We’ve seen Toyota’s legendary 2JZ straight-six stuffed into all kinds of cars over the years, but rarely with the kind of care that’s gone into this classic Jaguar restomod build.

Called Project Utah, it started life as a 1966 Mk2 Jaguar sedan, the Utah name a reference to Jag’s original prototype code word for the car back in the 1950s.

The Mk2 was a favourite with both cops, crooks and racers in Britain throughout the 1960s, but this is no crusty classic. It’s the work of the UK’s Retropwer team, the guys behind an equally stunning Ford Escort Mk1 built for Gordon Murray, which guarantees it’s going to be a quality build.

Work began on Project Utah back in 2019, so there’s a chance you might have seen one of Retropower’s earlier Utah video instalments on YouTube covering the subtle bodywork mods and steering and suspension upgrades.

Related: World’s First 2JZ-Swapped Toyota GR Supra A90 Is A Reality

In episode 9 we get to see the team install the bespoke dashboard and get ready to fit the custom designed center console. One really cool part of the build process is that the Retropower engineers were able to design the console using CAD software, then send it to the client who commissioned the car for approval. Without requiring any special software the client was able to look at the parts and even digitally pull them apart by exploding the images before approving them.

Trick mods highlighted in this episode include 17-inch billet aluminium wheels that are designed to look like the rims fitted to 1950s D-type racers, and printed wood finish for the dashboard that’s light years away from the ‘fake wood’ fitted to cars in the 1990s.

But of course the most interesting part of the build is that 2JZ swap. Retropower went for the Toyota motor because it’s an inline six, just like the original XK6 engine, meaning it looks right and fits between the inner wings.

But it’s a much more reliable engine than the XK unit and there’s a stack of tuning parts around to make it even stronger and more powerful. For this build the naturally aspirated version of 3.0-liter six is fitted with Jenvey throttle bodies that are cleverly designed to look just like a set of old-fashioned side-draught carbs.

An old Jag sedan might not ordinarily get us that fired up, but when it’s put together with this kind attention to detail it’s hard not to get sucked in.