The Jaguar XJ220 is a mid-engined supercar produced by Jaguar in partnership with Tom Walkinshaw Racing and Jaguar Sport between 1992 and 1994. It earned the title of the fastest production car at the time, with a top speed of 350 km/h (217 mph) until the McLaren F1 took over that title in 1994. Despite sharing the 'XJ' in the name, the XJ220 is not related to any other XJ models.
Origins
In the early days of the company, a group of Jaguar employees known as The Saturday Club started to work beyond work-hours on their own pet-projects. Chief-Engineer Jim Randle was part of this movement and in the 1980s he wanted to create a new car that could compete with the likes of Ferrari F40 and Porsche 959. He ended up with a two-seater, mid-engined vehicle that took some design elements from the XJ13. It was also given an all wheel drive system for improved handling and an integral safety-cage for racing the car at high speeds. The goal was to exceed a speed of 320 km/h (200 mph).
Concept car
Jaguar executives in attendance of the concept were impressed with it and gave the green light to unveil the car at the 1988 British Motor Show. Tom Walkinshaw Racing was commissioned to produce a 6.2 L version of the V12 engine, with an expected output of 500 hp (370 kW; 510 PS). All wheel drive would be taken care of by FF Developments, a company that had history working with all wheel drive systems since the 1960s with the Jensen FF. The design was created by Keith Helfet and featured scissor doors just like those seen in Lamborghini vehicles. The XJ220 got its name from its targeted top speed of 220 mph (350 km/h).
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