Jaguars have always been sleek, agile, and downright sensual in many ways. Yet Jag owners often endured a love-hate relationship with their cars due to their infamous undependability. That was Job One when Ford took over. J. D. Power now rates Jaguar as the top European car for dependability.

The 2008 Jaguar XJ comes in three models, and two wheelbases — all with a 4.2-liter, dual-cam V8.

The base model (if you can call it that) is the XJ8, which of course includes a long list of standard luxury amenities and is powered by a 300-horse version of the V8 — which moves it along extremely well. The Vanden Plas is basically the same car with added extra luxury touches such as rugs, not carpets, and softer leather seats among others.

My personal favorite is the 400-horsepower, supercharged, top of the line XJR/Super V8. Our test vehicle was the long wheelbase version. Besides the extra horses and extra room, it boasts a firmer suspension, larger Brembo brakes, and bigger wheels and tires.

Walkaround: Some automakers try to re-invent their “look” every so often. Jaguar hasn’t followed that crowd instead opting for evolving changes that are always subtle. Current styling cues are seemingly taken more from the X-Type than the previous XJ, but there’s no mistaking this for anything but a Jag.

The “Leaper,” as the hood ornament is known, sits proudly as Jaguar’s signature curves flow behind it from the top edges of the four smallish, round headlamps.

From the rear, traditional taillight clusters are utilized, while the higher deck lid — again similar to the X-Type — reveals a large trunk.

The side view previews a roofline that proportionality dictates a higher belt line. Design trends favor higher beltlines in part because people feel safer with taller doors. While this often makes side windows smaller, the Jag’s aren’t, with the raked windshield adding a sense of openness.

After two decades of minimalist monotone design, chrome has made a comeback — and The XJR is no exception — boasting Jaguar’s signature R-version mesh grille, with black window surrounds and big chrome door handles.

The XJ long wheelbase version adds 6.4 inches. The 20-inch front wheels are also positioned further towards the corners than before. Coupled with the subtle way the belt line inches up as it moves rearward, the car has a crouched, feline look — and magically appears either ready to pounce, or in fluid motion — both while standing still.

Interior: Inside, as anyone familiar with Jags will attest, luxurious leather and real walnut burl veneer abound, with little or no plastic. The combination of the look, feel, and smell is a mainstay of the car’s overall character and part of what makes it a Jaguar.

Instrumentation consists of a three analog gauge cluster illuminated in traditional Jaguar green. The center console houses a 7-inch LCD touch screen to manage the audio, climate, and optional navigation functions — or you can use voice commands.

Rear passengers in the long wheelbase version have significantly more room than in previous XJ8s, with a choice of a fixed-bench three-passenger rear seat. An optional rear bench has two outside seats that recline.

Also available are adjustable foot pedals that can be moved at the touch of a switch. Working in conjunction with the 12 or 16-way adjustable front seat, any size driver should find a comfortable driving position.

Under The Hood: The powerful 4.2-liter supercharged V8 is coupled with a six-speed ZF automatic transmission. It features a J-gate that allows you to manually shift gears if you want, but there’s enough power and the computer-controlled gearbox does such a good job that shifting manually is pretty unnecessary.

Behind The Wheel: In my view, the Jaguar experience is as much about performance as luxury. The 400-horse XJR explodes from 0 to 60 in a mere 5 seconds — very quick for a car this size — and hits its rev limiter at 155 mph.

“Drivers” know that a lighter car is nicer to drive and that although comfort and lots of features are expected in a luxury sedan, they add weight. Although larger than before, this car doesn’t look, feel, or drive bigger. Jaguar’s aluminum body weighs 400 pounds less, but is 60-percent stiffer than the steel it replaced. The sophisticated suspension has parts made of magnesium. The combination of extra rigidity coupled with the absence of weight delivers a smooth ride, superb handling and impressively firm grip on the road.

The XJ is one of the quietest, smoothest cars I’ve ever driven. At 25, or 100+ mph — as I found out unintentionally several times — there’s almost no concept of speed.

The power steering is precise without being heavy, taking the XJ where it’s aimed. Put this big car into a tight corner at speed on a narrow winding blacktop and it tenaciously hugs the road like the cat it’s named for thanks to the double-wishbone suspension and Jaguar’s Computer Active Technology Suspension (CATS). I found this car very stable and predictable on a variety of different roads and surfaces.

Whines: As much as I love this car, at $94,000+ as tested, I can’t afford it.

Bottom Line: The pure essence of Jaguar just oozes from the XJ. This is one of the most beautifully styled cars ever to grace the road. It’s bigger, delivers increased performance, improved handling, better fuel economy, and more interior space — with no trade-offs. The awesome XJR/Super V8 is a pure luxury performance sedan delivering wildly exhilarating sports car performance and handling. Based on performance — and my own personal sense of style — I’d own the XJR before any other car in this market segment.