THE next time you see Theresa May on the news getting into her official car in 10 Downing Street take note of what it is.

And if you happen to see a re-run of the James Bond film "Skyfall" where M is sitting in her official car take a close look at the classy interior.

Status dictates that both women will be transported in a car of quality which exudes Brtishness. And nothing fit's the bill more than the Jaguar XJ.

Versions of the XJ have been the car of choice of chairmen and chief executives of some of this country's top companies for years and regarded very much as the businessman's car.

And while that's still true today there are XJs that have a distinctly younger image.

Opt for an XJ R-Sport, for example, and you get a car with sporting side sills, a gloss black radiator grille, gloss black lower grille and gloss black rear valance.

Order you car in Italian racing red and add the black pack option - which includes dark grey 20-inch alloys and gloss black surrounds - and you have an XJ with attitude.

Add the no cost privacy glass which means a much heavier tint to the rear side windows and you have an XJ of a very different nature to the Prime Minister's.

But it's not just the exterior that changes. The R-Sport model means that inside you get powered, multi adjustable sports seats with red stitching which really hold you firmly in place, the R-Sport logo on the tread plates and steering wheel and chrome racing pedals.

This trendy powerhouse packs a big punch too, with a 3.0-litre, 300ps V6 under the bonnet which offers high performance with sensible economy.

While the top speed is limited to 155 miles per hour it will hit 62mph from standstill in a very rapid 6.2 seconds.

But the best thing about this car is how smoothly it delivers the power, effortlessly and almost in silence.

In fact it's so quiet it's often hard to appreciate that it has a diesel engine, although like all XJ models the interior is a distinctly silent cocoon thanks in part to very efficient soundproofing and double glazed windows.

The XJ R-Sport version might be the trendy, sporting model but Jaguar still provides the sort of quality trim and features that make it synonymous with luxury.

Quality leather upholstery, a nice display of chrome features on the transmission tunnel and dashboard and - in the case of this car - piano black veneer panels to set the whole thing off.

This diesel comes with Jaguar's eight-speed automatic gearbox and as you push the starter button - it's keyless entry/exit and keyless stop/start - the round gear shift rises up in silence like a piece of theatre.

Even in normal drive mode this V6 is quick. When you want to liven things up a little just turn the gearshift to sport or use the paddles behind the steering wheel and the R-Sport really lives up to its name.