Jaguar XJ220, Jaguar
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Jaguar XJ220
The story
behind the XJ220 is an inspiring one yet a sad one too.
Professor Jim Randall (head of engineering) started the ball
rolling by sketching out some ideas whilst on a Christmas
holiday back in 1980s. It was the stuff of fantasies - V12, 4WD, slippery body with ground effects. Together
with colleagues in the 'Saturday Club' at Jaguar they
toyed with the idea on an unofficial basis until Jaguar
started getting excited by the idea properly and official
plans were put in place to build what was to be the fastest
ever road car.
The Birmingham Motor Show in 1988 saw the
unveiling of the V12 powered concept with the first V6
production cars hitting the road three years later in 1991
(the same year Jaguar recorded one of its greatest Le Mans
results with three V12 engined XJR-12's finishing second,
third and fourth).
The original idea was to use a TWR
developed V12 inspired by Jaguar's racing successes but
financial constraints forced the team to use a V6 unit and to
drop the four wheel drive. It was no ordinary V6 though - with
twin turbos and huge intercoolers the 3.5 litre unit was good
for 540bhp! Sadly at low revs the V6 sounds positively awful,
not singing until much higher in the rev range when the turbos
kick in.
The use of the V6 allowed the chassis to be
shortened, although the proportions of this car are still
truly monstrous. The engine sits behind the two seat cabin,
with a tiny boot available behind that. The styling is heavily
influenced by the need to cool the highly tuned engine and
also to provide sufficient downforce to keep the car steady at
the 217mph top speed. It briefly held the top speed record for
a production car until the awesomely engineered McLaren F1
stole the title.
The cars were built at a new site at
Bloxham near Oxford. Three hundred and fifty were to be built
at a cost of £400,000 each. There was trouble ahead. The
market for exotic cars crashed and many speculators had taken
punts on the new Jaguar becoming an instant classic.
Buyers refused to proceed with their orders and many a legal
wrangle ensued with cars being sold below list price as a
result and only two hundred and eighty-one making it out of
the factory gates.
The Jaguar XJ remains one of the best luxury cars you can buy. It also appears to be one of the best values, at
least in terms of price paid for the luxury it exudes. When a Jaguar XJ rolls up, it makes a statement of true
luxury.
The XJ is a
truly beautiful luxury car, with lithe, elegant lines that
ooze class and sex appeal, and its luxurious cabin is swathed
in rich leathers and warm woods. Underway, it's quiet, smooth,
stately, and powerful and it handles quite well. The XJ is far
easier to operate than the German cars, namely the BMW 7
Series, the Audi A8, and the Mercedes S-Class, all of which
have become so burdened with technology that can serve to
annoy and frustrate drivers unfamiliar with their complex
controls. Plus, the Jaguars cost less than the comparable
German models. The 2006 Lexus LS 430 offers many of these
assets, though it isn't as easy to operate as the Jag nor does
it make a statement of true luxury and class the way the
British marque does. That bit about true luxury applies to the
Cadillac STS as well; the Cadillac just doesn't have the snob
appeal of the Jaguar. In short, nothing says true luxury quite
like a Jaguar XJ Vanden Plas. Roll up to a five-star hotel in
one of these and you'll be treated like royalty.
The XJs come
in regular and long-wheelbase versions. The long-wheelbase
models offer enough rear-seat room to recline and watch a
movie while having lunch on a flip-down wooden tray, all
coddled in rich wood and leather. Though stretched five
inches, these longer and roomier Jaguars are for practical
purposes just as quick, just as nimble and just as
fuel-efficient as the standard-length versions.
Though easy
to operate, the XJ models are stuffed with sophisticated
technology, but it's tucked out of the way so the driver
benefits from the technology without being annoyed or
distracted by it.
The Jaguar
XJ8 was launched as an all-new model for 2003, along with the
high-performance XJR. Both were greatly improved, offering
superior ride and handling to their predecessors thanks to
their rigid lightweight aluminum structure and
computer-controlled double-wishbone suspensions. The
long-wheelbase XJ8 L, Vanden Plas and Super V8 followed. For
2006, a new limited-edition Super V8 Portfolio, a
super-luxurious model, joins the line.
All of the
2006 XJ models benefit from a number of upgrades, including
more powerful engines, a new braking system, laminated glass
for improved noise isolation, a driver-selectable automatic
speed limiter, and a new tire pressure monitoring system. The
chrome mesh grilles from the R models are now seen on all
models for 2006, while new smoked-lens side markers and the
removal of body-side and front/rear window moldings give all
models a fresh appearance. A new navigation system comes
standard on XJR and Vanden Plas models, and an electric rear
sunblind is fitted to every XJ8 L.
