Pictured: The £200,000 new Jaguar fit for a Prime Minister... and supermodel Elle Macpherson

By Ray Massey for the Daily Mail
Updated: 06:29 EST, 10 July 2009

Supermodel Elle Macpherson was on hand today to help unveil a stunning Jaguar limousine fit for a 21st century Prime Minister.

But while the glamorous blonde is considering buying the luxury new XJ herself, the Prime Minister will be hoping his one comes courtesy of the taxpayer.

The only question is which PM will be the first to be chauffeured in it?

For whether Gordon Brown or David Cameron will be first  to be whisked from Downing Street in this luxurious but contemporary limousine is likely to depend on who wins the General Election.

Glamour: Supermodel Elle Macpherson drapes herself across the stunning new Jaguar XJ

With order books now officially open, the car itself will hit showrooms early in the New Year - while an election must be held by June at the latest.

Jaguar said their new flagship XJ blended  'elegant, contemporary design with comfort, luxury and sporting style'.

It will cost up to £88,000 for the average buyer, although the custom-made version for the PM - with security extras - will cost more than £200,000.

And it may also be the car that ultimately saves Jaguar and thousands of UK jobs, as the firm - bought last year by India's TATA from Ford for more than £1billion - battles with a cash crisis and seeks a Government bail-out.

For decades the British-built Jaguar XJ limousine has been the car of choice for Prime Ministers and their key Cabinet members - with former Labour Deputy Prime Minister even being dubbed 'Two Jags' because he had one of his own at home as well as his official car.

It has also been dubbed 'the chairman's car' for its popularity in the boardroom. But for years the looks of the XJ - first launched more than 40 years ago  in 1968 - had remained largely the same, and even Jaguar admitted they were looking staid.

But the aerodynamic, hi-tech and gadget-packed new four-door flagship XJ - which features a vast panoramic glass roof  - is set to change all that.

The sporty new XJ had its world premiere when it was unveiled today at the Saatchi Gallery in London by top US TV chat-show host and car enthusiast Jay Leno.

The celebrity studded audience included supermodel Elle, who has 'expressed an interest' in buying one and Baywatch star David Hasselhoff.

Other stars included Sir Trevor McDonald, TV journalist Eamon Holmes, Bond actress Rosamund Pike, sports journalist Andrew Castle, members of Spandau Ballet including lead singer Tony Hadley and former Eastenders stars Shane Ritchie and Martine McCutcheon.

U.S. TV chat show star Jay Leno who unveiled the new Jaguar, said he had been a fan of the Marque since childhood and was pleased that the latest XJ model had a sporty new look that would appeal to a younger generation.

He said: 'You can sell an old guy a young guy’s car. But you can’t sell a young guy an old guy’s car. And if you say that this car doesn’t look like a Jaguar, then you are officially an old guy.'

He joked that Jaguar’s in the 60’s and 70’s had suffered from 'issues' about reliability, but stressed that Jaguar was now officially the most reliable car in the United States: 'As long as there’s an England there’s always going to be a Jaguar.'

The main difference between the car that will hit showrooms in the New Year and those destined for the Prime Ministerial and Cabinet car fleets is that the latter will feature special bullet and bomb-proof security armour, run-flat tyres, bullet proof glass and even a self-contained oxygen supply.

But the car also has some 'green' credentials which will appeal to both Mr Brown and his Tory rival Mr Cameron, who currently drives a Japanese Lexus petrol-electric hybrid.

It has a new generation of cleaner and more frugal diesel and petrol engines giving fuel economy of up to 40 miles a gallon, and its lightweight body is made from 50 per cent recycled aluminium. 

Future models will utilise Jaguar's green 'hybrid' technology now under development.

The new XJ is a luxury limousine with radical sporty low-slung coupe looks.

It is priced from £52,500 for the entry-level 3.0 litre V6 diesel which manages 40 mpg, up to £88,000 for the top of the range 5.0 litre V8 petrol supercharged long-wheelbase version - both a significant mark up on earlier models.

The long wheel-based version, designed for chauffeuring VIPs and heads of Government, has 5 inches more legroom in the rear (3ft 8 inches) than standard models (3ft 3 inches).

It has a six speed automatic gearbox, can sprint from rest to 60mph in under five seconds, and has a top speed artificially limited to 155mph.

Interior chrome and piano-black trim - designed to sparkle like jewellery - provide eye-catching contrasts to the wide choice of crafted leather and veneer surfaces.

Gadgets include a hi-definition TV with  dual-view  technology on an 8-inch touch screen that allows the front passenger to watch a DVD movie or TV programme,  while the driver looks at the sat-nav or controls stereo.

The 1,200 Watt Bowers & Wilkins hi-fi  with 20 speaker surround-sound includes 'concert hall' settings, iPod docking, and voice-control for  radio, CD, phone and sat-nav.

Mr Brown could even copy and store his favourite CD or iPod Arctic Monkeys tracks onto the system's hard-drive, while Mr Cameron could do the same with his favourite desert island disc tracks  from The Jam or Benny Hill.

The curved cockpit  gives the driver the sense of 'sitting in a Riviera boat.'

Luxurious: The interior of the XJ is lined in leather and has surround sound speakers, iPod docking and sat-nav

Sleek: The makers of the Jaguar XJ say the vehicle delivers a 'beautiful, exhilarating drive'

And dashboard dials have been replaced by  hi-tech 'virtual'  computer generated instruments on a 12.3 inch screen. The big 520-litre boot can swallow two large suitcases side-by-side - or four full sets of golf clubs.

Jaguar Cars managing director Mike O'Driscoll said:  'These are exciting times for us at Jaguar. We're re-making it, re-building it. We're shaking the market by the scruff of the neck to tell the world: Jaguar's back.'

'The new XJ is truly beautiful, exhilarating to drive. It is sleek, sporting and sophisticated and brings a daring new spirit to automotive luxury. It offers a seductive mix of striking design, breathtaking performance and engineering without compromise.'

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Ian Callum, design director of Jaguar Cars said: 'The new XJ is a thoroughly modern interpretation of the quintessential Jaguar.  It is sleek. Our design philosophy remains the same - to create beautiful,  fast cars.'

Jaguar needs a morale-boosting shot in the arm.  Parent company Tata Motors, which bought JaguarLandRover from Ford last year for more than £1billion, said its UK car subsidiary posted a loss after tax of £306million in the 10 months to March 2009.

Jaguar Land Rover sold 167,000 vehicles for the 10 months to March, compared with 246,000 in the same period the year before. The company is seeking up to £800m in loan guarantees from the UK Government.

It employs 15,000 people at factories at Castle Bromwich - where the XJ is built - and Solihull in Birmingham, Halewood on Merseyside, its research and design centre in Whitley, Coventry, and its headquarters in Gaydon in Warwickshire, and supports 60,000 more jobs.