Right off the bat, the E550 hits you with its angular design language. This isn’t the mathematical and cold “flame surfacing” of modern BMW’s or the brutalist slabs and creases of new Audis. No, the current Mercedes design language is a more organic and pressed theme. It works well in the flesh and is a welcome departure from the jutting faces of the Mercs from just a few years ago.

Inside you’ll find the same quantity and quality of leathers and surface materials that have been a trademark of the silver arrow almost since the company’s inception. Everything feels up to a high standard and the aggressive, angular design continues here as well. Of special note are the seats – pounding out a cross-country trip in these bad boys would be about as comfortable as laying in a bed made entirely of Tribbles.

Upon first firing up the powerful 4.6L V8 the first thing that struck me was the delicious “thrummm” of the engine. The next thing I noticed was that the radio was already set to Classical. Natch. With the roof down, radio off, and AC disengaged, in other words all distractions removed, I embarked upon my journey. It immediately become clear that the E550 is not a panacea for every driving need and condition. The following are all the things the E550 is not: a sports car, a city car, a posing car, or a fuel-sipping miser car. This is a grand-tourer in the traditional sense. A big, powerful motor paired with an eminently comfortable cabin and sublime road manners. It is built to gobble up great swaths of road at a time.

Because the E550 Cabriolet is more about marathons than agility sprints, the basic concern with convertibles – their softness and propensity to wobble – is not even worth worrying about. If you are thinking of tracking or autocrossing this car, you have bigger problems then body roll and stiffness. Taken for what it is, the 2014 E550 Cabriolet is the only choice for cross-country motoring.

You can check out more of the car in the gallery below:

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For too long we’ve been shackled with boring motors, just tootling us along to our destinations. No wonder more and more people hate driving and are indifferent as to what car they buy. They’ve never driven anything but a washing machine, so why should they care? Well start caring, because fun cars are clearly back. The Jag has the looks to write the fun checks, and the chassis to cash them. Driving an F-Type is an exercise in wild abandon, even when you’re sitting still.

This is easily the best sounding car released this year. Easily. The C63 AMG comes close, but with the roof down and the sound that much more direct, the Jag takes it. And the motor generating that noise is no slouch either. The V8S that I drove far outpaced my abilities on every occasion. I never got close to finding this car’s limits.

The F-Type is far from just a racer though. Even at 20mph, this car is an event to be in. People look, babies cry, attractive people are interested in you. Everything those pill offers filling your spam box promise, this car delivers. Jaguar is on a bit of roll currently, and if this car is any indication the British marque has many more bright days ahead.

All of this is to say that the Jaguar F-Type V8S is cool, accomplished, and supremely talented. Much like Steve McQueen. He would have one in British racing green no doubt.

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