Motoring: New Jaguar XJ Unveiled [the new big cat]

The all-new Jaguar XJ flagship was recently unveiled in London by Elle Macpherson and bona fide petrolhead Jay Leno. In addition, over 600 guests, including designers, architects, key motoring figures and celebrities were invited.

The XJ, as you can clearly see, has been completely redesigned and it looks totally different from the model it replaces, and it marks a new era in Jaguar's long and storied history. It shares some design cues with the XF, but it looks decidedly more brutish and muscular. Personally, I think the rear looks "Bentley-ish". Overall, I think the XF is the better looking car.

The platform of the XJ is all new and is uses more aluminum bits. The XJ will be available in three variants, with the base model coming in with 5.0-liter V8 engine producing 385hp. In the middle, you'll find a supercharged variant producing 470hp and the range-topping version (possibly the XJR) will also be using the same supercharged engine, but it'll be putting out a massive 510hp, good for a 0-60 time of under 5 seconds.

Inside, the XJ is all futuristic-sticky. The new "virtual instrument" dashboard deserves the most attention, as it does away with physical meters and instead opts for digital readouts, which are customizable. This is much welcome feature as I think it's about time car makers start offering drivers dashboards which are customizable. I mean, what if I really want a blue tacho today instead of a red one? This shouldn't be a problem given today's technological advances.

Prices have yet to be confirmed, but you should expect to see the first XJ on public roads next year.

On an entirely separate note, despite being 46 years of age, Elle Macpherson still looks pretty hot, don't you think?

First seen @ Autoblog