With only 10 426 units produced over three years (between 1975 and 1978), the Jaguar XJ-C is far from being a common model. However, that didn't stop Carlex Design's Poles from choosing him as the ideal candidate for a restomod.
In this transformation, the Polish company best known for its work in the tuning world, was not too radical, following a basic principle of restomod. Still, the differences from the units leaving the Coventry factory are all too evident.
At the front, the chrome was drastically reduced, as well as the dimensions of the bumpers. The grille is also new, as are the headlights which, despite maintaining the original lines, now use modern LED technology.
Turning to the side, the biggest highlight turns out to be the huge wheels and the wheel arch enlargements needed to accommodate them. Furthermore, the suspension is not the original one either, as evidenced by the lower ground clearance. Finally, at the rear, in addition to the bumpers in body color, there is the adoption of darkened taillights.
And inside, what changes?
Inside the Carlex Design Jaguar XJ-C, the novelties are even more noticeable and profound than on the outside.
The British coupé's cabin was not only redesigned, but also modernised. So the instrument panel now appears to be digital, as do the climate controls. It's true that there's still a lot of skin inside this XJ-C, but both the center console and the door panels have been completely redesigned.
Also in the interior, the adoption of new seats and a rear rollbar that made the rear seats disappear should be highlighted.
And mechanics?
For now Carlex Design has kept most of the technical details of its restomod project secret. Even so, we know that this “reborn” Jaguar XJ-C has a new braking system and, as we said, a new suspension.
As for the engine, Carlex Design resisted the temptation to put an electric motor under the hood of the XJ-C, as we've seen in other restomod, but it also didn't keep the in-line six-cylinder or V12 that originally fitted the coupé.
Thus, this XJ-C will come equipped with a V8 whose origin Carlex Design, for now, has not revealed. However, the Polish company revealed that the power will be 400 hp, much more than the 289 hp that the original V12 came to deliver.
For now, this project is only "on paper" (proven by the digital images we show you here), but it shouldn't be long before it sees the light of day, at which point we hope to be able to fill in all the blanks on your specifications and also about its price.