There was something about Jaguar that no one could take: its sleek look and exquisite feeling of a British car, made for the driver and the passengers as well. And there was the XJR.
Most of the British cars were involved in racing, at least most of those who stand on four wheels, not those wheelbarrows with a roof that tipped over easier than a toddler on the first day walking. When Jaguar was a race-winner and built luxury vehicles, other premium carmakers didn't even exist.
Designed as a luxury vehicle, and launched in 1994 at the Paris Motor Show, the second generation of the XJ – X300 was appreciated for its lines. Unlike other sedans on the market, it showed a low overall height and a sloped trunk lid. At the front, the four, round headlights and the chromed grille looked sportier than other sports cars on the market, but with a twist of elegance. Unlike its non-R versions, the XJR featured a mesh-grille instead of the classic one with vertical slats.
Inside, there was less headroom than in a Fiat Panda. The low seats made the occupants feel like they were in a sports car. That was in a contradiction between the wood-trims on the dash, the leather seats, and the manual gearbox. The XJR featured a few clues to tell the driver that it was more than a luxurious vehicle.
Jaguar installed an inline-six engine under the hood. It was the same 4.0-liter unit from other versions but, this time, aided by a supercharger. As a result, the luxurious vehicle was able to keep pace with other sports vehicles from those times and still be able to make a good impression when it appeared in front of Buckingham Palace.