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Jaguar XJ220 owners: you can now buy replacement tyres for your supercar

9 September, 2016

 

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“Produced from 1992–1994, the Jaguar XJ220 has gone a long time without new rubber — but that is set to change thanks to Bridgestone.”

When you look at the Jaguar XJ220 it’s easily identified as a ’90s supercar. Its wheels are too small, it lacks modern aero, and it has an interior almost pinched from a 1991 Mitsubishi GTO. The ’90s were a long time ago, and so was the last time Jaguar XJ220 owners have been able to buy replacement tyres. A scary thought considering the XJ220 is capable of reaching 349.4kph — and it held the Guinness Book of Records fastest speed ever attained by a standard production car from 1994 to 1999. 

Just recently though, Bridgestone announced that they have teamed up with Don Law of Don Law Racing to develop a new OEM-spec tyre for the XJ220. Something as simple as a tyre has no doubt hurt resale value of the iconic ’90s machine, so it’ll be interesting to watch the prices skyrocket once people start getting them out of their storage holds. The new Bridgestone tyre is said to greatly outperform the original due to the advancements in tyre technology, which will be exciting to see, and they’ll be ready for the car’s 25th anniversary in 2017. If you’re curious about just how big the tyres are, try 255/55R17 tyres up front and 345/35R18 tyres down the back — just bonkers. That’s 300mm short of one metre of rubber touching the ground, just on the back! 

The XJ220 was an interesting beast. Originally it was meant to be a V12 all-wheel drive, and after taking 1500 £50,000 deposits Jaguar changed their mind, dropped two driving wheels, halved the amount of pistons and added two turbochargers — weird right? This came at a time when only Japan was producing such vehicles, as European supercars were meant to be V8, V10, or V12, and, more importantly, naturally aspirated. 

Jeremy Clarkson once described the turbocharger lag of the XJ220 to be terrible, and demonstrated by putting his foot down and counting until the boost came in. When it did come in it was quick, and produced 400kW (550hp) and 644Nm (475lb-ft) of torque. The XJ220 would accelerate to 100kph in only 3.6 seconds, which even by today’s standards is seriously moving. The 3.5-litre V6 engine found in the production XJ220 was dry-sumped, had Zytek multi-point injection with dual injectors and Zytek electronic engine management — all way ahead of its time. The engine block was produced from aluminium, as were the heads. An interesting note is that the XJ220 would receive 8.8L/100kms, which matches most common commuter cars of today. Not surprising though when you think how bad the turbocharger lag was — it was probably never on boost! 

The motor car as an art form

12 March, 2026

We have certainly come a long way since the exhibition entitled 8 Automobiles, shown at the Museum of Modern Art in New York in the autumn of 1951, the first exhibition concerned with the aesthetics of motor car design.
It was here that the often-used term ‘rolling sculpture’ was coined by curator Philip C Johnson, director of the department of architecture and design, when he said, “An automobile is a familiar 20th century artefact, and is no less worthy of being judged for its visual appeal than a building or a chair. Automobiles are hollow, rolling sculptures, and their design refinements are fascinating. We have selected cars whose details and basic design suggest that automobiles, besides being America’s most useful objects, could be a source of visual experience more enjoyable than they now are.”

More to the point

6 March, 2026

This Daimler SP252 is so rare, few people know it exists. It’s one of a kind. It’s the only surviving, in fact the only SP252 ever completed; the would-be successor to the SP250 Daimler Dart. It is also the last sports car to have been designed by Jaguar’s legendary founder, Sir William Lyons.
Perhaps one of the original Dart’s biggest problems was it’s somewhat-divisive looks. It certainly went well enough to win fans, although Sir William wasn’t among them. It crushed the opposition in the Bathurst six-hour race, finishing five laps ahead of anyone else, and it was snapped up by police forces in Britain, Australia, and New Zealand, as it was the fastest thing on the road.
So you’d think a stunning new body with the magic Lyons touch would have been a surefire success. Why this car never made it into production is still something of a mystery, as the official explanations barely stack up.