JAGUAR XJ220

The Jaguar XJ220 is a supercar made by Ford's Jaguar luxury marque in collaboration with Tom Walkinshaw Racing between 1992 and 1994. The XJ220 held the record for the highest top speed of a production car (217 mph) until the arrival of the McLaren F1 in 1994. The styling of the car was done by Keith Helfet and included scissor-style doors similar to those in use by Lamborghini in several of their cars. The name XJ220 was assigned as a reference to the targeted top-speed of 220 mph

In the early days of the company, certain Jaguar employees had created an informal group they called "The Saturday Club" (so-named because they would meet after-hours and on weekends to work on unofficial pet-projects). In the 1980s, Jaguar's chief-engineer Jim Randle, as part of that group, began work on what he saw as competition for cars like the Ferrari F40 and Porsche 959. He envisioned what was essentially an updated XJR13 - a lightweight two-seater with a powerful mid-mounted V12 engine. Randle expanded on the idea by settling on all wheel drive for increased traction and better handling and an integral safety-cage so the car could be safely raced at extremely high speeds. From the outset, the intention was to create a vehicle capable of exceeding 320 km/h (200 mph).

Jaguar XJ220 Specifications:

Make and Model: Jaguar XJ220
Year: 1992
Engine Type: 3.5 Liter Twin Turbo V6
Torque: 475lb-ft@4500rpm
Acceleration 0-60: 4.0 s
Suspension: double-wishbone
Wheel Base: 103.9 inches
List Price: $345,000
Horsepower: 542bhp@7000rpm
Top Speed: 212.3 mph
Brakes: AP Racing Vented Discs w/Power Assist
Transmission: 5-Speed Manual

The production version of the car was first shown to the public in October 1991 after undergoing significant changes. The most obvious of which was a completely different drivetrain and the elimination of the scissor doors. TWR was charged with producing the car and had several goals/rules in producing the car: the car would be rear wheel drive instead of all wheel drive; turbocharged V6 instead of the big V12; and performance goals of over 200 mph, 0 to 60 mph under 4 s, and the lightest weight possible.

The XJ220's controversial V6 engine is visible through the rear window
The 6.2 L V12 had been judged too difficult to get past increasingly strict emission regulations and there were also reportedly some design problems caused by the size of the power plant. It was replaced with a Tom Walkinshaw-developed 3.5 L V6 based on the engine used in the Rover Metro 6R4 rally car and fitted with twin-turbochargers, generating 549 bhp of maximum power at 7000 RPM and 473 ft�lb of torque at 4500 RPM. This engine was not only the first V6 in Jaguar's history, but also the first to use forced induction. In spite of the smaller displacement and half the number of cylinders, the engine produced more power than the V12 would have. However, potential customers judged the exhaust note to be harsh and the lag from the turbos to be an annoyance. Also missing from the production version of the car was the Ferguson all wheel drive - the production car had only rear driven wheels, through a conventional transaxle.
The car entered production in 1992 in a purpose built factory at Bloxham near Oxford, and the first cars were delivered to customers in July. Original customers included Elton John and the Sultan of Brunei.
Many of the initial customers were dissatisfied not only with the modifications to the original specification but the significant increase in delivery price from the original �361,000 to �403,000 ($650,000 USD). Further complicating the issue was Tom Walkinshaw's offer of the faster (by acceleration, not top speed), more expensive and more exclusive XJR-15 which was based on the Le Mans champion XJR-9. Some customers reportedly either sued Jaguar or threatened to sue�in any case, Jaguar gave the customers the option to buy themselves out of the delivery contract.
In spite of the drama surrounding its creation, a total of 281 cars were made and it remains a sought-after collectible supercar.