Does anybody here know about this? It's a first for me, that's for sure.

From a possible X100 production delay (and possible extension of XJS production):
“Jaguar also proposed an additional makeover of the current (XJS) car to allow the installation of the new AJ26 V8, but that plan never came to fruition”.

Man, just the thought of it is inebriating.

Any opinions here about what kind of an XJS you think this would’ve been, had the X100 been delayed? At that time Jaguar was still ripping the benefits that the facelift makeover had brought about, with US -and particularly CA- sales flying high. If right in the middle of it you then advertise this “dramatically improved XJS with Jaguar’s new and awesome AJ26V8 engine with nearly 300 HP and equal, if no better gas mileage, who knows what would've happened.

Cheers,

 

The XK8 was built on the XJS platform. Obviously Jaguar was working on the V8 engine while the XJS was still in production. I'm sure someone considered extending the XJS production run by installing the new V8.

I would think that someone has tried to install an XK8 engine into an XJS but I have never seen one. Could be very interesting.

Mark

 

Oh, yes, it's a well known fact that the XK8 was built on the XJS platform, but this V8 info is news to me. Just the thought of dropping a totally new engine in a car that's been in production for 20 years would have to be triggered only by an emergency and that is what this appeared to be at that point. In fact, in this XJS facelift development article it says that Jaguar was essentially trying to keep the XJS current as a hedge against possible delays of the XK8 delivery and they continued to tinker with specifications of the XJS almost to the end, adding ventilated rear brake rotors, revised Teves Mk IVABS, and yet another engine management system for the V-12. It only makes sense that, had delay projections interfered with the new MY cars delivery, business sense would've pointed at dropping the V8 into the XJS engine bay, only that there was hardly any time available for this project's R&D, which had to be quite the challenge.

And, just to add a little spice to this interesting subject, just imagine (dream) for a few seconds of a brand new 1997 XJS 4.0L Supercharged V8 with 370 HP and a 5 speed auto .... but, yet, I'm thinking right now of my XJR and of the complexity that's involved and I see how this project was not just about physically "dropping the V8" in there, but about quite a long list of "accomodating" items and issues with an already existing car, probably as complex a project, or even more complex, than the original XK8 project, for which they had years to prepare vs. probably a couple of months to stick it in the XJS?

What do you think about a factory installed supercharged V8 in the XJS engine bay?
Input welcome...

 

A very heavily modified chassis if that... I've got an X308 and XJ-S here. The X308 - which shares the XK8 platform - has nothing in common with the XJ-S. The Aston DB6 was an XJ-S... Or better based on it. The X100 is supposed to share the modified platform which the X308 has... And not, it isn't the same as the X300/XJ40.

 

[QUOTE="Forcedair1;1229711"] Oh, yes, it's a well known fact that the XK8 was built on the XJS platform,

Not "built" on the XJS platform


The Jaguar XK8 (project code X100) is a grand tourer car that was launched by Jaguar Cars in 1996, and was the first generation of a new XK series. The XK8 was available in coupé or convertible body styles and with the new 4.0-litre Jaguar AJ-V8 engine. In 1998 the XKR was introduced with a supercharged version of the engine. 2003 the engines were replaced by the 4.2-litre AJ34 engines in both the normally aspirated and supercharged versions. The first-generation XK series shares its platform with the Aston Martin DB7. Both cars are derived from the Jaguar XJS, though the platform has been extensively changed. One of the revisions is the use of the second generation of Jaguar's independent rear suspension unit, taken from the XJ40. Development began in 1992, with design work starting earlier in late 1991. By October 1992 a design was chosen and later frozen for production in 1993. Prototypes were built from December 1993 after the X100 was given formal approval and design patents were filed in June 1994. Development concluded in 1996.[2][3]

 

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that is what i have read, that the Aston Martin DB6-7 was basicly an XJS platform and some of the suspension components!

 

I have always been fascinated about how close the XJS came to having the AJ16 engine with the factory supercharger installed at the factory.


I would think this would have been more plausible then a factory V8 since I do not think Jaguar would have wanted to introduce the new V8 in the XJS right before the XK8 came out.


I suspect the reason why the supercharged AJ16 in the XJS did not happen is Jaguar did not want a inline 6 in the XJS that produced more HP then the new naturally aspirated V8 in the first XK8.


Just seems like it would have been a great fit for the XJS at least at the end of the run to have a optional AJ16 supercharged package and you can bet the few that would have been produced would be highly sought after today.

 

[QUOTE=JTsmks;1229733]Check that, I meant "based".
But, that the XJS platform was used to whatever extent for the new XK8 cars never really made much sense to me, unless very substantial changes were carried on. I've driven the XK8 and I find that it couldn't possibly be or feel more different when compared to the XJS, at least in its convertible version. The suspension and steering feel totally different.
But anyway, the subject here is the V8 engine.

 

Yes, as the supercharged AJ16 made 322 HP vs. the new n/a V8 at 295 HP.
Plus, the s/c V8 was still two years down the line.

And I agree with your AJ16 suggestion. It was a thread that I started like a couple of years ago out of my enthusiasm for the idea and my questioning as to why in the world it didn't happen. Not as sublime as a s/c V8, but yes, more plausible and still phenomenal.

Cheers,

 

come to think about technology, question;does any new car manufacturer make a car with a INLINE 6 engine in it??

it is considered old technology, almost antique!

WHEW; its gettin hot around here. LOL

 

I suspect that the reason you do not see in line 6 motors being used in new cars anymore is due to space restraints as much as any thing.

So many of the new vehicles are front wheel drive with the engine turned sideways. Good luck fitting an in line 6 between the strut towers. Even on vehicles like the newer Mustangs and Camaros the front nose of the newer cars are no where near as long as the XJS front nose.

What I have always liked about the inline 6 is they are torque monsters that if designed correctly are virtually indestructible. They are smooth by design and super easy to access. The old Ford and Chevy and even Jeep in line 6's come to mind.

What is worth noting is many of the early V6 motors did not have that smooth an idle because by design a V6 is not naturally smooth at idle and was not until they were counter balanced at the cranks that they were able to smooth out the V6 configuration.

 

Well, believe it or not, current (2015) production from a car manufacturer that appears to know what they're doing, includes a 3.0L in-line six. that I'd doubt very much could really fit into an "old technology" or "almost antique" category... It is the 2015 BMW M4 with a 3.0L turbocharged, straight six power plant. Yes, the "ultimate driving machine" considers the straight six worth of a place under the hood of no less than one of their avant-garde German technology and highly admired "M" class cars. And this car is not the only one, as BMW is famous for their performance-tuned straight six engines in many of their smaller displacement engines/models and not only on this M4.

BTW, this 3.0L straight six turbo makes no less than 431HP and takes the car to 60mph in 4.1 seconds! Now, that is a straight six worth talking about... (in addition to our Jags' straight sixes, of course)

Cheers,

 

There is talk of Jaguar bringing back the straight 6 engine format after retiring the current V6 next year:

Cat's Out of the Bag: Jaguar Land Rover Future Plans Revealed

 

Forcedair1 beat me to it... Yup, BMW is doing some neat stuff with their inline 6 - triple turbo charged in one configuration I think...

 

Toyota makes a car with inline 6 engine, brought to my attention by someone else!!