Many associate grand saloons with high-profile executives who close deals from the comfort of their cars’ sumptuous seats, but Jaguar’s Concept Eight simply flaunts luxury for luxury’s sake.
By contrast with other special-specification German grand saloons, there are no laptop computers, satellite links and plasma screens in the Concept Eight. This car, based on a long wheelbase version of the Jaguar XJ saloon, has a broad, single-piece, glass roof and is understated, yet undeniably glamorous… The Concept Eight is for those well-heeled motorists whose lives revolve around an “eight ‘til late” and not just an “eight to five” routine.
Jaguar claims that its XJ long wheelbase structure is the longest wheelbase in its class and the Concept Eight is a showcase of new luxury elements, in-car entertainment technology, and new performance styling cues.
The Concept Eight uses “the most contemporary materials and trim to create an environment that is unlike any other luxury saloon,” Julian Thomson, Jaguar Cars’ chief of advanced design, said this week.
Inside the car awaits a world of inch-deep handmade carpets, chilled champagne, Waterford Crystal and even aromatherapy oils.
“The Concept Eight is not about cramming in half an hour’s work on the way to and from the airport,” Thomson added.
“It is a car that exudes British good taste and calmness. It has a very relaxed but contemporary feel about it. When you ride in it you should get the same feeling of well-being that you would enjoy if you stayed in the latest, trendsetting hotel,” he waxed.