TWR's Jaguar conversion

Until now the Jaguar XJS has been rather neglected in the “customising industry”, but Tom Walkinshaw’s TWR company in Kidlington, Oxfordshire, is ideally placed to exploit the potential of the 300 bhp V12 model. Having scored four outright victories in last year’s European Touring Car Championship with the XJS, with Jaguar’s full backing, Walkinshaw has now announced the TWR Jaguar Sport which makes full use of all that experience.

The 5.3-litre engine is balanced and blue-printed, but principally the increase in power is obtained by fitting a high efficiency stainless steel exhaust system that improves both power and torque. With an extra 10% in power coming from the exhaust system and a further small increase from the blue-printing, power should be in excess of 330 bhp.

This is transmitted by a five-speed ZF gearbox (the racers use a Getrag), and the braking system has been completely uprated using massive 11.6 in ventilated discs at the front and 10.6 in ventilated discs at the rear, with lightweight four-piston calipers. Bilstein gas-filled dampers with uprated front springs reduce the body roll and improve the general handling without spoiling the ride. New wheels, 16 in in diameter and 8.5 in wide, carry Pirelli P7 or Goodyear NCT 50-series tyres.

Wind tunnel research was carried out to produce the external body fairing, with front and rear wrap-round bumpers replacing the standard parts. An elevated spoiler is mounted at the rear, and the effect is a reduction in drag by 12.7%, of front-end lift of 60%, and of rear-end lift of 88%. The interior of the car is completely refurbished to a luxury specification.

The cost of the TWR converted Jaguar is £34,701, nearly £13,000 more than the standard model’s list price. For that you get a car that will accelerate to 60 mph in 5.8 sec and reach a maximum speed of 164 mph. The TWR Jaguar Sport is available from selected Jaguar dealers throughout Europe.