The tweak and customized XK still have the looks to variety envy among the proletariat. And, for 2010, it has the commodities under the hood to back up its speedy persona. Replacing the aged, 300-horsepower, 4.2-litre V8 is a new 5.0L V8 that develops a substantial 385 hp, which is enough to imbue the weighty cat (2,080 kilograms) with a decent turn of speed - zero to 100 kilometres an hour takes only 5.5 seconds. Should that not prove quick enough, a supercharged version of the same engine pumps out 510 hp in the XKR version.

While more power is always good in a high-end sports car - the base Portfolio has a suggested retail price of $96,500 - fuel economy is comparable to that of the previous XK despite the significant increase in performance, and emissions are better.

In its fortified form - the Portfolio is only 35 hp in arrears of last year's XKR - the 2+2 can be as docile or as playful as you want, depending on the amount of throttle. It made for a delightful highway cruiser for two (the back seats are close to useless), blending in with the flow of traffic, with just a slight increase in foot pressure needed to get around slower-

moving vehicles. Despite its bulk, the XK's handling dynamics are equal to the engine, well communicating road conditions to the driver and displaying a steady and quick line when tracking through corners and on-ramps.

I'm somewhat bemused by the XK's Jaguar Drive Selector, which rises majestically from the centre console once the engine is started. The rotary knob makes gear selection a cinch, but it seems a tad silly and needlessly complicated after the novelty wears off. A conventional

selector for the six-speed manumatic would do just fine. The counterpoint is that the selector is far more preferable to the accursed J-gate that

afflicted past Jaguar models. And there are paddle shifters for those with the need to play Speed Racer.

Formerly owned by Ford, Jaguar is now under the auspices of Indian automaker Tata. From what I can see, the brand is in good hands. The XK remains quintessentially British and forever desirable.