It’s hard to imagine but not that long ago Jaguar laid claim to building the world’s fastest production car with its XJ220 supercar, which during the early 1990s was speed king until it was knocked off its throne by the McLaren F1. The car featured a turbocharged mid-mounted V6 developing 549hp (409kW) and was capable of reaching a top speed of 217mph (350km/h).
The idea of first building the car arose after a team of Jaguar enthusiasts envisaged developing a new supercar that could beat the Ferraris and Porsches of the time – most notably the F40 and 959 models. The design precis for the XJ220 was simple, create a lightweight two-seater with a powerful mid-mounted engine.
With the help of Tom Walkinshaw Racing, Jaguar rolled out a concept version of the car in 1988 and just three years later the final production version was launched. The car stayed in production at a purpose built factory at Bloxham near Oxford until it was finally discontinued in 1994. During its heyday, the XJ220 even spawned a custom Pininfarina-version designed exclusively for the Sultan of Brunei.