Behold, the TWR Supercat: a 600bhp+ V12-engined Jaguar XJS

Published By: NEWSROOM_REPOST

Big V12? Check. Manual ‘box? Check. Wild body? Very check. Meet TWR’s £270k plaything

This is a limited-edition ‘super-GT’ built from the bones of a car that was a) maligned on release, b) beset with reliability issues, and c) quite ugly. Perfect time for a makeover, then. A V12-flavoured makeover. Welcome, one and all, to the wild new TWR Supercat.

It’s been spun off the Jaguar XJS, a car TWR (and likely not many other people) holds dear to its heart, thanks to a smattering of race wins. Count ‘em: Classic TWR won the European Touring Car Championship, Spa 24hrs and Bathurst in 1984 in the Big Jag.

New TWR isn’t Classic TWR, mind, though it is run by Tom Walkinshaw’s son Fergus. And Fergus has taken the big, thirsty and now appreciating XJS and turned it into some sort of road-going touring car.

That’s largely thanks to the project’s design lead Khyzyl Saleem, whose work anyone with a passing interest in ‘The Internet’ will be familiar with. Sitting on the restored XJS skeleton sits a fully carbon fibre body inspired by “TWR’s performance and racing car history”.

As mentioned, Classic TWR has quite the history, and you’ll spot references to the XJR-9, XJR-12 and XJ220 about the streetfighter silhouette. Should pack a fairly meaty punch, too, because New TWR has confirmed the Supercat will run a supercharged V12 (of unspecified capacity, but definitely Massive) to the tune of 600bhp. Or more.

That’ll be matched to a six-speed manual gearbox and rear-wheel-drive, combined with “weight-saving materials” and a tuning programme designed to make sure it provides “visceral dynamics for those who desire a truly connected and analogue driving experience”.

Not much else has been confirmed at this stage, other than the powertrain and the knowledge that Fergus has enlisted a team who’ve done stints at McLaren, Ferrari, Porsche, Williams, Mercedes F1 and Renault F1. And the Supercat will apparently set the standard for New TWR’s future road cars.

This particular one product will start at £270k (including VAT), but each car will be bursting with personalisation so it’ll likely be more. And TWR is only building 88 Supercats, in reference to the year Classic TWR took an outright win at Le Mans.

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

“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.”

There’s more to come – including the interior – with TWR promising a full dynamic debut later this summer.