Jaguar XJ (XJ40)

Jaguar does not build many cars like the Jaguar XJ (XJ40): a 4-door saloon with 2.9&nbsp, built from 1986 to 1994 in the age of turbocharging and the first electronic engine management. Its designer of record is George Thomson and Roger Zrimec under Doug Thorpe (1978).

The background

The Jaguar XJ (XJ40) is a full-size luxury saloon manufactured by Jaguar Cars between 1986 and 1994. It was officially unveiled on 8 October 1986 as an all-new, second generation of the XJ to replace the Series III, although the two model ranges were sold concurrently until the Series III was discontinued in 1992. The XJ40 used the Jaguar independent rear suspension arrangement, and featured a number of technological enhancements, such as electronic instrument cluster. It was the last car to be developed independently by Jaguar (prior to its takeover by Ford), and also the last to have been developed largely within the lifetime of the company's founder Sir William Lyons, who died shortly before its release.

The 1993 XJ6 earned the title of "Safest Car in Britain" as the result of a government survey. The original 1986 car gave way to the heavily revised Jaguar XJ (X300) in 1994, followed by the Jaguar XJ (X308) in 1997. The XJ40 and its later derivatives is to date the second longest running XJ platform, with a total production run of 17 years. After the XJ40, Jaguar's intention was to launch a brand new saloon with a new V8 engine. Ford halted development of the saloon, termed XJ90, and proposed to install its new engine and front and rear ends onto the centre section of the XJ40 model; however, the V8 was not ready.

The engineering

Under the skin sits 2.9  other versions carried different engines, listed in the specification table below. Kerb weight is 3792-3902 lb. The gearbox is a 4-speed ZF 4HP22 transmission / ZF 4HP22 Automatic transmission / automatic / 4-speed ZF 4HP24 transmission / ZF 4HP24 automatic / 4-speed GM 4L80-E transmission / GM 4L80-E automa. The layout matters: a front engine drives the rear wheels, the classic proportion — long bonnet, cabin set back — that most people picture when they picture a sports saloon or a grand tourer. The wheelbase is 113 in / Majestic: 118 in. These are manufacturer figures carried by Wikipedia and Wikidata, not road-test measurements.

Where it sits

Where it sits in Jaguar's history is not in doubt: the Jaguar XJ (Series III) came before it; the Jaguar XJ (X300) followed it; it was built at Coventry, England, United Kingdom. On a showroom list of its day it stood against the Jeep Wrangler, the BMW 5 Series, the Ferrari F40. Its Jaguar stablemates include the F-Type and the Vanden Plas.

The money

On the used market today a Jaguar XJ (XJ40) typically changes hands for $17,700–$46,800, and running it — fuel and maintenance at its age — costs about $4,525–$7,526 a year. Insurance sits around $1,860–$3,570 a year. The figures are class-level estimates from the federal record, with the formula on the methodology page; the model-year pages carry complaints, recalls and repair costs year by year.