very) touchscreen just isn't good enough. What is particularly disappointing is that it’s not a particularly high cost item but is a crucial part of your experience with the car. Please Jaguar, sort it out!

The only analogue instrument in the cabin is the little clock mounted in the centre of the dashboard. Jaguar have replaced the traditional dials with a digital display. It’s crisp, bright and easy to read but, and I realise this is going to sound hyper critical, there’s so little user customisation that I can’t really see any benefit in replacing the analogue dials.

The front seats are electrically adjustable - including lumbar and lateral support - and very, very comfortable. There’s ample leg and headroom in the back although there is a long wheelbase version if you prefer someone else to do the driving. Rear seat passengers get their own climate controls and there’s a secondary glass panel in the roof – in addition to a more traditional sunroof – to let more natural light into the rear if required.

The boot will swallow 520 litres of your luggage but I don’t imagine that is particularly high on buyers’ list of concerns when considering this car.

The XJR is an amalgamation of very different philosophies. It is a luxurious , comfortable and stylish limousine, but it is also a brutally quick sports car. That Jaguar have managed to combine those two very different characteristics without severely compromising either is a commendable achievement. It’s not perfect, but it is very nearly the perfect blend.

Jaguar XJR

£92,395Price:

£95,850As tested:

5.0-litre V8 superchargedEngine:

542bhpPower:

Eight-speed automatic with Jaguar sequential shiftTransmission:

4.6secAcceleration (0-62mph):

174mph (limited)Maximum speed:

16.7mpgUrban:

32.8mpgExtra-urban:

24.4mpgCombined:

270g/kmEmissions (CO2):

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