XJR-S - The finest original XJR-S in the world

FROM A PRIVATE CAR COLLECTION IN JAPAN, JORDAN RODDY FOUND AND ACQUIRED AN ORIGINAL AS-BUILT 6.0 LITRE FACELIFT MODEL VERY LATE XJR-S - ONE OF THE LAST TWENTY-THREE BUILT BY JAGUARSPORT.

THE XJ-S WILL ALMOST CERTAINLY BE JAGUAR'S LONGEST RUNNING production car ever. It improved with age between 1975 and 1996 to the point where original examples of the first and last variants in particular are very highly collectable.

There were two major players in making the XJ-S the success it became after what was a hesitant start in life - Sir John Egan, Jaguar's then CEO and rescuer, plus Tom Walkinshaw who put it on the map as a winning race car though his TWR team. TWR created 'TWR Sport' in 1984 to produce modified versions of the XJ-S. Designated XJR-S, the cars benefited from the racing experience in European Touring Cars, featuring improved aerodynamics; up-rated suspension and brakes; tuned engine and other detail changes. The success of TWR Sport led to the formalising of a joint venture in 1988 called 'JaguarSport'. TWR and Jaguar Cars were equal partners in the new JaguarSport venture, and created special versions of production cars, the XJ-S in particular in the vein of Mercedes-Benz's AMG and BMW's 'M' models.

A JaguarSport XJR-S was highly prized from the outset. Few were built, but with the TWR name attached to the machines their status went through the roof. Befitting the XJ-S grand touring luxury image, all XJR-S models had automatic transmissions, and retained all the walnut veneer a forest could muster.

Each XJR-S variation had a special body kit and unique wheel design, as well as blackedout sport bumpers front and rear. The first official XJR-S had the 5.3 litre HE (High Efficiency) V12 engine. Jaguar swapped it for the 6.0 litre V12 in 1989, as did JaguarSport. With a different engine management system and increased capacity, the XJR-S now had claimed an increase in top speed too, a whopping 254 kph or 158 mph.