This is a 2.2 diesel R-Sport version of the XF saloon, finished in Glacier White with optional Black Pack. It is the very last XF (X250) produced at Jaguar’s Castle Bromwich manufacturing plant and came off the line on June 8, 2015. It was gifted to the Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust at a special handover ceremony on June 9 and was subsequently registered with the special number J15 XFR.

The first generation XF (codenamed X250) made its debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September 2007 following the unveiling of the widely acclaimed C-XF concept at Detroit earlier the same year. Although based on a developed S-TYPE platform, the XF was the second product to benefit from Jaguar Design Director Ian Callum’s new design language – resulting in a striking, modern style that was a big departure from the model it replaced. The new car was launched with engines carried over from the S-TYPE, ranging from the acclaimed 2.7-litre Diesel V6 to the range-topping supercharged 4.2-litre V8, marketed exclusively as the XF SV8 derivative.

Unlike the new XK launched two years earlier and the new XJ which was to follow, the XF retained a conventional steel body construction but with aluminium alloy used for some of the closure panels and a magnesium cross car beam to save weight. To complement its radical exterior design, the XF also incorporated a dramatic, modern interior which featured many innovations including a unique rotary gear selector, hidden facia air vents which rotated open on engine start-up, cool blue ‘mood’ lighting and proximity sensing switches for the interior lights.

For the 2010 model year, the XF underwent a number of upgrades with some significant changes to the engine line up – a new higher power 3.0 V6 diesel engine replacing the prior 2.7 litre unit and an all-new 5.0 litre V8 replacing the 4.2 litre. The SV8 was replaced by an ‘R’ derivative, added to the line-up for the first time. The XFR featured a supercharged version of the new 5.0 V8 that produced an incredible 510 PS giving the car acceleration from 0-60 mph in just 4.7 seconds.

Further changes were made for the 2012 model year when the XF underwent a mid-cycle freshening programme which saw the engine line up expanded further with the addition of a 2.2 litre 4-cylinder diesel engine and the addition of a new estate derivative – the XF Sportbrake. These additions opened up new market segments for the XF model range and broadened its appeal, leading to its best ever year of sales in 2014 with over 42,000 cars retailed globally.