Our friends over at jameslist.com sent us a heads-up re: today’s collector car auction at Coy’s of Kensington, in Ascot (famous enabler of post-modern millinery). “Bargains isn’t [sic] Coys’ game, but if you are a collector in search of fine automobiles, or happen to be on the hunt for a Jaguar XJ200 with less than 200 miles on the odometer, then Coys is for you.” Now that’s what I call a niche market. Forget the how-low-can-you-go odo. Aside from styling, Jag’s early-90s foray into the supercar market was an abject failure, rendering the vehicle “collectible” only in the Edsel sense of the word. The headline issue: a late-in-the-game change from the original engine spec (a 500hp 6.2-liter V12) to a 3.2-liter six V6. V6? Forced induction? The new engine had about as much to do with Jaguar heritage as a Wolo Bad Boy Compact Airhorn. And sounded worse (if slightly quieter). Not . . . to mention . . . TURBO LAG! Hard to believe, but that wasn’t the worst of it . . .
The American-owned British automaker also highlighted and deleted the prototype XJ220’s four wheel-drive system. And the scissor doors. And then hoiked the price, from £361,000 to £403,000—at the precise moment the global recession burst the supercar bubble like a kid with an overinflated lunch bag, sending speculators (who’d ponied-up £50k) scurrying to their lawyers for an escape clause. Get this: a high court judge eventually released all prospective XJ220 owners (including a cash-strapped Elton John) from their contractual obligation.
But here’s the supercar’s greatest deficiency (other than a complete lack of visibility in any direction save straight ahead and skywards): brakes.
If a car’s only as good as its brakes, the XJ220 could well be one of the worst cars ever made. I drove an XJ220 with the original stoppers on the road. The anchors brought to mind my first Harley-Davidson (i.e. “I’d really like to stop now. Now, please. C’mon, I’m serious. No really, this is important.”) Jack Baruth might fancy the challenge, but I’d sooner surf the Bonzai Pipeline in a hurricane that fling this rig around a race track.
Never mind.
“The Jag is estimated to fetch around £100,000 and it’s practically brand new. The 151 miles it has done has been under Jaguar’s supervision at their test track and upon the reception, the owner immediately stored it and has never driven it. I would call that a shame and a waste since some cars just needs to be driven. Luckily someone else will now get that pleasure even though he’s not likely to be heading for any track day thrashing any time soon.”
Like I said, not if he or she wants to live.
This had amazing styling, still has, but HP- and performance wise it is not as huge today as it was back then
But Jag took a bath with this one, lost a bundle. If I remember well, many paid deposits but then when the problems of this car surfaced they did not want to buy it.
@ Autosavant
Do you actually read the articles, or just scan the headline and race to be the first person to post?
Given that Jaguar’s current 4-door XFR saloon has beaten this things top speed, it’s single purpose in life (being the fastest Jaguar ever) has been rendered moot.
I’ve seen a few in the flesh. They do look nice. Long, low, purposeful.
I’ll keep the E-type though.
–chuck
Think I’d rather a replica of the XJ-13.
Didn’t top gear race this car against a new supercar, and showed the XJ220 was actually slightly faster?
As for the brakes, I remember reading years ago, that this car had manual brakes. For something this big, I’m surprised there was no vacuum assist. Then again…the Spyker doesn’t have power brakes either.
@dgduris: I concur!
The last issue of Automobile that darkened my door was the “Speed” issue. Their euro staffer did a too short paragraph on all the cars that he had taken over the double-ton over the past 20+ years and he said it was one of the more stable and confidence inspiring at that speed. I guess the bit about not being able to stop got edited out.
Bonzai Pipeline?
Trimming the roots of trees to keep them small, or shouting Banzai (10,000 years, i.e. may the Emperor reign for 10,000 years) as you charge across the battle field?
The XJ220 seems to me a perfect example of a great car with bad press (except for the brakes). They used a turbo V6, but it was a racing engine with more power – so what if it doesn’t sound like a V12? It’s a better engine! No four wheel drive? It seems to me that most supercars are RWD. No scissor doors? Well, that might have been useful since the car is supposedly as wide as a boat… As for the brakes, I think if you can afford this car you can afford to upgrade the brakes.
Jaguar made a huge mistake in marketing things it didn’t deliver and really it was a terrible time to bring out a supercar, but the car itself is brilliant. It’s still a very fast car, well over a decade after it’s production. And in my opinion, it’s still beautiful. It seems to me only prissy rich people would care about it having a turbo V6 instead of a V12. If I had money coming out of all orifices, I would buy one. And upgrade the brakes.
Does anyone remember this car and retired drivers racing on ESPN at Indianapolis Raceway Park?
http://www.nytimes.com/1993/07/04/sports/auto-racing-jaguar-takes-lumps-with-goosebumps.html
I remember the 1st race. It wasn’t pretty.
