From the Classifieds: The ultimate Jaguar two-door?

From the moment the production Jaguar XJ220 was launched, it was criminally underrated.

This, remember, was (albeit briefly) the world’s fastest car, with a measured top speed exceeding 340km/h (initially 341.7km/h, later 349km/h with some ‘tweaks’) recorded at the famous Nardo test track in southern Italy.

It also nailed a Nurburgring Nordschleife lap time of 7:46.36 with Jaguar’s 1990 Le Mans winner John Neilsen at the wheel.

However, the naysayers (and prospective owners) will quickly tell you that even the latter number translates to ‘only’ 217mph – thus falling short of the ‘220’ moniker.

For them, it was the latest in a long and painful prototype-to-production process; from the concept’s 1988 Birmingham motor show debut to completion of the first production vehicle in mid-1992, the XJ220 had lost much sparkle.

The initial specification – special enough to attract 1400 £50,000 order deposits and built with Group B racing in mind – included a Le Mans-derived, dry-sump 6.2-litre V12, adaptive suspension, rear-wheel steering and all-wheel drive.

And, legend has it, it overshadowed the Ferrari F40 that made its British debut at the same show.

Of course, the realities of car manufacturing dictate that not every poster-car, skunkworks (or the Professor Jim Randle-led ‘Saturday Club’, in XJ220 folklore) dream makes it through… In some ways, it’s a miracle XJ220 made production at all.

With Ford now controlling the pennies, the XJ220 became a joint-venture between Tom Walkinshaw Racing and Jaguar Sport; a logical choice given TWR’s Jaguar heritage, which included multiple European touring car championship titles, a 1985 Bathurst 1000 victory and Le Mans 24 Hour wins in 1988 and 1990.

Production cars swapped 12 cylinders for half that number. It was, however, no ordinary six. Derived from the legendary Group B MG Metro 6R4’s 3.0-litre V6, the XJ220 powerplant upped capacity to 3.5 litres and added two turbochargers.

The result was a massive 404kW of power at 7200rpm and 644Nm of torque at 4500rpm – substantial lifts on the 352kW/577Nm outputs generated by Ferrari’s venerated F40.

The engine even had on-track pedigree, being used in TWR’s Jaguar XJR-11 racer in 1989-90.

This powerplant is exotically mid-mounted and fed through a long-legged five-speed manual transmission, but only to the rear wheels (oh the humanity). There was no rear-steering, and the XJ220 made do with conventionally fixed suspension.

Bridgestone supplied 345-section rear rubber (with a tiny 35-profile on 18-inch centre-lock Speedline wheels) that maximised available traction, (mis) matched to 17-inch fronts with 255/45 sizing.

Brakes featured four-piston callipers front and rear, though Jaguar specified no servo assistance, increasing pedal effort substantially in an attempt to maximise feel.

A sleek aluminium body – designed in-house by Keith Helfet and hand-formed – cleaved the air and its swooping tail swept upward into a relatively subtle rear spoiler, ensuring stability at 340km/h.

Inside the two-seat cockpit, the XJ220 swapped spartan racing design for an ambience that befitted the Jaguar badge. There was sumptuous leather upholstery, heated seats, air-conditioning, central locking and an Alpine stereo system. Curiously, there was no power steering fitted.

The Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust states that 281 XJ220s were built between 1992 and 1994, each with a £400,000 price tag. For context, that pesky F40 was far more prevalent, with around 1300 produced.

Priced at $789,990, this 1993 Jaguar XJ220 is currently the only one available on carsales.

Showing only 9000 miles (or around 14,000km) on the odometer, chassis number 220739 is one of an estimated 69 right-hand drive XJ220s built, with data showing a May 1993 build date.

Finished in Spa Silver with Smoke Grey upholstery, the vehicle is said by its selling dealer to have been subject to a ‘recent comprehensive overhaul’.

Online references show it has been in Australia since at least 2017, when purchased by Lecha Khouri of Supercar Advocates fame. As usual, we would recommend contacting the current seller for further information.

Having relived the Jaguar XJ220’s gestation in researching this article and seen the details of this example, we reckon the asking price is eminently reasonable.

It’s rarer and faster than its F40 contemporary, its Group B AND Le Mans-derived engine is as pedigreed as anything, and it was built by a multiple Le Mans-winning outfit.

It may just be time for the supercar snobs to open their eyes… and see just what’s flown past them in the fast lane.

Click here to view the full listing while it lasts!

Related: From the Classifieds: 2004 Renault Clio V6

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