Are you guys sure that he didn

 

Everyone uses GM trannies for a reason. I can tell you GM automatics last longer than a lot of Japanese autos, as Nissan can't seem to make one worth a crap....least not one that can take punishment.

The XJS was for sure a GT cruiser. I think it did pretty well in competition in the late 70s/early 80s, but the general public probably found it so-so. I've seen several recently with the aforementioned LT1 conversion or some other hybridization. I'm a purist myself, so I'd like one with the V12 in it.

 

I think that Bob Tullis raced it for Group 44 in America. TWR raced it in Europe in a Group A guise.

It did win Bathurst out here in Australia (part of a 3 car TWR entry).

Footnote: before the Bathurst win, the XJS was raced by a privateer who was sponsored by the computer company Wang. Obviously the car became known as "that Wang-car".

 

You're kinda young right? And no racing background? It's called British Racing Green and is a staple of British made cars with a racing heritage from when cars used a national colour (I believe Honda for example was white). I believe it was this past year that Bently had an entry in the 24 hrs of LeMans and it was ugly @ss green .

For all that, 'fast car' is relative. Most 'Fast Cars' from 1989 are not nearly as impressive now. ...and have you seen the Grassroots motorsports article where they compared a 69(68?) 911 with a modern minivan? The 911 lost EVERY handling test if I'm not mistaken.

Badly!

Our S2000 is already becoming 'slow'. It's kinda getting where if a car isn't running a 5 second flat 0-60 and easily repeatable 13 second 1/4's (the S may dip there occasionally, but it's not easily repeatable) it ain't fast.

 

a guy down the road from me owns an old jaguar and its a red coupe, and it has the v12 badge on the side. but it also has a widebody so does anyone know if a model came in widebody w/a v12?
-Chris

 

Maybe some factory competition model maybe? I've never seen that myself.

 

There were tuners that hotted them up. From memory Lynx, Arden, Duncan Hamilton and the semi factory TWR conversions.

TWR (Tom Walkinshaw Racing) ones looked good, the rest not so good, there were some pretty ugly German ones (it was the 80's after all).

There is one that does sprints out here in Melbourne, Oz that has big flares, outboard discs and I think the engine is a detuned ex-Le Mans V12. It flies.

Gary Walker created a few (twin turbo?) black V12s that had big flares on them too.

 

Steed in the TV series the new avengers had an awesome XJ12c





The works Broadspeed version looked pretty cool

 

XJS pictures

 

Those XJ12s look badass. The XJS pic shows what look like very tall wheels for the time period we're talking about.