It has been 20 years since the first XJ220 rolled out from it’s own factory in Bloxham and even by today’s standards it still is a masterpiece. In 1992, the fastest one could go was 213 mph, in an XJ 220. That threshold is a challenge for today’s M5.
Originally conceived as a concept car, designed by Keith Helfet, the XJ220 was showcased on the 1988 British Motor Show. It was the kind of concept that nobody believed that it would be built but an year later production was given a green light and the TWR company was appointed as a partner.
The XJ engineers started off with some goals and then set on to build the car that can meet them. The ideas back then were visionary, daring and some even sounding impossible – it had to be light, it had to be RWD and it had to do 220 mph (hence the name XJ220). The obvious thing to do to reach such heights in velocity was to throw in a gigantic engine and let it do its job. However, fitting a V12 proved tricky (mechanically) and also because of the emissions regulation there was no way for this car to be street legal and that powerful if it were with 12 cylinders. The next best thing was turbocharging – two massive Garrett T3 turbines were bolted on the modest 3.5 L, V 6 engine and the end result was just mesmerizing: 550 PS and 475 lbs ft of torque surging trough a 5-speed gearbox and space devouring 345/35 Bridgestones. Other highlights included the AP racing twin-plate clutch and AP disc brakes with four-pot callipers. They were a bit of a handful for the ordinary everyday driver for one had to be fairly built to operate them but it all worked as charm nevertheless.
Despite the positive reaction of various critics and motoring enthusiasts, the XJ was a commercial failure. Production ceased in 1994, by which time only 275 cars had been built. The price was a bit too steep (740 861 U.S. Dollars) and undoubtedly it was hard to live with.
The point of this car however, was to prove how with the apt engineers of Jaguar, there are no boundaries. The silver car in attendance at the recent Jaguar Experience Day held at the Heritage Motor Centre, Gaydon is chassis 004, one of 10 pre-production vehicles. This example was used for extensive tyre and high speed testing at Fort Stockton, Texas, in 1991. Andy Wallace achieved a maximum speed of 213 mph in the car during the testing process.
The XJ220 S was another daring project which was basically built from scrap (Le Mans spare parts really). It had single-piece carbon fibre front and rear clamshells, tweaked suspension and a claimed power of 700 PS. Inside the otherwise luxurious trim was sacrificed for the sake of Kevlar bucket seats and carbon fibre panels. It was a true sporting breed. And today it is a classic on top of that.
Source: Jaguar
Health and safety officials should be watching carefully because lo and behold, a Hyundai Genesis can perform CPR (Cardiopulmonary resuscitation). See that and many more with the car company’s ad campaign which is set to take over the Super Bowl for a fifth year with five spots this time.
21st century tech thinking seems to be something along these lines: “smaller is better”. Just thing about the many product advertisement campaigns that use the words “slim” or “nano” or even just putting “lighter” as a quality. Ford are aware of that and have developed a new engine within the consumer-friendly EcoBoost range – a 1.0 Litre, 3-cylinder, turbocharged petrol unit that, on paper, is just as powerful as a standard 1.6 litre one. Yet the economy figures that go with the engine (that is to be placed in a Focus) are worthy enough to make any diesel engine in the world green with envy.
The 2012 Geneva Motor Show will no doubt bring excitement to all rubber-burning, rev counting motoring enthusiasts. But a motor show isn’t a genuine one without some space for practicality and sensibility. That is why Skoda is world premiering the 5-door Citigo sub-compact car there. It’s a boxy little thing that is designed to be simple, neat and easy to live with.
A new range of BMW bets on an electric driving experience at the expense of a few litres of Diesel. Say hello to the BMW xDrive 5 series, X5 and X6 M-performance specs. By “M-Performance”, BMW actually mean “Not quite M cars but they are out there”. All three vehicles harbor a magnificent 3.0 L game changer and all have been developed by BMW M GmbH engineers.
The Citroen DS is still young and ripe but already it has set on maturing into a hefty lineup : the DS3, DS4 and DS5. Unlike the standard range, the DS line with its bold design and bonkers features is for people with the driving enthusiasm of teenagers or lunatics. The Citroen DS5 is the latest addition to the line-up and the first one to feature Full Hybrid Diesel technology with the Hybrid4 version. It will join an already successful market of DS vehicles with around 180 000 units sold and counting.
RENNtech Tuning usually deal with ECU tunings and exhaust system fiddling. Now the Mini Cooper has been introduced to them and it wont be an exception.
“Auto motor und sport” is a popular motoring magazine known for it’s expertise on.. well.. motoring and sport. It is German-based but it also has a significant amount of worldwide clout as it has been around since 1977. This year, more than 210,000 readers, some of them from China, others from Brazil, have cast their votes to crown the “Best Cars of 2012”.
Ford are ready to tackle this year’s Grand-Am 200 Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge within the ST class. Their contender will be the Daytona International Speedway debutant Focus ST-R. Ford Racing already has a substantial portfolio of production-based race cars if we count the FR500 and Boss 302R. The ST-R clearly has its roots embedded in the standard Focus and the ST:
Audi has proved itself very popular within the German community which is rather unsurprising. This year, the German-based magazine ”Motor und sport” surveyed a six-digit number of people to determine the “Best Cars of 2012”. The thing is that many people that took part in the research were from other countries as well – The “Motor und sport” magazine has a fan base in more than 13 European countries, Brazil and China. These are all vague numbers and speculations but the fact remains that Audi is one of the most referred to car makes on the market today.
Last year, Skoda have delivered 879,200 vehicles to budget oriented, sensible customers. That’s 15% more in comparison with 2010 sales. Today Skoda are planing to keep up that pace by expanding to the East. The Qatar Motor Show will see the Skoda MissionL concept for the first time outside European land.
