Hailing a cab in the Middle East is something of a doddle: simply glance at the road and chances are a beige coloured Camry or Sonata with one of five roof colours will pull up alongside you. Hailing a cab as it hoons past at 200+kph though might be a bit tricky.
This is the ambitiously named Nurburgring taxi from Jaguar, a primed version of their XJ Supersport model designed to whip passengers around the 22 kilometre stretch of infamous tarmac at knuckle whitening speed, just a stone’s throw away from the marque’s engineering test centre.
A luxury saloon may seem an odd choice for some panic-inducing runs around one of the most dangerous circuits on earth, but the fog begins to clear when we consider the 503hp 5.0l supercharged V8 purring under the bonnet. That, combined with Jaguar’s Speed Pack, means the electronically limited 249kph top speed is lifted to 280kph.
There’s no meter – a shame really, since who’s going to scrimp on tips for that journey? – nor are there heated seats, the latter making way for four-point harnesses and a roll cage. And let’s not forget the Recaros front and back.
Remember, the red light indicates doors are secured, and maniacal giggling from the passenger seat shows the driver is doing his job properly. “Where to guv?”
