Lister-Jaguar XJS 7.0: Spotted

Good to be bad in an F-Type? Pah. A 7.0-litre supercharged XJS on the other hand...

Search 'modified' in the used cars for sale on PH and the range of cars is diverse to say the least. From the sublime to the ridiculous via pretty much everything in between, it's an incredible selection of vehicles.

Dare you to call it a bit gaudy. Go on

Then there's this. A supercharged Lister Jaguar XJS. Sublime, ridiculous and much more besides. It's going to auction this month with an estimate of £38-£42,000; steep for an XJS but perhaps not as much as £30K seemed for a 6.0-litre car in 2012 given the recent strengthening of XJS values. This plain V12 cab is listed at £25K for example.

'Plain' is certainly not a description that could be applied to the Lister. It's brazen and unabashed in the most un-Jaguar fashion possible. Decorum and restraint have been ditched in place of excess, brawn and performance. It's superb.

And that's not just performance by the standards of 25 years ago. Remember the XJS Le Mans spec meant a twin supercharged 7.0-litre (!) V12 and somewhere in the region of 600hp. With a manual. Autos are for jesses after all. You suspect (hope?) the clutch and gearbox are recalcitrant enough to make a Countach feel like a Nissan Micra.

'Louche' pretty much sums up all of it

The description for this car is a little confusing for someone not especially clued up on XJS history. Chassis #081LJ is a 1990 XJS 'converted by the factory to 6.0-litre Mk III specification.' It was then upgrades to 'Full 7.0-litre Le Mans Specification' by Lister in 1992. That work reputedly totalled £77,000 and included that six-speed manual, two superchargers and whole host of internal engine tweaks. It was also subject to 'a large array of recommissioning jobs' in 2012 which is also nice to see.

The result of Lister's modifications is not classically pretty in a way that some early XJSs can now look (to these eyes anyway). It's an intimidating and furious car and doesn't particularly care if you think it looks a little ostentatious. The advert quotes a recent magazine test and apparently "not even the XJ220 comes close in terms of sheer brute force." What a machine!

So here's how to look at the Lister XJS. Not as a expensive way into an XJS but an affordable route to six hundred horsepower. Make your own comments about reliability now. The nearest alternative for anywhere near the £38-£42,000 estimate is this Mercedes CL65 AMG at just over £50K. And that's not a Lister Jaguar, is it? Yes, G11 CAT will probably require a lot of patience and, yes, many people will think it's a ropey old XJS but allow them to believe that. Then show them what a 600hp Jaguar V12 is capable of.

LISTER-JAGUAR XJS 7.0 LE MANS
Engine: 6,995cc twin-supercharged V12
Transmission: 6-speed manual, rear-wheel drive
Power (hp): 612@N/Arpm
Torque (lb ft): Many
MPG: Very few
CO2: Come again?
First registered: 1990
Recorded mileage: 43,850
Price new: Well the conversion cost £77,000...
Yours for: £38-42,000 (auction estimate)

See the ad here.

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bob1179

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