Add some R to your S-Type

I first developed Jaguar lust in the 1960s, when I saw wire-wheeled examples of the Mark II 3.8 on the stylish boulevards (of Beirut, Lebanon, of all places).

The Mark II looked good from every angle. The curvy grille and roofline complemented the curvy tail. It was the in car for swinging London, and a favorite getaway vehicle for the city’s oddly fashionable mobsters (the Kray brothers being a perfect example).

The Mark II, which first appeared in 1960, was a decided improvement over the Mark I (1957-60), which introduced the basic shape but suffered from poor drum brakes and a narrow rear track. An altogether more svelte roofline gave the Mark II its good looks, and disc brakes enabled it to stop, though an evil-handling Moss gearbox was a liability. "Rust can quickly become terminal," warns one guidebook, and indeed cancer was the finishing touch of many an elegant wood- and leather-enclosed Mark II.

I never acquired a Mark II of my own, but I did have its larger cousin, the Mark X, for a while. This XJ6 precursor was the size of a small battleship, and had even more clubby ambience than the Mark II. Lovely wooden picnic tables folded out of the seatbacks. It was pretty slow off line, however, even with the E-Type’s 3.8 engine and three SU carbs. "Large, heavy, thirsty and it rusts," said the experts.

The Mark II disappeared in 1968, but the S-Type that debuted in 2000 is its spiritual descendant. The nose is a very close evocation of the Mark II, with its distinctive elliptical grille. Inside there’s wood and leather, but also echoes of the Ford parts bin.

Critics of the S-Type complained that, despite the neat nose, it evoked the Taurus more than anything else. They also complained that it didn’t have enough power.

That all changed with the car I’m now testing, a S-Type R model, which adds supercharging (like the XKR) to the mix. The car now has 400 horsepower on tap and can rocket to 60 miles per hour in 5.3 seconds. (The standard car, with 300 horsepower from 4.2 liters, takes 7.3 seconds.)

I’m not a fan of horsepower for the sake of bragging rights, but the S-Type R delivers exceptional all-around performance in a practical sedan package. It has a decent rear seat, a large trunk and decent amenities (with the exception of incredibly shallow door pockets).

Visual cues to the R model are a tough-looking mesh grille, a rear spoiler and unique wheels with huge racing-derived Brembo brakes visible through their slots. These brakes make the car. While braking was the Achilles heel of earlier Jaguar sports sedans, these anchors pull the S-Type R to a standstill in record time and give confidence in the car’s overall performance.

Also standard on the R model are xenon headlights that automatically adjust with the car’s movements.

The S-Type R may still look a bit like a Taurus, but it’s certainly not priced like one. Prices start at $58,330. You could buy three Tauruses for that and still have some change left over. But you’re playing in this league; the S-Type R can give the BMWs and Audis a run for the money.