It was bound to happen.

The Top Gear gang has put BMW’s M5, perhaps the class-leader, up against the UK’s newcomer, the Jaguar XFR.  Both are medium-sized luxury-sport saloons vying for the same upscale audience.

Before checking out the clip, let’s look over the specs of the two contenders.

The rear-drive 4,010 lb. M5 is equipped with a 5.0 L V-10 engine, which puts out 383 ft.-lbs. of torque at 6,100 rpm–and 500 hp at 7,800.  The engine is attached to an automated-manual gearbox, helping to reach sixty in 4.8 sec.  The M5 is priced at a steep $86,000; with that, you get a finely built and surprisingly agile sedan matched only by a few.

The XFR is more conventional in its armament.  The Jag has a supercharged 4.2 L V-8 and a 6-spd. automatic transmission.  Not only is the 4.2 more powerful than the M5′s V-10, generating 510 hp, but it reaches its peak at just 6,100 rpm.  The torque figure is more dramatic: 461 ft.-lbs. at 5,500 rpm.  The Jag does have its drawbacks: yes, it is more powerful (and cheaper at $79,000), but it’s also larger (4 in. longer) and heavier by 300 lbs.  You do have the extra plus that it delivers a combined rating of 17 mpg over the M5′s 13.

So how did this comparo turn out?  See for yourself.

Jaguar’s long-struggling X-type will finally die out.  The X-type was loathed by critics as a shoddy effort to expand the Jag collection and fight off the BMW 3 series.  The X-type was first produced in ’01, but its sales never took off.  The recent recession has killed off any interest in the compact saloon, or a successor.  The retirement will coincide with the temporary layoff of three hundred employees.

I want you all to know that we here at CarVersation (meaning me) have undertaken great risk in presenting you these images of the new 2010 Jaguar XJ sedan.

The XJ will be Jag’s large-size saloon, targeting the Mercedes S-class and Lexus LS series.  Jag stylists followed my advice, being that I am influential, and kept the exterior design more along the lines of the aggressive C-XF concept.  The XJ uses a new aluminum body for weight reduction and added structural rigidity.  Two engines have been mentioned as equipment: a 3.0 L twin-turbo diesel six and a 5.0 L naturally aspirated petrol eight.

Credit for the images goes to Net Car Show, as even a bat can see.

To honor the UK’s Goodwood Festival, Jaguar’s produced a new one-off special of its XK coupe.  The Goodwood Special is painted in bright lime green with orange and silver labeling to stand out from the pack.  Its suspension has been lowered, 21″ rims have been added, and a modified exhaust has been hooked up for a more masculine sound.  The supercharged 5.0 V-8 has been tuned to produce up to 530 hp and a 0-60 time of less than four and a half seconds.  Nothing has been announced of Jaguar making the Goodwood available to the public.