With 23mpg, group 20 insurance and heavy depreciation, the XFR’s high running costs shouldn’t really come as a surprise. Costs are comparable with other cars that straddle the gap between family saloon and supercar, such as the BMW M5 and Audi RS6, but owners must be prepared for big bills on all expenditure, from road tax to tyres.

The XFR emits 292g/km of CO2, returns 23mpg and is in the highest road tax band. Although being a world away from being green, the XFR is the result of some significant improvements to the efficiency of high performance engines. The 5.0-litre in this car is cleaner than similar cars from other manufacturers and is the first car with a 500bhp engine that emits less than 300g/km.

As a comparison, the BMW M5 emits 357g/km of CO2 and returns only 20mpg.

The XF went on sale in early 2007 and has already established a reputation for quality. Jaguar as a brand continues to perform strongly in reliability surveys on both sides of the Atlantic and although the XFR introduces some new technology, it should perform just as strongly.