JAGUAR stunned visitors to the Los Angeles Auto Show with two fabulous vehicles - one a concept and the other only months away from going on sale.

Both received huge attention and Jaguar's design director Ian Callum was given star-treatment by the American press.

The fabulous XKR-S convertible will go on sale in the UK next March and will be the first Jag to cost in excess of £100,000. It is the company's fastest-ever convertible and is derived from the coupe launched earlier this year.

The convertible was revealed to its audience in gleaming white paint at the show and at a celebration party on Rodeo Drive.

I was lucky enough to get one of the first drives in a development example which had been tested earlier at the famous Nurburgring Nordschliefe circuit.

Like the coupe this fantastic newcomer has a top speed of 186mph and tackles the sprint to 60mph in just 4.2 seconds.

It offers owners blistering performance and fabulous luxury in the same package and its blend of performance, handling, comfort and luxury takes the marque to new heights.

My brief drive proved that the XKR-S convertible is every bit as good to drive as it looks with the supercharged V8 providing huge torque from its 550bhp. 

It also sounds fantastic and the noise from the four tail pipes is really splendid.

Its lightweight aluminium architecture makes the new convertible the stiffest car in its class and the revised front suspension provides increased agility and great control without sacrificing ride comfort.

Enthusiastic drivers can really push this car to the limits but it is equally happy posing around town.

The superb dynamics allow the convertible's handling to be exploited safely and this is a car that you can really enjoy.

Design changes include a larger rear wing spoiler and a carbon fibre splitter and while they enhance the car's looks, Ian Callum says they were also necessary to deal with its high-speed performance.

Dumfries-born Callum added: "The XKR-S takes us into a new market segment and widens the appeal of the XK range.

"Driving an open-roofed car is always exciting but when you combine this with incredible performance it has the ability to enthrall you even more and this is what this car is all about. I am delighted with it."

The XKR-S will be available in a limited range of colours when it goes on sale and the lucky few will also be able to specify the colour of their fabric roofs. The real joy will be getting the roof down to listen to the wonderful soundtrack provided the the engine and the exhaust.

Also making its debut was the C-X16 - the car being billed as the new E-Type - which is merely a concept at the moment but will surely go into production as soon as Jaguar can make it happen.

Styled by Callum and his team the C-X16 is a visual delight. Its sensual design hints at Jaguar's strengths of performance with animal-like agility and is the company's vision of a 21st century sports car.

The seductive looks enhanced by a new white paint job created for a California audience - instead of the grey featured at its Frankfurt debut - indicates Callum's bold design direction.

Powered by a 3.0-litre V6 supercharged hybrid engine it will be capable of 186mph and of reaching 62mph in just 4.4 seconds.

It will feature an aluminium lightweight body, stop/start technology and an eight-speed ZF gearbox. 

The car will retain all Jaguar's luxury touches and feature the next generation touchscreen technology.

When the covers came off the car in LA the audience burst into spontaneous applause and one of the car's biggest potential markets clearly thought the C-X16 a winner.

Callum added: "This car has been designed from our first principles. It is an evolution of the design ethos of past Jaguars and defines the agenda for our future."