The Jaguar XJ220 is a two-seat sports car produced by British luxury car

manufacturer Jaguar from 1992 until 1994, in collaboration with the specialist automotive and
race engineering company Tom Walkinshaw Racing.[3][4] The XJ220 recorded a top speed of
212.3 mph (341.7 km/h) during testing by Jaguar at the Nardo test track in Italy.[5] This made it
the fastest production car from 1992 to 1993.[6] According to Jaguar, an XJ220 prototype
managed a Nürburgring lap time of 7:46.36 in 1991 which was faster than any production car
lap time before it.[4][7][8][9]
The XJ220 was developed from a V12-engined 4-wheel drive concept car designed by an
informal group of Jaguar employees working in their spare time.[4] The group wished to create a
modern version of the successful Jaguar 24 Hours of Le Mans racing cars of the 1950s and
1960s that could be entered into FIA Group B competitions.[10] The XJ220 made use of
engineering work undertaken for Jaguar's then current racing car family.[11]
The initial XJ220 concept car was unveiled to the public at the 1988 British International Motor
Show, held in Birmingham, England.[12] Its positive reception prompted Jaguar to put the car
into production. Approximately 1,500 deposits of £50,000 each were taken and deliveries were
planned for 1992.[4][11]
Engineering and emissions requirements resulted in significant changes to the specification of
the XJ220, most notably the replacement of the Jaguar V12 engine by a turbocharged V6
engine. The changes to the specification and a collapse in the demand of high performance
cars brought about by the early 1990s recession resulted in many buyers choosing not to
exercise their purchase options. A total of just 275 cars were produced by the time production
ended, each with a retail price of £470,000 in 1992, making it one of the most expensive cars
at that time.[4][9]