The Future We Need: Lunaz Design Electric Jaguar XK120

By John Coyle - July 13, 2020

This all-electric Jaguar XK120 is a stunning marriage of old-world craftsmanship and modern technology.

Given the less-than-optimal state of the world, it takes a heroic level of effort to envision a future that doesn’t suck right now. Seriously, it’s rough out there. But while optimism might be in short supply, I recently discovered Lunaz Design, an engineering firm in England’s Silverstone Technology Park, and just looking over its website gave me a warm, fuzzy feeling.

Because last week, I wrote about how it would be amazing if old Jags could get new lives with electric conversions, and it turns out, Lunaz is already on top of it.

We are a British automotive engineering company that has designed and developed an electric powertrain to breathe new life into classic cars.

We source a limited number of such vehicles, some that are no longer functional and create beautiful, clean and usable electric classic cars. Our cars are fully restored to ensure that all the remaining mechanical components are in excellent working order and of the highest modern safety specifications. Interior and exterior finish will be of superior design and quality. We preserve the beauty and transform the vehicles to provide both high performance and stress-free driving experience.

Sounds amazing, right? The stunning XK120 in these pics is seriously making me swoon, and while it costs somewhere in the neighborhood of half a million bucks, the concept of the old-new electric car is something I’m 100% behind. While I could have used some detail shots of the updated underpinnings, all the available pics are so hot they’re barely safe for work, so it’s hard to complain.

Even if you don’t care about electric cars at all, this is unmistakably automotive art of the highest order.

On the Lunaz Design website, there’s no mention of range for the reimagined Jaguar. But the power figures — to borrow a description from the Rolls-Royce of old — certainly sound “adequate.” When paired with the 80-kWh battery, the XK120’s new motor is good for a robust 375 horsepower and 516 lb-ft of torque.

For folks keeping score, that’s a significant boost from the original straight-six’s 160 horsepower and 195 lb-ft of torque. And while the front and rear battery assemblies are obviously going to add some pounds to the package, there’s no question that performance, not to mention reliability, should well outpace that of the classic speed machines.

Unfortunately, all the power comes with a trade off, as the manual transmission is obviously gone. But even as a devout fan of third pedal cars, I’m OK with that. More than OK, even.

To make sure drivers don’t use all the newfound poke to immediately wrap these extra-special XKs around the nearest tree, Lunaz has made some well-advised upgrades.

The brakes, as you’d expect, are modern anti-lock units which provide regenerative power back to the battery, and the suspension has also been re-engineered to handle the increased weight and performance. Exterior lighting is handled by LEDs, and while the wheels appear to have classic knock-off hubs, they’re wrapped in modern Pirelli rubber.

There’s also traction control, onboard WiFi, and cruise control, for those long drives out to the country house.

Now, the complaints I have about the E-Type Zero I’ve written about previously are few and far between. My first, and most important gripe, is that Jaguar isn’t going to make them. That’s a big one. My second is that even if Coventry began running 24-hours shifts solely build those gorgeous green machines, I have approximately zero chance of ever being able to afford one.

That said, my sole aesthetic complaint about the E-Type concept is the cabin. Because I think the designers should have switched out only the bits necessary to use the new electric drivetrain. There’s no need to go putting screens or anything blatantly digital in the cockpit of a classic machine — Jaguar got it right the first time. Lunaz Design clearly went the preservationist route with its XK, and the picture above proves it was right one.

While there’s a supposedly a screen for battery level and navigation — somewhere — in there, the cabin remains elegant in a way that’s simply beyond time.

When looking at these stunning pictures, it’s easy to think that maybe, just maybe, humanity has made enough cars. Maybe instead of companies cranking out crossovers, we need a paradigm shift, toward a model where the gorgeous sheetmetal of the past is upcycled with zero-emission drivetrains, and old-school cool rules the roads. While the high-end classics will still be out of reach for most buyers, something like an electric MGB might not be.

Obviously, there would still be a need for some new vehicles, and yes, for safety-conscious among us would likely have some concerns. But I’m enthralled by the idea of streets buzzing with classic iron, and the environmental benefits of reduced manufacturing would likely be profound.

Along with the XK120, Lunaz Design offers the same kind of comprehensive electric conversions for the Rolls-Royce Phantom V, Rolls-Royce Cloud, and Bentley S2 Flying Spur. So even if you want to go green but need more than two doors, the wizards there have you covered. Of course, if you’ve got the scratch, they’d likely convert any classic you desire into a future-proof dream machine, and help you do your part to make the future more beautiful than anyone ever imagined it could be.