Why Did Jaguar Switch From A V12 To A Twin-turbo V6 In The Xj220?

With each decade of nan 20th century, supercars kept connected getting amended and better. Mercedes-Benz's 300SL sparked nan conception successful nan '50s, Lamborghini's Miura and Countach took nan '60s and '70s by storm, past greats specified arsenic nan Ferraria F40 and Porsche 959 battled it out throughout nan precocious '80s and early '90s. At this point, Jaguar had built a formidable estimation arsenic a storied race, luxury, and sports car manufacturer, and it decided to subordinate nan statement pinch a flagship supercar dubbed nan XJ220.

The promised look was an enticing one. A powerful V12 engine, all-wheel thrust — overmuch for illustration the technological masterpiece that was nan Porsche 959 – and a world-beating apical velocity of 220 mph. If it had managed to present upon these promises, it would undoubtedly stock nan limelight pinch icons specified arsenic nan Ferrari F40 and McLaren F1. But nan delivered units fell somewhat short. Instead, nan XJ220 was sold pinch a twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6 successful nan V12's place. It drove nan rear wheels only, and nan apical velocity sat astatine 217 mph. It was still accelerated capable to declare nan title of the world's fastest accumulation car, sure, but it wasn't accelerated capable to present upon its promised speed. 

As such, galore orders were cancelled, and nan XJ220 was instantly considered arsenic thing of a failure. No wonderment Jaguar has ne'er revisited nan supercar segment since, though nan marque did get adjacent erstwhile with nan C-X75. The V12's demise was owed to a number of factors, and arsenic is nan lawsuit pinch galore downsized powerfulness plants these days, emissions were mostly to blame. Weight, size, and financial implications besides had their say, but nan reasons down nan changes didn't alteration really nan XJ220 was a terrible disappointment to many.

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Initial plans for nan XJ220 had ever centered astir a powerful V12 motor providing nan grunt — not surprising, fixed nan occurrence Jaguar had enjoyed pinch V12-powered racers successful nan Group C endurance racing division. The plans were fixed nan go-ahead for a one-off show car to beryllium created, and aft a fewer years, 1 specified car was ready. Packing a 500 horsepower 6.2-liter V12 motor and a tin all-wheel thrust system, nan XJ220 debuted successful '88 successful Birmingham. Naturally, nan sleek Jag received a lukewarm invited from nan public, and truthful Jaguar instructed nan thief of Tom Walkinshaw Racing to inspect nan show car and spot really viable nan creation was for a afloat accumulation run. That's wherever things return a move for nan worst.

The supercar was excessively dense for nan pressures that would beryllium placed connected nan tires astatine speed, and it would ne'er meet nan ever-tighter emissions regulations. Fortunately for Jaguar, an reply wasn't excessively acold distant — it could simply usage nan twin-turbocharged V6 from nan Metro 6R4 rally car. That gave nan car 542 horsepower, starring to a 217 mph apical velocity and a 0-60 mph clip of nether 4 seconds. As awesome arsenic it was, it wasn't what nan group were promised.

Not only was nan V12 dropped, but now only nan rear wheels would beryllium driven, and different features were stripped. Scissor doors, adaptive suspension, and four-wheel steering was primitively planned, but accumulation models would only ever beryllium equipped pinch regular units. The changes near buyers sufficiently unenthused, and arsenic a result, Jaguar only produced 281 retired of a planned 350 units — and galore units sat unsold for years.

In 1992, nan first XJ220 was sold astatine nan extortionate value of £470,000. Adjusted for inflation, and past converted into dollars, that's complete $1,000,000. Yikes. Just a decade later, as-new examples pinch hardly much than transportation miles were trading for astir £100,000. Evidently, nan first disappointment successful nan supercar languished for rather immoderate time.

Fast-forward to today, and nan tide is starting to turn. Granted, if you'd purchased 1 new, past there's still a adjacent spot of depreciation to antagonistic earlier you'd get your $1 cardinal back. But Classic.com now reports that nan mean value achieved is astatine slightest northbound of $500,000, pinch apical examples fetching adjacent to $700,000.

If it had been packaged pinch nan V12 and everything other that came pinch it, past possibly we'd beryllium looking astatine an altogether acold much valuable car. The comparable Bugatti EB110 is now worthy $2 million, and arsenic for nan McLaren F1, you could person an XJ220 for each time of nan week and a gaggle of EB110s for nan value of 1 of those. Still, astatine slightest nan XJ220 is finally being seen arsenic the jaw-dropping supercar that it has secretly ever been. It's conscionable taken 3 decades for that first disappointment to deterioration off.