Jaguar’s Iconic XJ220 Receives A Modern Makeover With Wild Aero

Jaguar might have entered an all-new EV-only era with a controversial branding and styling relaunch campaign, but there was a time when its designs were widely accepted as beautiful. The XJ220 didn’t prove to be as popular as the troubled automaker needed it to be in the early ’90s, partially thanks to the Bugatti EB110 and McLaren F1, but went down in history as an iconic model.

Independent designer Khyzyl Saleem has brought Jaguar’s first supercar to the modern era with significant visual upgrades. Saleem is no stranger to classic Jaguars as he was recently responsible for the exterior design of the TWR Supercat – a wild restomod based on the XJS. Unlike the latter, the updated XJ220 is not intended for production and is more of a free-time project.

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The designer’s goal was to create something that is “still recognizable but different in its own right”. Most of the XJ220‘s bodywork has been tweaked, making it look more like a modern-day supercar. The highlight is the significantly wider fenders, trading the slim and elegant figure of the original for a more aggressive stance.

The front bumper features additional side intakes with integrated DRLs and a large splitter made of carbon fiber. The same material has been used for the oversized rear wing and the signature vents on the base of the windshield.

Illustrations: Khyzyl Saleem

At the back, the Rover-sourced taillights have given way to slimmer and darker LEDs, combined with a larger carbon fiber diffuser featuring dual tailpipes. The designer has also added a few references to the Jaguar C-X75, which could have been the XJ220’s successor if it had entered production. Finally, the imaginary supercar rides on a new set of center-lock wheels shod in wider tires

Overall, the KS220 – as the designer calls it – looks like a racing version of the XJ220. There is no mention of any updated on the twin-turbo 3.5-liter V6 engine, which in factory tune produced 542 hp (405 kW / 550 PS). A restomodded XJ220 could easily have it swapped with something more exciting – maybe a V12 and AWD combo as initially intended by Jaguar itself.

While the model will most likely remain a digital-only affair, the renderings could inspire rich owners of the XJ220 to upgrade their supercars, making them a little bit more exclusive. We’ll leave it up to you to decide if this is a good thing or not.