RE: Jaguar XJ220: PH Heroes

[Marineboy05]

For a really good appreciation I suggest you read Mike Moretons book the inside story. Mike was Programme manager and was at the 20th anniversary reunion a few years ago. I and many of the the project team on the 220 have many fond memories of the Bloxham. Days at Wykeham Mill . To drive the 220 was indeed an awesome experience. Many forget this was also the first production aluminium bonded structure and set many long forgotten benchmarks. A Fully British made icon. How many cars can make that claim now?

[anonymous-user]

Marineboy05 said:

For a really good appreciation I suggest you read Mike Moretons book the inside story. Mike was Programme manager and was at the 20th anniversary reunion a few years ago. I and many of the the project team on the 220 have many fond memories of the Bloxham. Days at Wykeham Mill . To drive the 220 was indeed an awesome experience. Many forget this was also the first production aluminium bonded structure and set many long forgotten benchmarks. A Fully British made icon. How many cars can make that claim now?

I've just ordered this, thanks for the recommendation!

[cc8s]

[QUOTE]Even at a respectful photography pace it doesn't feel like the sort of car I want to be trying to make serious progress in, and maybe there's a wider lesson here about the different views that have developed over the XJ220's merits. I'd certainly love a chance to see what a good one could manage on a stretch of derestricted Autobahn.[/QUOTE]

We did exactly that earlier this year.

We hit 180mph on the autobahn and cruised happily around 130mph while continuing a conversation. That car is made for long-legged touring (barring the lack of storage!). There was one point that I felt like we were starting to go quite fast. A look at the GPS said we were doing 152mph!


In general terms the car ran really well. The heat in southern Europe and Monaco, together with the glass roof creating a greenhouse effect, made the cabin border on unbearable but, if you don't mind arrving thoroughly toasted then the XJ220 is a superb way to tour. The seats are very, very comfortable. The car is smooth and long-legged. If the temperatures had been closer to UK temperatures then the car would have been perfect.

In all, the car was one of my favourite cars before the trip and now that I understand its strengths, I love it even more. Such a special machine.

[cc8s]

LotusOmega375D said:

This one?

https://grrc.goodwood.com/festival-of-speed/latest...

Of course the original 1988 NEC V12 4WD prototype was a little shorter than the V6 production car.

We studied the prototype when it was in the Grampian Transport Museum. It is apparently about a foot longer that the road cars and, seeing it in person, I would say that is true. It is much bigger than the production car.

Torquey said:

I'm not normally an interior person but that is bad. It looks 20 years older than the rest of the car.
other than that the car is still beautiful.

Any reason for those heater vents? (Seriously - 6 vents is a lot for a small cabin)

The 6 air vents are absolutely needed in hotter climates.

hookedonboost said:

Love these cars, I was also at the Motor Show when these were at prototype stage with my old boy, I can recall him lifting me up so I could see the engine bay which would have been the fabled V12.

Does anyone else recall the XJ220 they found hidden behind a wall?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/3005938.stm

This car now lives in north east Scotland (not the one I have posted). I have seen it a few times and it only has about 205 miles on the clock when I last saw it.

[Vyse]

Good luck trying to drive a XJR-9 on the road.

soad said:

Prefer a XJR-9 myself.

[MJK 24]

cc8s][QUOTE said:

Even at a respectful photography pace it doesn't feel like the sort of car I want to be trying to make serious progress in, and maybe there's a wider lesson here about the different views that have developed over the XJ220's merits. I'd certainly love a chance to see what a good one could manage on a stretch of derestricted Autobahn.

We did exactly that earlier this year.

We hit 180mph on the autobahn and cruised happily around 130mph while continuing a conversation. That car is made for long-legged touring (barring the lack of storage!). There was one point that I felt like we were starting to go quite fast. A look at the GPS said we were doing 152mph!


In general terms the car ran really well. The heat in southern Europe and Monaco, together with the glass roof creating a greenhouse effect, made the cabin border on unbearable but, if you don't mind arrving thoroughly toasted then the XJ220 is a superb way to tour. The seats are very, very comfortable. The car is smooth and long-legged. If the temperatures had been closer to UK temperatures then the car would have been perfect.

In all, the car was one of my favourite cars before the trip and now that I understand its strengths, I love it even more. Such a special machine.

Is there nothing that can be done with the roof such as tint it darker still?

[InitialDave]

dme123 said:

I've just ordered this, thanks for the recommendation!

You'll enjoy it, I got myself a copy earlier this year. Very interesting, and lays to rest a lot of the bullst surrounding the car.

I have to accept that I'm unlikely to ever be able to afford one, but it's one of the few cars I'd seriously consider some kind of replica of (in the "well made GT40 rep" sense, not the "fibreglassing up an MR2 to look like a Ferrari" sense).

[Krikkit]

InitialDave said:

dme123 said:

I've just ordered this, thanks for the recommendation!

You'll enjoy it, I got myself a copy earlier this year. Very interesting, and lays to rest a lot of the bullst surrounding the car.

I have to accept that I'm unlikely to ever be able to afford one, but it's one of the few cars I'd seriously consider some kind of replica of (in the "well made GT40 rep" sense, not the "fibreglassing up an MR2 to look like a Ferrari" sense).

Also just bought, one of my favourite cars. I remember seeing the prototype in the now-defunct heritage museum and marvelling at how huge it was, but sculpted so curvaceously compared to the angular F40.

In an ideal world I'd have both.