Jaguar XJS reborn as 600-plus-hp TWR Supercat

British performance marque TWR has been revived by the son of the original company’s founder, and on Tuesday it revealed its first project, the wild Supercat based on the Jaguar XJS.

The iconic Jaguar grand tourer, built between 1975 and 1996, was raced by the original TWR in various touring car championships, so it’s a fitting donor vehicle for the new TWR’s first project.

TWR is saving most details until closer to the car’s dynamic debut this summer, but has confirmed a supercharged V-12 sits up front and delivers over 600 hp. Drive is to the rear wheels via a 6-speed manual transmission.

The body is made entirely from carbon fiber and features a unique wide-body design. The car’s exhaust tips are also mounted at the side, which enabled the designers to fit a massive rear diffuser spanning the width of the body. The interior hasn’t been shown, but has also been fully reworked.

The new TWR, founded by Fergus Walkinshaw, whose father was businessman and motorsports personality Tom Walkinshaw, is made up of engineers formerly of Ferrari, McLaren, Porsche, and several Formula 1 teams. It plans a series of bespoke vehicles infused with modern materials but able to deliver an analog driving experience, starting with the Supercat.

The company also employed the talents of car customizers Magnus Walker and Khyzyl Saleem for the Supercat. Walker is known for collecting and restomodding classic cars, particularly among Porsche circles. Saleem, who goes by the online handle Kyza, is an up-and-coming talent famous for designing wild and over-the-top cars as 3D models. He also has his own line of body kits marketed under the LTO brand.

TWR is accepting orders for the Supercat. It is priced from 225,000 British pounds (approximately $282,000), and just 88 examples will be built, the number a nod to the original TWR’s first 24 Hours of Le Mans win back in 1988 with the Jaguar XJR-9. Deliveries are scheduled to start late this year.