By Matt Bird \/ Monday, 20 November 2023 \/ Loading comments<\/p>\n
Whether you like the idea of a new TWR XJS designed by Magnus Walker and The Kyza or not, it\u2019s hard not to be just a little intrigued about what\u2019s in store. Whatever the team creates, it promises to be an XJS like none of us have ever seen before.<\/p>\n
And that\u2019s great news. It\u2019s hardly like they\u2019re going to be reimagining every single XJS in existence, it\u2019s always beneficial to have our beliefs challenged, and it\u2019s brilliant to see the Jaguar two-door that wasn\u2019t the E-Type properly in the limelight. Though the XJS has begun to be appreciated more of late, it still seems to live somewhat in the shadow of cars that came before and after it. Which doesn\u2019t really seem fair for a car that achieved so much once Tom Walkinshaw had decided it should be a touring car. <\/p>\n
A couple of things are guaranteed for the Fergus Walkinshaw TWR XJS. First is that the new car won\u2019t be seen until next year at the earliest (so owning and driving is definitely some way off), plus it\u2019s hardly likely to be a bargain restomod. Largely that\u2019s par for the course when it comes to restoring and optimising a classic, though it\u2019s also hard to imagine that the efforts of the Urban Outlaw and the man responsible for a million-user following on Instagram come cheap. <\/p>\n
So what if the TWR news has rekindled a fondness for the XJS, you want something a little different from the norm, and you want it now? Well, try this one out. Though not a V12 as the TWR will be, this 4.0-litre straight-six does benefit from a host of improvements and upgrades that give it more visual impact, should make it drive better, and are sure to upset the purists. Sounds fantastic\u2026<\/p>\n
We all did some things we\u2019re unlikely to do again in 2020; for the previous owner of this Jaguar, that meant spending \u00a330,000 creating the car you see here. What originally intended to rejuvenate an interior past its best became a glass-out respray; that became a colour change to the Emerald Fire Green seen on later XJs and XKs. Then the really fun stuff starts: this XJS sits 80mm lower (!) than standard on Eibach springs and Gaz dampers. It\u2019s polybushed and rides on 18-inch ATC wheels that have surely never been tucked up in Jaguar wheelarches before. The brakes are uprated, and while the engine is standard, it benefits from a recent top end refresh and stunning stainless steel exhaust. It\u2019s easy to see where the money (lots of it) was spent. <\/p>\n
And that\u2019s before getting to the interior. Originally the intention was to resurrect that leather that wasn\u2019t as good as it was painted to be (quite literally) in the previous advert pics; what eventually happened was complete reupholstering of the interior by Aldridge Trimming, including a newly veneered dash, additional soundproofing and retrimmed wheel. It now looks like a new XJS interior (probably better, in fact), to go with the newly reworked outside. <\/p>\n
As the ad concedes, this won\u2019t be to all tastes, though there can be little arguing with the quality of the work done. This looks a truly spectacular XJS from every angle, and guaranteed to attract looks, stares and comments wherever it goes. At \u00a322,999, moreover, it looks something of a bargain given the money that\u2019s been invested. And a whole lot less than a TWR.<\/p>\n