It seems to me only prissy rich people would care about it having a turbo V6 instead of a V12.
That’s one reason why the Ferrari Dino didn’t sell particularly well. The 246 had a six cylinder. I suppose Honda/Acura lost some sales for the NSX because of its six as well.
People can be idiots.
Funny running into this article today. This morn, driving to breakfast with the wife, we were passed by an E-type. In my humble opinion, it’s still the sexiest thing on four wheels. Gads, I wish the Brits would have put as much into the quality as they did into the style.
Sigh.
As I recall, Jaguar didn’t exactly design, or build them … this was outsourced to TWR (Tom Walkinshaw Racing.)
I remember reading a very interesting piece about the XJ220 in Octane Magazine a few years ago. There are any number of specialists who will replace the brakes and whatnot on your Jag.
The flywheel is also supposed to be quite fragile especially on machines which have been left to rot in some millionaire’s garage for twenty years. You are much better off buying a well used and cared for example with a few subtle modifications.
The XJ220 was essentially a “saturday morning” project by Jag engineers which was given the green light so the car is bound to be flawed. By the way, that turbo V6 (essentially three quarters of a Cosworth DFV) was from the Metro 6R4 rally car and had a great deal of racing pedigree; just not in any sort of Jaguar.
I have heard that the 220 designation was to honor the car’s top speed.
Could it actually hit 220? Wasn’t this thing supposed to be the fastest car in the world, at the time?
I had one of these in burgundy red in the the early nineties. Never mind it was a Scalextric slot-car, it was still cooler than my brothers camo-painted F40.
I do believe it was briefly the fastest with a claimed 220 mph. Until the McLaren F1 came along.
Looks nice but I’d feel like Batman driving it around.
johnnyreno700 :
I have heard that the 220 designation was to honor the car’s top speed.
Correct
Could it actually hit 220? Wasn’t this thing supposed to be the fastest car in the world, at the time?
No, yes and 212
@geggamoya
This car is one of my all time favs. What was it like to live with, why did you give it up?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3qvHJBMHK8
Yeah, here’s the episode from Top Gear. You get to watch the XJ220 spank a Zonda. Probably one of my favorite episodes.
escapenguin
“In a straight line anyway…”
TWR sure was involved in a number of fiascos. After the XJ220 mess TWR somehow convinced Volvo that it should be contracted to build the C70 off the Volvo 850 platform. Volvo even turned over a factory space to TWR to build it in. Walkinshaw bragged about how his guys could get the job done so much faster than the stodgy old engineers inside Volvo.
Well, guess what, the C70 development wasn’t really done when the vehicle was released and Volvo had all sorts of warranty issues to deal with. Eventually Volvo sent Walkinshaw packing.
Detroit-Iron, you did catch that bit about “… it was a Scalextric slot-car … “, yes?
“MMH :
October 3rd, 2009 at 12:38 pm
@ Autosavant
Do you actually read the articles, or just scan the headline and race to be the first person to post?”
and who the hell might you be? Some Cybernanny with long skirts checking if we all did our homeworks?
I wrote a precise and concise OPINION on the topic, which was the Jag 220. I did not ask anybody if they read my comments. I am not in the business of doing homework, but of ASSIGNING it.
Got it? Now if you do not have any comments on the CONTENT of my post, go away.
PS I just realized I have owned a silver 220, with two opening doors, for more than a decade. About 1:40 scale (not 1:43). Not sure if it is die cast, it has a plasticky feel to it. Got it at a bargain basement $2.
@Robert
Ha, very true.
Is it just me or did they model this car after a catfish?
@Chuck
“Given that Jaguar’s current 4-door XFR saloon has beaten this things top speed, it’s single purpose in life (being the fastest Jaguar ever) has been rendered moot.”
C’mon…the XFR has nowhere near the stock performance of the 220. It’s top speed is about 60mph shy of being the fasted road going Jag. I presume you are talking about the recent publicity stunt at Bonneville where a MODIFIED XJR was able to attain 225 MPH. But if we’re going to compare apples with oranges then I’d say an XJR-12 in Le Mans trim has the XF beaten by a considerable margin.
Now some pedantry:
The XJ220 was a 3.5 litre car not 3.2. The was adapted from the 6R4 rally car – whose engine whilst designed by an ex-Cosworth guy and sharing some similarities with the YB motors (it has nothing to do with the DFV) was none the less unique.
It’s easy to bash these cars in retrospect but at the time it was the coolest looking thing out there.
Crack pipe.
Got some flamebait going on here.
I might never see one of these in my life.. in person.. but at least I can own the 1/18 diecast.. along with a E type from 63 and a 1997 XJR convertible.. in green to match the E type