The Jaguar XJ220 is a mid engined supercar initially designed by Jaguar then produced in collaboration with Tom Walkinshaw Racing. It was the first of the modern era of Supercars, recording a top speed of 212.3 mph in 1992.
It held the lap record for a production car at Nurburgring from 1992 to 2000 with a time of 7 minutes 46.36 seconds.
It was developed from a V12-engined 4-wheel drive concept car designed by an informal group of Jaguar employees working in their spare time. The group wished to create a modern version of the successful C & D types of the 1950's
The concept car was unveiled to the public at the 1988 British International Motor Show. Its positive reception prompted Jaguar to put the car into production; some 1500 deposits of £50,000 each were taken, and deliveries were planned for 1992.
But the road from concept to production meant serious changes to the specification, most notably replacement of the V12 engine with the Group B Metro turbocharged V6. The changes to the specification and a collapse in the price of collectible cars brought about by the 1990's recession resulted in many buyers choosing not to exercise their purchase options. A total of just 271 cars were produced by the time production ended, each with a retail price of £470,000 in 1992.