Although hardly qualifying as an exotic sports car like Ferrari or Maserati, the 1986 Jaguar's performance offered decent results. The XJS' 5.3-liter 285-horsepower V-12 clocked 0-60 mph in 7.5 seconds and achieved a top speed exceeding 150 mph. The XJS in-line 6-cylinder achieved 0-60 mph in the high 9s with a top speed closer to 125 mph.
Origins
The 5-seater XJS was conceived to replace Jaguar's famed E-Type roadsters with work beginning in 1967. The XJS debuted in September 1975, but the launch couldn't have occurred at a worse time. Jaguar was owned by British Leyland when the company was juggling many other iconic British cars such as MG, Triumph, Mini Cooper and Austin-Healey. Mismanagement, neglect and crippling labor strikes severely affected build quality, especially electrical components. Jaguar suffered from some of these problems, which affected its reputation. Not until the early 1980s did Jaguar emerge from under the cloud of doubt about its quality, according to Conceptcarz.com.
Dimensions
The 1986 Jaguar XJS-6 was placed on a 101.8-inch wheelbase, which is longer that most European sports cars but in keeping with Jaguar's concept of a luxury grand tourer. It was 191.1 inches long, 70.5 inches wide and 49 inches tall. Curbside weight was rated as a heavy 3,575 lbs.
Convertible
The Jaguar XJS was sold as a 2-door coupe, but the automaker contracted the Ohio-based Hess & Eisenhardt coachbuilding company to develop a limited number of convertibles for the 1986 model year. Jaguar decided to resume production of the convertible following a hiatus when the U.S. government considered, but never enacted, a ban on convertibles in the 1970s. Hess & Eisenhardt took completed coupes, removed the roof and installed a retractable top. This required installing two separate gasoline tanks to allow the roof to retract. Steel reinforcements were placed behind the driver's side seat for support. In all, just 893 convertibles were produced for 1986. The 1986 convertibles were interim models until Jaguar could gear up for factory-produced convertibles in 1988.
Power
Under the hood was a 3.6-liter 12-valve in-line 6-cylinde engine with a 4-inch bore and 3.58-inch stroke with a high 12.60:1 compression ratio and Bo LH-Jet fuel injection. The straight-6 generated 165 horsepower. The XLS also was equipped with the High Efficiency 24-valve 5.3-liter V-12.
Performance
The Jaguar XJS was produced by Coventry, England-based Jaguar automaker. Complete Industry of the XJS ran from 1975 to 1996. The 1986 XJS pattern was a luxury grand tourer that was produced hale after the troubled second childhood of ownership by British Leyland in the 1970s and early 1980s. The 1986 XJS was produced during Jaguar's most prolific period when more than 73,000 units were built between 1981 and 1990.
