There are cars in this price range that are more agile--the Acura NSX

and Porsche 911 come to mind--but they don't have quite the same elegance

quotient.

There are other cars--BMW's 8-Series coupes, the Lexus SC 400, and the

Mercedes-Benz SL-Class roadsters--that are just as posh, but feel a little

sterile compared to the XK8's uniquely British interpretation of sporting

luxury.

That's the real genius of the XK8. Jaguar has done a masterful job of

meshing the spirit of a legendary past with the high-tech present. Thanks

to its Ford connection, Jaguar approaches the millennial frontier as a

fully contemporary car company capable of competing with the world's best.

And as for all you defrocked Jaguar prophets, there's hope. Employment

opportunities exist for people with your talent in the weather forecasting

business.