Jaguar XJ (XJ40)

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Jaguar XJ (XJ40)
A 1989 Jaguar XJ Sovereign
Overview
Manufacturer	Jaguar Cars
Also called	Jaguar Sovereign[1] Daimler[1]
Production	October 1986 – October 1994
Assembly	Coventry, England
Designer	George Thomson and Roger Zrimec under Doug Thorpe (1978)
Body and chassis
Class	Full-size luxury car (F)
Body style	4-door sedan
Layout	Front-engine, rear-wheel-drive
Powertrain
Engine	2.9 L AJ6 I6 3.2 L AJ6 I6 3.6 L AJ6 I6 4.0 L AJ6 I6 6.0 L Jaguar V12
Transmission	4-speed ZF 4HP22 automatic 4-speed ZF 4HP24 automatic 4-speed GM 4L80-E automatic 5-speed Getrag 265 / 290 manual
Dimensions
Wheelbase	2,870 mm (113 in) Majestic: 2,997 mm (118 in)
Length	4,989 mm (196.4 in) Majestic: 5,116 mm (201.4 in)
Width	1,801 mm (70.9 in)
Height	1,378 mm (54.25 in)
Kerb weight	1,720–1,770 kg (3,792–3,902 lb)
Chronology
Predecessor	Jaguar XJ (Series III)
Successor	Jaguar XJ (X300)

The Jaguar XJ (XJ40) is a full-size luxury saloon manufactured by Jaguar Cars between 1986 and 1994. It was officially unveiled on 8 October 1986 as an all-new, second generation of the XJ to replace the Series III, although the two model ranges were sold concurrently until the Series III was discontinued in 1992. The XJ40 used the Jaguar independent rear suspension arrangement, and featured a number of technological enhancements, such as electronic instrument cluster.^[2] It was the last car to be developed independently by Jaguar (prior to its takeover by Ford), and also the last to have been developed largely within the lifetime of the company's founder Sir William Lyons, who died shortly before its release.

The 1993 XJ6 earned the title of "Safest Car in Britain" as the result of a government survey.^[3] The original 1986 car gave way to the heavily revised Jaguar XJ (X300) in 1994, followed by the Jaguar XJ (X308) in 1997. The XJ40 and its later derivatives is to date the second longest running XJ platform, with a total production run of 17 years. After the XJ40, Jaguar's intention was to launch a brand new saloon with a new V8 engine. Ford halted development of the saloon, termed XJ90, and proposed to install its new engine and front and rear ends onto the centre section of the XJ40 model; however, the V8 was not ready.^[4]