This new cat's got the cream

By ALASTAIR SLOANE

A sealed road snaking between Taupo and Te Awamutu was made for the Jaguar S-Type R, the lickety-split supercharged saloon we shall call the "Big Easy".

So, we've pinched the nickname of golfer Ernie Els. So what? It suits the Jaguar perfectly, just as it does Els' countenance: relaxed, poised and harnessing great power.

The King Country road is similar to a British back road, where the Coventry carmaker has been known to hone its wickedly quick models.

There are tight corners which open on to straights. Sweepers left and right, downhill, uphill and on the flat. The surface is pretty much as good as it gets.

The Jaguar ate up the road in great chunks. It hunkered down with grace and grip through corners and catapulted itself towards the next bend, the ride remaining civilised and comfortable.

It largely ignored broken bits of road, seemingly tippy-toeing over them at speed like a Disney cartoon car.

The only time it appeared marginally unsettled was over closely spaced undulations, where it appeared under-damped in front.

But who cares? The marriage between the adaptive ZF six-speed manual/automatic transmission and a boosted 298kW 4.2-litre V8 - a stroked version of the 4-litre V8 - makes for one of the best drivetrains around.

Performance is what the "R" is all about, even though it is delightfully docile at 100km/h at 1500rpm. The twin-intercooled Eaton supercharger whistles up outrageous power above 3000rpm and the transmission easily lives with it, programming seamless shifts manually and automatically up and down the rev range.

The $178,000 "R" is distinguished by its mesh grille, among other things. It comes in for special treatment befitting the badge, with a strengthened body, upgraded brakes, modified front and rear suspension and electronically controlled dampers. Inside it gets a redesigned dashboard and new leather sports seats.

Driven sensibly it is a delight, one of a handful of serious tourers - one you'd want to drive forever. Driven carelessly, it's a Monopoly car, as in "go directly to jail".