Since 1975, the XJS is in production. Everyone was aware that it was indeed not intended as a successor for the E-type, but also the promised successor is still a long time coming. At the XJS lot has happened. First there is the twelve-cylinder that has the additional designation High Efficency since 1981. This refers mainly to changes in its cylinder head. There the somewhat larger inlet valve is moved up to less than a millimeter to the piston on TDC. The resulting pinch edge produces such an angular momentum that at normal engines a hitherto not known compression ratio of 12.5: 1 is possible.

One made the twelve-cylinder engine to give up the enourmous 'drinking' although not complete, but slightly and was able to improve both the maximum performance and torque. It is only obtainable with the three-speed automatic transmission from General Motors. Even otherwise one has recollected. The precious wood has found its way back into the interior, and especially into the dashboard. At the same time the processing shall have been improved, the since 1980 incumbent Jaguar President John Egan thanks be. This includes, particularly important, the stability of the brakes, the never have belonged to the highlights of Jaguar.

Even with Jaguar one sees now a little more realistic the matter with the U.S. safety regulations. The new bumpers announce it, but rather represent a disimprovement. Since 1983 there is the XJ-SC with open roof, though still more reminiscent of a Targa (Fig. 4). 1988 followed a completely cut-away convertible (Figs. 1 and 6). So slowly the XJS seems still to establish itself as a classic, although the difference in the purchase price is phenomenal compared with the E-type. Even if you do not believe it perhaps, the drag coefficient of the XJS shall be more favourable than that of the last E-type. 05/14