It didn’t matter that it boasted 542 hp or had a top speed of 217 mph. For $625,000, many buyers felt doubled-crossed
This magnificent-looking and supremely well-specified Jaguar XJ 220 coupe is offered here in pristine condition and at a level offering a considerable savings over the list price at launch. The words “supercar” and “sensational” are often to be found in conjunction, and no more justifiably so than in the case of Jaguar’s fabulous XJ 220.
Worthy successor to the XK 120 and E-type, the XJ 220 grabbed the headlines-just as its illustrious forebears had done in previous decades-when it burst upon an astonished world in 1991. This time though, the newest Jaguar could claim a title denied its predecessors, that of “The World’s Fastest Car.” An eventual VAT-inclusive price tag of nearly $700,000 (in today’s dollars) only served to further ensure the XJ 220’s exclusivity.
Planning had begun in the mid-1980s and finally bore fruit when the prototype was exhibited at the U.K. Motor Show in 1988. The XJ 220 survived Jaguar’s takeover by Ford the following year, but when it eventually entered production in 1992 it was a very different beast. Gone was the 6.2-liter V12 engine, replaced by a Cosworth-designed 3.5- liter twin-turbo V6, as used in the XJR-11 sports racer. Four-wheel drive and active suspension were also gone. Producing no less than 542 bhp, the V6 engine enabled the XJ 220 to meet its 200 mph-plus design target, F1 driver Martin Brundle recording a speed of over 217 mph during track testing. The 0-100 mph time was a staggering 7.9 seconds.
The XJ 220 was constructed around a bonded and riveted monocoque chassis formed from lightweight, corrosion-resistant aluminum-alloy sheet, and reinforced by aluminum honeycomb sections in highly stressed areas. Similarly race-derived was the double wishbone suspension, AP racing brakes, Speedline aluminum alloy wheels (17″ front, 18″ rear), and the five-speed, all-synchromesh transaxle with a viscous-control limited slip differential.
A left-hand drive model finished in turquoise green/blue metallic with biscuit leather, S/N 633 is DOT/EPA certified. It is scarcely used-the odometer records just 1,450 kilometers (901 miles), and in as-new condition.