The Jaguar XF in itself is a brilliant piece of technological machinery that could serve it up to its peers on any stretch of tarmac but let’s be frank; discreetness isn’t one of its finer attributes.

With premium performance pals like the BMW M5 and Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG to an extent, that exhibit a more demure and discreet persona, the XFR could hardly stick out more like a sore thumb with its hood vents and widened bumper intakes.

Nonetheless, the very cosmetic traits that give discreetness a solid boot out the window could just very well be the quirks that make this premium performance sedan all the more charming.

So it might not come as a surprise that the XFR walked home with a couple of awards at the recently concluded NST-Maybank Car of the Year 2009 awards to go with the slew of other accolades its picked up since its launch. One of the awards however might raise more than just the rev-counter in this supercharged beast as it was in the Limousine segment.

That’s right folks, the XFR made the likes of the BMW 740Li and Maserati Quattroporte eat its smoke.

Awards and praise are not something new to the XF, being able to call well over 30 awards its won since its Frankfurt launch in September 2007. In fact, the XFR is just carrying on the logical step as its garden variety XF brethren had won the Premium Executive Car award at the NST-Maybank Car of the Year 2008 awards.

Carrying the ‘R’ designation is no featherweight bout and the XFR packs more than a sharp right jab to justify the tagging. Under those hood vents breathes the supercharged 5-liter AJ V8 Gen III engine pushing out 510bhp and 625Nm of torque that make the century mark reachable in 4.9seconds.

Reeling in all those angry horses are advanced technologies such as Adaptive Dynamics and Active Differential Control, giving it a fine balance between stately and sporty.

Now with speed trials at the famed Bonneville Salt Flats make this the fastest Jag ever at 363.188km/h, edging out the previous record set by the XJ220 supercar at 349.4km/h, it brings about a very interesting dilemma.

Would you really want to sit in the back when clearly all the fun is to be had in the driver’s seat up front?

In the mean time, enjoy this video of the lightly modded XFR that made it the fastest Jag ever and try not to wet yourself at 0.43seconds as the burble of the supercharged V8 assaults your senses. jaguar xfr at bonneville

text: Dinesh Appavu