A little less than two weeks ago, Matt Hardigree over at Jalopnik was lucky enough to have an XF Sportbrake to drive. This car is not sold in the U.S. which means that Hardigee must possess Mr. Bean-levels of luck in borrowing the sportbrake from Jaguar USA. Apparently it’s here for emissions testing which seems a bit unnecessary (why can’t the testing be done in the U.K.?) but we’re not quibbling.
In a rather spirited review for his publication that we can’t recommend because of its use of language, Hardigee goes beyond the baring of his soul in expressing his ardor for the XF ‘Brake—Hardigee bares his bone marrow, his sinewy tendons that bind muscle to skeleton and control the digits he used to type his Nicholas Cage-rapture at having such an historic vehicle to drive (Cage is starring in an adaptation of Left Behind).
This is to say that, as an auto writer, Hardigee loves station wagons. He writes:
“The XF Sportbake in my possession — the only one in the entire country — is not brown, but it is diesel and it is a wagon and it is basically the most perfect thing I can imagine. I don’t even care it doesn’t have a manual. You know why auto writers love these things? Because they’re … awesome and we drive everything. We know better. I know better… and I know how good this thing is.”
Has any man ever made a more candid profession of his feelings? A case could be made for Don Quixote perhaps, Cyrano de Bergerac, Jean-Luc Picard, and anyone else who has ever starred in Wishbone. His argument is primarily about beauty instead of horsepower, aesthetics instead of speed, acceleration, or sound, etc., etc., etc. Neither does he focus on handling, braking, comfort, etc., etc., etc. Rather, there is an experience in driving a car that is simply gorgeous that harkens back to the first time people ever saw an automobile ever.
The first time people took in the raised arcs of the Eiffel tower, or the small eyes of children seeing the Statue of Liberty from the Atlantic—these examples are a tad dramatic, admittedly, but some things that automakers create ascend to a higher level than a receptacle for some child’s Cheerios. Some things are full of exaltation.
If you like the XF Sportbrake, share our post about this on Facebook, or retweet us on Twitter. With enough luck we might get one of our own.