Filed under: Auction Action, Jaguar
eBay Find of the Day: Jaguar XJ220
Remember the good old days when producing a supercar that could break 200 mph took effort and determination? It was a time when the Ferrari F40 could barely muster the momentum for a 201 mph top speed, while the Lamborghini Diablo crested the magic mark with a top speed of just 202 mph. Then came the Jaguar XJ220, so named for its target top speed of 220 mph. Unfortunately the moniker was a bit optimistic, as the XJ220's fastest recorded top end is reportedly 217 mph, although I only remember one particular buff book that pushed it to 211 mph.
The XJ220 was somewhat of an anomaly with its twin-turbocharged V6 engine that produced a prodigious amount of power: about 530 hp at 7,000 rpm. That's a big number in today's terms; it was unimaginable in a streetcar back in 1992.
So hear it is, the object of my adolescent automotive affections up on eBay. The starting bid was for $20. I hung onto hope until it passed $50,000... sigh. It's at $102,800.00 with about two days left. Anybody want to go halvsies with me?
Thanks for the tip, omar!
[Source: eBay
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Rev Tab 2:22PM (7/14/2006)
That is one beautiful car, it looks kind of like the one I drive in my dreams.
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omar 2:32PM (7/14/2006)
Yes! i helped autoblog! I'm so proud!
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Mike O. 2:40PM (7/14/2006)
Reminds of the Top Gear segment where they compared the supercars of 10 years ago to the supercars of today...and the old supercars were better.
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RacetrackOwner 2:40PM (7/14/2006)
Yep, "hear" it is.
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Ed Kapuscinski 2:47PM (7/14/2006)
I can't imagine driving it but I sure WOULDN'T mind looking at it every day though...
I also can't imagine how impractical it would be to do anything, like parallel park it! But damn, how hot it looks.
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Lee Gibson 2:51PM (7/14/2006)
"and the old supercars were better."
Huh? By what metric?
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Chad 3:00PM (7/14/2006)
"Reminds of the Top Gear segment where they compared the supercars of 10 years ago to the supercars of today...and the old supercars were better."
Got a link?
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Ian R Stephenson 7:21PM (4/27/2008)
Yes, go to the BBC prime time channel, I've just watched that very program in The Netherlands.. It comes under
" Top Gear Xtra "
MattS 3:01PM (7/14/2006)
You are only limited to a maximum of 2500 miles per year???
WTF?
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epp_b 3:04PM (7/14/2006)
["and the old supercars were better."
Huh? By what metric?]
No traction control. No ABS. No government nanny controls dictating how the car should work and [partially] how it should look.
In an older supercar, it's just you and the car. It's you telling the car what to do; not asking the car what you're "allowed" to do.
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Ian R Stephenson 7:25PM (4/27/2008)
Before the " Nanny Society " of health and Saftey took ocer
New Yorker 3:10PM (7/14/2006)
Nice oil stains on the driveway…or is it from the rickety old Range in the background?
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mac 3:12PM (7/14/2006)
God Bless youtube.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=pug-LvtTSX4&search=top%20gear%20xj220
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Jason 3:12PM (7/14/2006)
I've seen the episodes, and most of them were not "supercars". Just sports cars. For example, the 300ZX Twin Turbo was a little faster then the current 350Z.
Safety and emissions kit weighs a lot, basically. You have more power now, but more metal and computers to lug around. Of course, when you crash it, you just might live. :)
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MikeW 3:22PM (7/14/2006)
I remember that one, the wipers lift off at 150mph, don't the McLaren SLR wipers work up to 200mph.
Special feature of old supercars, Air brake headlights.
Should have been a V12, wasn't that 217 at Nardo.
220 could have been done in a straight line at Ehra-Lessien.
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Jake 3:46PM (7/14/2006)
Wow...It's located just 2 hours away from my house. Wonder if I can arange a test drive?
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C 3:57PM (7/14/2006)
I've always thought this thing looked pudgy and awkward, and from what I understand they don't really deliver the claimed power, and/or love to overheat.
I'll take the Bugatti EB110. 3.5L 8000RPM quad-turbo V12. Now that's exotic.
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Michael Karesh 4:43PM (7/14/2006)
I remember that many people who had signed up for one of these later paid Jaguar to let them off the hook. The production numbers ended up much lower than planned.
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TicalWRX 4:45PM (7/14/2006)
Anyone notice that the ebay site has the year of this car as 1974?!?
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AutoFan 4:45PM (7/14/2006)
Anybody else remember Crash Masters...I mean, Fast Masters? A PR stunt that got a bunch of old racers together in "specially prepared" 220s and raced them on some infield road courses. It was an unmitigated disaster. The drivers must not have had any seat time before they started racing, and since they were mostly old NASCAR guys they weren't used to the dynamics of a midengined (oversteering) turbocharged (lag then BAM, everything) exotic. Crashes galore, and a bunch of Jaguar PR folks getting fired for such a stupid idea.
Fun to watch, though.
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