A ‘NEW’ classic Jaguar has been unveiled with a roaring petrol engine – just days after the British firm’s controversial rebrand ahead of their electric revolution.
A monstrous version of Jag’s iconic XJS model has been revealed for the first time, although the marque won’t be the ones making it.
Indeed, Berkshire-based car maker Tom Walkinshaw Racing, known as TWR, is the brains behind this very cool looking XJS Supercat.
The limited-edition beast is a modernised take on the classic sports car, which Jaguar originally produced between 1975 and 1996.
Widely considered one of the most famous Jags, some 115,413 XJS models rolled off production lines in that time – and today it’s considered a mainstay at classic car shows.
“Available to commission” now, the timing of the arrival of TWR’s XJS Supercat couldn’t have come at a more curious period in Jaguar’s 102-year history, as the manufacturer is in the midst of one of motoring history’s most outrageous rebrands.
This month, they began the first phase of their transition by putting a stop to all of their current models being sold in dealerships, with only the F-Pace to be carried over into 2025.
This is because the firm is fully committed to going all-electric by next year, with a handful of brand new models to be released – including a four-door GT that’s to be fully unveiled in concept form next week.
They then sent ripples through the motoring world when they released a new logo along with a bizarre teaser video that received backlash on social media.
One Facebook user commenting on the video said: “If I wasn’t sure before, now I’m convinced Jaguar have completely lost the plot. This woke nonsense won’t gain anything.”
Another said: “Please tell me this is fake. Jaguar really has hit the self destruct button.”
And a third said: “As someone who worked for this iconic brand up until production cessation in June it really does sadden me to see the direction the company has decided to take.”
Even Tesla CEO Elon Musk – who’s paved the way for the electric car – asked the brand on X: “Do you sell cars?”
Meanwhile, in the background, TWR released more information on their XJS Supercat, having teased it earlier in the year.
Described as a motorsport-inspired XJS restomod powered by a supercharged V12 engine, it’s very much the polar-opposite of what Jaguar are trying to achieve in 2024 and beyond.
Only 88 examples will be made to order with many already snapped up – despite the corking start-price of £270,000.
TWR is known for their motorsport pedigree and have a strong relationship with Jaguar – which included the two enjoying plenty of success together in the famous 24 Hours of Le Mans in the 1980s and 1990s.
But away from the track, TWR have helped develop plenty of road cars such as the Aston Martin DB7, Renault Clio V6 and, perhaps most famously, the Jaguar XJ220 supercar.
While the Supercat certainly resembles the XJS, the car’s bodywork has been reinforced with steel and carbon fibre, and has even been optimised by a former Mercedes-AMG Formula 1 aerodynamicist.
Under the bonnet, it boasts a thirsty 5.6-litre V12 engine – with no plugs or charging cables necessary.
Inside, the car looks somewhat more familiar to the classic XJS – which includes the four-spoke steering wheel, although the rear seats from the original XJS have been taken out to save weight and increase space.
Fergus Walkinshaw, son of the late Tom, said of the creation: “With production limited to just 88 examples and every car individually commissioned, it’s a chance to own something truly unique and personal, rooted in motorsport history but completely contemporary in its design, engineering and performance.”
This comes as Jaguar’s period of change has included the closure of some sixty dealerships across the UK.
According to Car Dealer Magazine, Rawdon Glover, Jaguar managing director, said: “We will have a significantly reduced footprint in the UK.”
Glover then answered rumours that the brand will reduce its number of dealerships down to 20, having previously had around 80 across the UK, according to a report in 2023.
Glover said: “It will not be far off that number, which is a lot [fewer] than when I was running the national sales company.
“We have chosen to have these points on the basis of geographically, those were the most – if we looked at the customer base that we were going after – where the most wealth was.
“If you look at that from a demographic point of view, it takes you to a fairly logical sort of map in terms of the number of locations that you need.”
Elsewhere, Hyundai is set to rival the Range Rover with the upcoming release of their ultra-luxurious Ioniq 9 SUV – their largest electric car yet.
High-class across the board with a price tag to match, early suggestions claim drivers will have to fork out up to £80,000 for the very top-of-the-range version.
First unveiled at the Los Angeles Motor Show last week, the futuristic-looking EV has been referred to by Hyundai as an “aerosthetic lounge”, with a focus on aerodynamic efficiency and interior refinement with a spacious cabin.
