Jaguar XJ-S · Articles / Latest

Despite coming from two different manufacturers, by sharing much below the surface, the DB7 and Jaguar XJS are closely related. We compare a straight six-engined example of each to discover which of these surprising siblings we prefer.

The Cabriolet was intended as a stop-gap model but together with the six-cylinder option was responsible for rescuing the XJ-S.

The six-cylinder XJ-S was also offered in coupe form and quickly became the thinking man’s choice. We find a remarkable survivor.

The XK8 which replaced the XJS in 1996 was a very different beast indeed. We compare a 4-litre example of each to discover which we prefer today.

Hoping to persuade police forces across the UK that the XJ-S could be a high-speed response vehicle, a single demonstrator was developed. It’s fresh out of restoration and we’ve driven it.

On the 40th anniversary of its launch, we tell the story of the XJ-S Eventer, Jaguar’s best-loved sports estate.

Best of breed. To mark Jaguar specialist KWE’s 20th anniversary, we drive founder Chris Knowles’ own upgraded 6.0-litre XJR-S

Although Jaguar had stopped offering the XJ-S with a manual gearbox in 1978, two were produced in the early Eighties which also had the Lucas P-Digital injection. We’ve tracked down what’s thought to be the sole survivor.

We sample a 1987 Jaguar Sport XJ-S first owned by TWR’s Tom Walkinshaw and featuring a unique 6.4-litre V12.

We revisit the 1980s comparison between Porsche 944 and Jaguar XJ-S to find out how these unlikely rivals compare today.

When I joined Jaguar in the mid-Seventies I was surprised to discover it was Malcolm Sayer who had initiated the XJ-S’s design since as a large grand tourer, it was a very different car from his most famous, the E-type.

Life Cycle The high-speed musical life of the Lynx Eventer prototype, featuring Tina Turner, Sir Bob Geldof, Cy Curnin, Howard Jones and a bootful of synthesisers. What began life as a substandard outcast soon became a showpiece, and mobile rehearsal studio to.

Initially controversial, the XJS became Jaguar’s longest running model. In its 21st and final year of production, the company launched the ‘XJS Celebration’ – now deemed by many to be the most desirable of the range – We examine its history and find out what makes them so special…

There was more than a little criticism from the press when in early 1982 Tom Walkinshaw Racing (TWR) announced it was to enter the European Touring Car Championship (ETCC) with a Jaguar XJ-S. Big, heavy and very thirsty, it was – on paper at least – an unsuitable choice for this highly competitive series, just as the XJ12 Coupe had been five years earlier. Worse still, TWR’s effort had limited backing from the factory, only getting paid when the cars finished on the podium. With BMW dominating the series, doing so would be a tall order.

The XJ-S went on to be a major success for Jaguar, but its gestation was troubled and its early career blighted by poor sales. We take a look at those early problematic days of the 1970s…