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Jaguar is about to enter a new era as it moves away from internal combustion engines and into the ultraluxury electric vehicle market. However, those who yearn for the brand’s old glory will be pleased to see the XJS return – albeit not by Jaguar itself, but by TWR (Tom Walkinshaw Racing) reviving the iconic grand tourer with a special restomod. This new version gets bold styling with a carbon fiber body designed by Khyzyl Saleem.
The history of TWR dates back to 1980, when Tom Walkinshaw, the famous British racing driver and team leader, founded Tom Walkinshaw Racing. The company initially became known in the world of motorsport, where it achieved significant success, for example at the 1988 Le Mans 24 Hours race, where it won the race with the Silk Cut Jaguar team in their XJR-9 racing car. The company later moved from motorsport to vehicle construction and developments independent of motorsport. In 2020, building on Walkinshaw’s heritage, a new, separate engineering company was created to focus on reviving classic Jaguar models with their latest developments, such as the Supercat restomod.
TWR specializes not only in Jaguar restomods, but also in engineering projects. Their first such project, the car named „Supercat”, breathes a whole new life into the XJS. The car is almost 10% lighter than the original, weighing only 1,605 kilograms, thanks to the carbon body. Customers can optionally choose carbon-ceramic brakes for the front and rear axles.
The design of the Supercat is unique: everything from aggressive widened wheel arches to serious aerodynamic elements is found. TWR also added a side exhaust outlet to make room for the flatter chassis, and a huge rear diffuser was added. The car is wider than the original XJS and has much larger wheels: 18 inches in the front and 19 inches in the rear. In addition to the style, technical improvements were also made: the chassis was reinforced with carbon fiber, and the subframe was made of high-strength T45 stainless steel. The suspension has been upgraded with active and adjustable shock absorbers, a limited slip differential (LSD), and a traction control system to help with stability. The Supercat offers five selectable driving modes so that the driver can adapt to all conditions.
However, the biggest innovation lies in the engine: instead of the original 6.3-liter V12, a 6.5-liter supercharged engine works, which produces 660 horsepower and 730 Nm. The engine’s power is sent to the rear axle through a six-speed manual transmission. In contrast, the base XJS V12 HE made just 281 horsepower and 431 Nm with a three-speed automatic transmission. The Supercat is strictly a two-seater, with electric seats and a larger trunk, whereas the original model had a 2+2 layout.
In the interior, the classic retro atmosphere is combined with modern technology, although the digital instrument cluster is not to everyone’s liking. Some analogue instruments would have been much nicer as the rest of the car has a really elegant and vintage feel. The car also has a center infotainment screen that supports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
TWR plans to build a total of 88 examples of the Supercat, a nod to the 1988 Le Mans victory when Tom Walkinshaw’s XJR-9 race car won the race with the Silk Cut Jaguar team. The Supercat is available in both left-hand and right-hand drive versions and can be ordered in the US, UK, Europe, Asia and the Middle East. It is priced at £225,000 (around US$285,000) in the UK and requires a £35,000 (US$44,000) down payment to place an order. (written by: György Dési)