It's roomy up front, though there's a little less headroom in the convertible than the coupe. The seats combine comfort and lateral support that's on par with anything offered in the sport-luxury realm.

The rear seats are fabricated from the same excellent materials, but don't expect to have a lot of friends ride back there. Like most cars that characterize themselves as two-plus-two, the XK8's rear seat area is essentially a nicely upholstered parcel shelf. The XK8 has rear seating because Jaguar product planners believe the demand for two-seaters is exactly equal to the market for 8-track cassettes. But whenever we hear that plus-two designation, it invariably makes us wonder: Plus-two what? Jack Russell terriers? Ducks?

Never mind. The XK8 isn't about passenger capacity. It's about fast, elegant motoring, something it delivers with exceptional competence and zeal.