The Jaguar XJ220 is arguably one of the greatest jags ever made, with a top speed of over 220 mph, it’s wickedly fast even by modern standards. When it first hit the streets, it was the fastest production car , quickest around the nurburgring, a record which it held for nearly a decade, the first street car to have a diffuser, and fittingly, the most expensive road car; but it wasn’t all sunshine and glory because despite it’s street credibility, the XJ220 remained an obscure supercar and for a long part of it’s life it never received the credit it truly deserved, until recently when cars started becoming less mechanical ,people started realizing how special these were.

The XJ220 was developed by a group of Jaguar engineers as a passion project with no intention of putting it into production. The car was unveiled in 1988 at the British international motor show, finished at 3am on the day of it’s unveiling, and the reception it got was absolutely unbelievable. Ferrari had brought their F40; their premier supercar at the time, the last car signed off by the legend Enzo himself, but the jags curvy lines made the F40 look like a dinosaur in comparison. It’s styling would go on to influence many cars of the future . The car was shown as a 4wd v12 car with scissors doors and rear wheel steering. Potential customers put down deposits on the car, some even handing blank cheques to secure their order. Jaguar took 1500 deposits for £50000

This serious interest from buyers led Jaguar to put the car into production, but there was a problem; Jaguar just didn’t have the capacity to build it. So, they turned to their buddies at TWR, who agreed to help them, but the problems for the XJ220 didn’t stop there. The boys at TWR soon discovered that the heavy V12 Jag had intended wouldn’t pass emissions; but that wasn’t the end of it’s miseries as tire technology at the time couldn’t support the weight of a big engine and AWD. Also at the time, Jaguar was bought by American investors who weren’t impressed by the idea of building a low volume car at a loss, so Jag had to find ways to reduce cost, and they did. The Brits grabbed an Austin Rover V64V V6 metro rally engine, stuck two turbos, ditched the scissor doors, All wheel drive, rear wheel steering, stuck some cheap ford switch gear, glued on some Rover tail lights and called it a day. The interesting thing about the engine is that it produced 400hp in stock form. With the turbos it produced 550hp , which are impressive figures even my modern standards. Only the Ford GT and a few 911s have achieved more power from V6 engines in a road going car. Despite all the cost cutting, Jaguar put a lot of money and resources into the headlights, which are one of the coolest headlights to ever be fitted.

The car was made available to the public in 1992 priced at £470000, but customers weren’t happy with the end product. Jaguar’s inability to keep it’s promises caused an outrage among customers, some even sueing Jaguar.  The joke’s on them because the car proved itself. The cost cutting measures made the car even faster than the V12 they produced. The car could Sprint from 0-100 in 3.5 seconds, all the way up to a top speed of 220 mph. The name XJ220 signifies the car’s theoretical top speed of 220 mph, although the car never actually hit that number. When it was tested with the Rev limiters off, it hit 217 mph. The unusual bit here is that the car was tested on a banked road. Had it been tested on a straight track it would’ve achieved it’s claimed top speed.

Despite it’s huge size, the Jag has very less practicality. It’s lack of power steering makes it a pain in the bottom to drive in the cities. Its long and wide body make it difficult to park it in tight spots. The front end has no storage, the rear compartment has enough storage for a pizza and a couple of drinks and very little heat insulation. So if you want the ultimate pizza delivery machine, look no further. It can get you to places fast, the heat from the engine keeps the pizza warm. Despite it’s limited storage space, the engine bay has enough space for another engine, the reason being the dreaded 6.3L V12 Jaguar had intended to put in it.

Despite it’s tortured history, it’s many failed promises, the Jaguar XJ220 is an engineering marvel that deserves love from enthusiasts. It’s many flaws are a part of it’s charm, and with no driver assistance , the Jag provides a raw and visceral feel to the person piloting it. It’s swoopy curves and elegant lines make it a sight to behold. Even though the XJ220 has started to receive appreciation, it still creates a mixed opinion among enthusiasts. Some despise it for failing to deliver it’s promises. Instead of lamenting on what you couldn’t have had, enjoy what you have because this machine can still eat modern cars for dinner and everytime you see one, it sure will bring a smile on your face.

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