I'll spare you the gruesome details but the return Eurostar from the Paris show last week was seriously delayed, meaning I wasn't going to make my connecting train home. Some heroic work on the phones from the JLR PR on the train sorted out some alternative transport though, this taking the shape of a LWB Jaguar XJ. Living the life and all that.
Anyway. Given the length of the journey ahead of us I struck up conversation with my driver, the topic - somewhat predictably - turning to cars. Jaguar often uses XJs as shuttle vehicles at shows and other events and I've been lucky enough to be driven in them on occasion. And I have to say I rather like them. That Riva-inspired swoop to the dashboard and the blue-lit vents and switchgear have a nice blend of traditional luxury and modern design and it feels like a very stylish place to spend time. I make no claims of living up to that but at least tinted windows mean onlookers can't see the scruffbag sat in the back.
What did our man make of the XJ as a chauffeur's 'office' though? This was his third and he was a fan, liking the style and the refinement but commenting the space in the back - even in LWB form - perhaps wasn't as generous as some of the other cars he had used. His firm had previously employed 7 Series BMWs and he was a fan of those too, though he said more than one colleague had suffered from wheel damage hitting potholes on London streets. Much as I love a BMW myself I've never quite seen the 7er as 'core' for the brand either - sure, there are some great bargain barges from the back catalogue but, were I in the market for being driven about, it still wouldn't be my choice.
My man was curious about the Lexus LS600, clearly a fan of the design and suitably impressed by the brand image and reputation for build quality and reliability. Range Rovers are growing in popularity among clients too, luxury SUVs clearly now an acceptable image for the wealthy and driven. Little wonder JLR is exploring the options for making the full fat Range Rover longer, more expensive and more luxurious. That comes at a cost to operators and clients alike though, money appearing to be more of an object than you might expect.
Between us we then pondered the other options in the market, from Audi A8s to whether - given a blank cheque - it'd be a Rolls-Royce Phantom or Bentley Mulsanne. He said Roller, I'd have a Mulsanne.
Wherever the conversation meandered though we kept coming back to one car. S-Class. To my mind the S-Class isn't just a Mercedes, it's the Mercedes. No matter how much the passenger car range expands to fill new niches or cater to latest fashions, no matter whether that star is also seen on trucks, taxis or vans the S-Class remains the boss. In all its long history I don't think there's been one that didn't perfectly fit with the times and yet remain timeless as the years pass, burly W140 included. And from company directors to dictators and despots an S-Class provides the perfect means to be whisked from one engagement to another, oddly classy and yet classless with an understated authority equally appropriate for the red carpet as it is the global political summit.
And it seems the same as far as the drivers go too. No matter how diverse the limo market becomes, no matter how luxurious and high-tech the rivals and no matter how much the competition invest in their equivalent product I reckon the S-Class remains the absolute boss.
That'd be my pick then. But, given the choice, what car would you choose to be chauffeured in? Answers below please!
Dan
