The return of the famous motorsport team Tom Walkinshaw Racing has seen the company release its modern version of the Jaguar XJS Grand tourers.
It says TWR Supercatand follows the same principle as the multitude of other “restomods”: take a vintage car and equip it with modern equipment without losing the spirit of the original.
TWR is no stranger to Jaguar, having previously prepared V12-powered monsters as a factory team and won the 24 Hours of Le Mans twice (1988 and 1990).
The company also became involved in Australian motorsport, having competed in the 1985 Bathurst 1000 with two Jaguars.
While the TWR Supercat is largely based on the core design of the XJS, there are nods to other Jaguar racing cars in its carbon fiber body such as the
These include a large front splitter, wide, boxy wheel arches, a massive rear diffuser and aero disc wheels, all designed by digital artist Khyzyl Saleem with the help of consultant and prolific Porsche collector Magnus Walker.
Although there are no photos of its powertrain, TWR says the Supercat hides a supercharged V12 engine under the hood that produces 447 kW (or 600 hp), which is sent to the rear wheels via a six-speed manual transmission.
TWR isn’t naming names but promises the Supercat is more than just a showpiece, with technical input from engineers who have worked for McLaren, Ferrari, Porsche, Williams, Mercedes F1 and Renault F1.
We’ll have to wait until the European summer (late June to September) to see what the Supercat’s interior looks like, but given the wild styling of the exterior, it’s unlikely to retain the same plush, elegant appearance of the original XJS.
Fergus Walkinshaw – the son of the late Tom Walkinshaw and now head of TWR – has confirmed that there are plans to produce 88 examples of the Supercat (as a tribute to the team’s 1988 Le Mans victory), each priced at an eye-watering price £225,000 ($435,000). ) before road costs.
There’s a chance we could see a Supercat in Australia too, with TWR making the Supercat available in the UK “and key international markets, including the US”.
While we wait for the TWR Supercat to fire up its supercharged V12 engine, here’s a look back at the Jaguar XJS that led the opening laps at Bathurst in 1985 with Tom Walkinshaw at the wheel. Turn it up and enjoy.
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