Jaguars are among the coolest cars on Earth, yet they are somehow so unloved that the manufacturer has been forced into a life of servitude to the soccer mom crossover. Sure, the F-Type is still an awesome fire-breathing V8 sports car, and we give thanks for that. But have you ever spent more than a moment thinking about the XJ?
Currently, the venerable sedan is 52 years old, which means it has more heritage than almost any sedan nameplate. They make awesome V8 versions of this too. But sales are so bad that the company is forced to turn it into an electric car. We think that will fail too, since nobody is able to compete with Tesla, especially not the old-timers.
Somewhere along the way, we also lost the XJS (originally called the XJ-S). Made between 1975 and 1996, this was available as a coupe and convertible. Chronologically, it slotted between the E-Type and XK8, which basically means there's no room for it alongside the F-Type.
But this rendering by wb.artist20 explores the possibility of a modern successor to the XJS, which we think is juicy. You see, many amateur car collectors have tried owning a 1980s XJS because it's probably the cheapest way to have a V12 engine. And they're always hit with reliability problems. But the way the car looks and drives is undeniably special.
We bet you're curious about what it's like to own a V12 Jaguar XJS. That's why, at the end of this story, we've compiled a few reviews for you to watch. The last one is from Hoovies Garage, who's owned one at considerable cost. It's a case of "don't try this at home, kids."
For the modernization rendering, the XJS keeps its iconic headlight design. But its shark-nosed grille is brought in line with today's aggressive front end standards. Also, the profile is more modern, thanks to all the features of a 2020 F-Type, including the wheels, mirrors, and especially the flush door handles.
Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida. Full profile
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