The Jaguar XJS is reborn as a £225k supercar – but TWR will make just 88

Rebord racing legend TWR has unveiled its debut 21st century road car today, and it’s bound to catch the eye of enthusiasts with deep pockets and a taste for classic Jags.

The V12 Super-GT Supercat will be built from the foundations of the iconic Jaguar XJS, and will bring the legacy of the ’80s and ’90s dominating Tom Walkinshaw Racing team to high-performance road vehicles.

The reveal comes ahead of the physical summer launch, with order books now open but buyers will need deep pockets: the limited-run production car will start from £225,000. 

TWR is being revived by Fergus Walkinshaw (the son of eponymous founder Tom Walkinshaw) and John Kane as a maker of bespoke high-performance automobiles. 

TWR has unveiled the V12 Super-GT Supercat – built on the iconic Jaguar XJS

The limited production car will have more than 600bhp, a supercharged V12 and a six-speed manual gearbox as well as a carbon fibre exterior. As its a bespoke build, much of the rest is up to the what the 88 future owners decide they want for their Supercat

The TWR Supercat is a 600bhp supercharged V12 powered Super-GT, built from the legendary XJS platform.

A six-speed manual gearbox, weight-saving materials and extensive tuning will all play to TWR’s status, delivering a one-of-a-kind analogue driving experience.

TWR’s history with the XJS goes back to wins from Belgium’s famous Spa racetrack to Australia’s Bathurst, and together the two have triumphed across some of the most gruelling motorsport environments in the world.

In its heyday, TWR conquered Le Mans with Jaguar’s XJR-9 and dominated the British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) with the Rover Vitesse and Volvo 850. 

TWR has a long history with Jaguar, with the XJS collecting wins from Spa to Bathurst

The Supercat will bring a new generation of road cars from one of the most storied and celebrated names in motorsport and performance cars.

Fergus Walkinshaw, director and founder, said: ‘After more than two years of extensive design, engineering and development work, we are proud to unveil the design of TWR’s debut product. 

‘The outcome is a true drivers’ Super-GT built from the foundations of the iconic Jaguar XJS and appropriately named the Supercat. 

‘This bold expression of the breed fulfils our mission to build cars worthy of TWR’s winning legacy, starting with this remarkable car as it enters its 50th year.’ 

TWR is being revived by Fergus Walkinshaw (the son of eponymous founder Tom Walkinshaw, pictured, and the Supercat is expected to be the first of many high-performance builds 

Designed by Khyzyl Saleem (Design Lead) and Magnus Walker (Design Consultant), the Supercat has a carbon fibre weight-reducing, drag-minimising sculpted silhouette that clothes the XJS’s instantly recognisable profile, flying buttresses and front graphic. 

It’s a muscular take on the XJS that the brand says ‘speaks of TWR’s clear vision to deliver a dynamic Super-GT that is equally at home on the track as on the road.’

The result is a visual nod to TWR’s Jaguar heritage but with a more aggressive overall aesthetic, referencing the Jaguar XJ220, XJR-9 and XJR-15.

TWR confirms a fundamentally re-imagined interior will be unveiled when the car is revealed fully this summer.

The brand says the Supercat ‘speaks of TWR’s clear vision to deliver a dynamic Super-GT that is equally at home on the track as on the road

To get your TWR Supercat you’ll need to put down a £10k deposit, and then cough up £225,000 (starting price) for one of just 88 builds that will arrive end of 2024

Order books for the Supercat are officially open, with clients needing to put down a £10,000 refundable deposit to secure their build slot. 

The 88-run production will offer customers a ‘full scope for personalisation’, as is the nature of individual builds. 

The base price will be £225,000 (excluding local taxes) but expect to pay over that for individual wishes. 

The Supercat will be available in the UK and major international markets, including the USA. First deliveries for the lucky 88 new owners will take place in the last quarter of 2024. 

This post first appeared on Dailymail.co.uk