2018 Jaguar XJR575

2018 Jaguar XJR575

- Michael Febbo

Velocity Blue is a shocking and unlikely color for such a large sedan; it also happens to be the only color of 2018 XJR575 Jaguar decided to bring to Portugal for the press launch. It looks amazing, gleaming, and jewel-like in the sun. I’m last in a caravan of supercharged 5.0L V-8-powered monster-limos stuck in traffc surrounded by puttering diesel Seats and Renaults in various shades of metallic-boredom. The entire city block’s worth of transportation appliances don’t add up to the engine displacement, or much less, the horsepower of the three English imports. A gaggle of school kids on the sidewalk gawk and point at the spectacle; twist the rotary shifter to N, boot the throttle, and the exhaust pipes holler and snort then crackle and bark when the throttle body slaps shut. The kids loose their minds jumping and screaming in Portuguese, what I assume roughly translates to “That’s awesome!” and “Do it again!”