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Jaguar has revealed a special edition of its most luxurious saloon at the Beijing motor show this week, to mark 50 years of its flagship four-door - and, yes, it's the XJ, of course, with the new special model called the XJ50.
This celebratory vehicle will be available in both standard and long-wheelbase guises, either powered by the 300hp V6 turbodiesel engine. Marking the XJ50 out from the regular XJs are Autobiography-style front and rear bumpers, 20-inch Venom alloy wheels, a black front grille and unique badging to the rear and side vents. Colour choices include Fuji White, Santorini Black, Loire Blue and Rosello Red.
Moving into the XJ50's luxuriously appointed cabin, you'll find soft-grain, diamond-quilted leather sets with an embossed 'Leaper' logo on the headrests, with an XJ50 logo on the centre armrest. There are XJ50-badged illuminated sill plates, as well as anodised gearshift paddles on the steering wheel and bright metal pedals.
The XJ Series 1 launched in 1968 and, by 1972, it had become the XJ12 - the world's only mass-produced 12-cylinder four-door car, which, with a 225km/h top speed, was the fastest four-seater in the world at the time. A coupe model was offered for the first time on the Series 2 in 1975, while the XJ40 (1986-1994) introduced the 'J-gate' gear lever and had self-levelling suspension. In 2003, the XJ went all-aluminium for its monocoque body shell, while the current XJ is the first to feature all-wheel drive and a virtual instrument cluster.
Anything else?
Ian Callum, Jaguar's director of design, said: "Spanning half a century, the Jaguar XJ remains true to its heritage with a wonderful balance of beautiful design, intelligent performance and indulgent luxury that ensures it stands out from the crowd. This is a car worth celebrating and the XJ50 pays homage to a giant within the Jaguar brand that we believe is one of the world's most stylish sporting saloons."