📍 ‘If the XK120 was a gentleman racer, the XK180 was his rakish younger brother with a taste for Champagne and chaos.’
A Jaguar with no roof, no windows, and absolutely no interest in your weather forecast.
The XK180 wasn’t just a concept — it was a love letter to the brand’s golden age, wrapped in Connolly leather and propelled by a supercharged V8.
Think Bond on a weekend away, minus the gadgets.
Only two were ever made.
Tempted? Keep reading — this one’s rather special.
1948: Jaguar launched the XK120 — a sensation, and the birth of a dynasty.
1998: To mark its 50th anniversary, Jaguar unveiled the XK180 at the Paris Motor Show.
Crafted: This was not in Coventry’s mass-production lines but by Jaguar’s Special Vehicle Operations, which was passion on wheels.
Chassis: A shortened XKR platform — think sports car with its shirt tucked in.
Engine: 4.0L supercharged V8, 450bhp, F1-style paddle-shift — in 1998!
Bodywork: Aluminium and carbon-fibre, hand-beaten by Motor Panels Coventry.
Interior: Connolly quilted green leather, milled aluminium dash, and no door handle in sight.
Performance: 0–60mph in a touch over 4s. Top speed? 180mph. Hence the name.
Design: Barchetta-style, sleek curves, swooping haunches — part D-Type, part XKR, all drama.
Legacy: Jaguar teased us. Enthusiasts begged. However, the XK180 was never built beyond two prototypes.
Both now live in Jaguar’s Heritage vault. A unicorn. A whisper of what could’ve been.
Yet echoes of its DNA can still be seen in the F-Type’s silhouette.
Proof that great design never truly dies. It just hides in heritage collections.
📍 ‘This was Jaguar showing off — like pulling up at Goodwood in an evening jacket and doing doughnuts on the lawn.’
