Wrapped around the castle of Nurburg in the Eifel mountains in Germany is one of the most demanding race tracks in the world. Those who've lapped this fame ring call it The Green Hell, and it's where the world's largest automakers take their cars to push them to their absolutely limits. Despite its legendary status, it's open to the public, and you can even hire race drivers to pilot you around the ring, if you so desire.

It's not an easy drive, however, and even the most experienced drivers may encounter issues. As such, when Jaguar revealed their new "Ring taxi," the XJ Nurburgring taxi, we were not surprised to see that it had undergone some major modifications to prep it for the 'Ring. With the new Jaguar XJ prepped for Nürburg, you can head to Germany and go for a ride in a legendary car on one of the world's most renowned racetracks.

But what about this car? Unlike many of the Ring Taxis available for laps around the North Loop, Jaguar repurposed a car they had been using for testing - their extended wheelbase Jaguar XJ. Powered by a stock 5.0-liter V8 engine, the XJ is capable of zipping from 0-60 in just 4.5 seconds. Jaguar then pulled out the comfy heated leather seats and replaced them with Recaro bucket seats and safety harnesses. They installed a roll cage, three emergency fire extinguishers, and even put handy sick bags in the map pockets.

And then some lucky (or brave, depending on how you look at it) individuals got strapped into the car while professional driver and Jaguar exec, Frank Klass took the wheel on a rainy day last month and zipped around the 13 mile track. It only took ten minutes.

Klass explains that after many tests of models like the XF, XJ and XK models on the Nürburgring, the XJ was the obvious choice as a taxi. "We found it's the XJ Supersport that most often surprises journalists with its speed simply because they perceive it to be a large luxury car," he says. "[It's] both of those things of course, but its aluminum architecture means it's rigid and lightweight too, which make it a very good car on the track."¹

So, if you've ever wanted to take a tour of the famed Green Hell in one of the world's most legendary luxury cars, now is your chance. You can hire the Jaguar XJ Ring Taxi for the day, if you want.

But, you don't have to travel all the way to Germany to go for a spin in a new Jaguar. Stop right here at Jaguar/Land Rover Honolulu, 744 Ala Moana Blvd Honolulu, HI 96813 - we'll even let you get in the driver's seat.

Source:¹http://www.autoblog.com/2012/05/07/jaguar-debuts-xj-sport-and-speed-nurburgring-taxi/