Jaguar's XJ had been in an endless circle of reinterpretation and homage since the original one was launched by the venerable Sir William Lyons in 1968 - but the problem with reinterpretation and homage is that it's so close to pastiche.
It got to the stage where Jaguar launched the last generation XJ and no-one could tell, because it looked exactly the same. And this was despite its revolutionary aluminium architecture and great drive. With the current XJ, Jaguar didn't reinterpret the car, they reimagined it, put it in its modern context, and came up with a much bolder, more exciting design for the 21st century.
It was born into a segment filled to the brim with overachievers used to success - the Audi A8, Mercedes S Class, BMW 7 Series, all the way up to Bentleys and Porsches and Maseratis - but more than holds its own.
Parts of the styling might take a little while to grow on you, but the overall effect of the XJ is that of stunning elegance and a veiled aggression. Inside, the car is class-leading, with bags of space, excellent passive lighting and an innovative TFT instrument panel behind the steering wheel. The thoughtful use of materials inside the cabin that Jaguar started with the XF continues here.
You feel cocooned inside the XJ, which isn't to say claustrophobic. Rear legroom is impressive, especially in the long wheelbase version of the car, which is all a company big cheese could ask for. Even the boot has plenty of space, where previous XJs didn't have space for much more than the golf clubs and a slim briefcase.
The 5.0-litre supercharged petrol engine provides mildly bonkers performance if you're after that, but our choice in the XJ range would be the 3.0-litre diesel unit. It is both smooth and full of punch and best of all, almost inaudible. In this sort of refined package the engine should be felt and not heard.
On the road, the XJ is driver-focused in a way that no other car in its class is. Steering is direct and engaging, the car surprisingly eager to turn into a corner. The car has a Jekyll and Hyde ability to transfer its whole personality from wafting luxury to hammering pace at the drop of a pedal. The ride's sporting emphasis might be too much for some, however. Even so, the XJ remains a brilliant car.