Jaguar as we understand it is dead. It’s about to go into a brand-new age by dropping combustion engines to complete in ultra-luxury EV area. If you long for the excellent old days of the jumping feline, the XJS is making an amazing return. No, Jag isn’t bringing it back. Rather, TWR is restoring the classy grand tourer through a boldly styled restomod with a carbon fiber body penned by Khyzyl Saleem.
Established in 2020 as a different entity from the famous Tom Walkinshaw Racing, TWR is an engineering business. It will not do simply Jaguars and restomods however their inaugural job revives the XJS. Appropriately called “Supercat,” the new-old car is almost 10% lighter than the initial. It pointers the scales at 3,538 pounds (1,605 kgs) after fitting that extremely created carbon body. Consumers can likewise choose carbon-ceramic brakes at both axles.
From the blocky wheel arches to the strongly aerodynamic front and rear ends, a lot is going on exterior. TWR offered the Supercat a side-exit exhaust not simply for program, however to include the flatter underbody and a huge rear diffuser. The automobile is likewise somewhat larger than the initial XJS and has much larger wheels than the stock 15-inch setup: 18 inches at the front and 19 inches at the back.
Beyond the over-the-top styling, there are skin-deep modifications. The chassis has actually been enhanced with carbon fiber while the subframe utilizes TWR-designed, high-strength T45 tubular stainless-steel. The double wishbone suspension now has active and adjustable dampers while a minimal slip differential has actually been included. To strengthen stability beyond the LSD, the Supercat likewise has a traction control system. Staying up to date with the times, there are even 5 selectable driving modes.
The pièce de résistance is certainly hiding from below the vented hood. The engine is now a bored-out supercharged 6.5-liter V-12 rather of the initial 6.3-liter mill. The bigger powertrain makes 660 hp and 538 lb-ft (730 Nm) funnelled to the rear axle by means of a six-speed handbook transmission including launch control. The basic XJS V12 HE referenced by TWR used 281 hp and 318 lb-ft (431 Nm) provided to the wheels through a three-speed automated transmission.
TWR Supercat
While the donor cars and truck had a 2 +2 design, the Supercat is strictly a two-person affair with electrical seats and a bigger freight location. If there’s something we do not like about the automobile, it’s the completely digital instrument cluster. Certainly some good analog determines would’ve been preferable considering that whatever else looks great and retro within. We especially like the carbon fiber-backed leather seats and the shifter. The digital instrument cluster isn’t the only screen considering that TWR likewise included a center infotainment display screen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto assistance.
TWR is transforming just 88 XJS cars and trucks to the Supercat spec. It’s not a random number as it harkens back to 1988 when Tom Walkinshaw’s XJR-9 won at Le Mans with the Silk Cut Jaguar group’s endurance race vehicle driven by Andy Wallace (Bugatti’s existing test motorist),