JAGUAR XJ220 Models/Series Timeline, Specifications & Photos

Jaguar designed the XJ220 to be the fastest car in the world with a top speed of 220 mph (354 kph), and it got there, but the production model was far from the original project.

When the British carmaker unveiled the XJ220 at the 1988 Birmingham Motor Show, the public was stunned. The car was designed and assembled by a group of employees who worked overtime to develop and the V-12 all-wheel-drive monster. But the company's management found another use for their work by introducing a production model based on the prototype: the XJ220.

Keith Helfet penned the car and made it as aerodynamic as possible but still respecting the homologation rules. At the front, he installed covered headlights and an oval-shaped grille on the bumper. A spoiler with an integrated splitter in the apron contributed to the car's aerodynamic downforce. From its sides, the XJ220 featured a waved shape and a long and low-profiled greenhouse. Under the rear windscreen, Jaguar left the engine compartment in plain sight, while at the back, the rear fenders sported the air-intakes on the lower sides. A retractable wing mounted above the rear panel completed the supercar image.

Inside, the carmaker installed two sport bucket seats with high bolstered areas to support their occupants. As an option, it offered a glass roof, so there was more light inside. The dashboard formed a cocoon together with the tall center console around the driver. Since it was more expensive than any Rolls-Royce on the market, the carmaker added expensive materials and hand-crafted the interior.

Unlike the concept car, the production model featured a twin-turbocharged V-6 engine designed by Rover for its Group-B Rally race car. Power went to the rear wheels only via a five-speed manual gearbox. And, as the former F1 racer and test-driver Martin Brundle remembered, the car's top speed was 217.1 mph (349.38 kph), and that record stood until 1993 when McLaren smashed it with 240.1 mph (386.4 kph).