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Sports Car Jaguar Tom Walkinshaw Racing Fastest Production Car Nürburgring
Sports Car Jaguar Tom Walkinshaw Racing Fastest Production Car Nürburgring
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]