Wild Restomod: Carlex Design Reimagines the Jaguar XJC

By John Coyle - December 10, 2021

The original Jaguar XJC had a problem with roof flex. Whether or not you like this hyper-custom version, that issue’s been solved.

With only around 10,500 produced during its five-year run, the XJC is probably the rarest of all Jaguar’s long-running XJ series. Building the car provided no shortage of headaches for Coventry, the most notable of which was the cracking paint on the roof. Turns out that the lack of a B-pillar induced too much chassis flex, and required the addition of an undignified vinyl cover to hide it. Fortunately, with the large cross brace in the rear seats, this example from Poland’s Carlex Design will have no such issues.

With the wide fender flares and massive wheels, this XJC has a much more muscular look than factory models, and while there are few specifics on the engine, it’s reported to have a 400-horsepower V8 under the hood. Though given the radical design? Something from Lunaz might be a better fit. Obviously, the engine swap is the least bold choice made with this Jaguar, and while it’s more than a little overwrought, some of the details are interesting. The inset LED headlights, for example, look bejeweled, and the wide vertical slats of the grille make it the front fascia look strikingly modern.

The hindquarters are the area of the car I like best. Because as opposed to adding a bunch of elements, as they did up front, the designers actually stripped away most of the detail, so the gorgeous taper of the bodywork is highlighted. While these photos are so processed they might as well be renders, the taillights and the quad exhaust pipes almost look like a design sketch come to life — though I will say that the curve of the rear fenders makes the squared-off flares there look somewhat ham-handed.

As dramatic as the changes to the rest of the XJC are, the interior is unrecognizable as a Jaguar, save for the J-gate shifter. That’s a mistake, in my book, as the interior of these cars has so much character, and replacing it with something generic like this takes away from the vehicle as a whole. Viewed alone, shots of the cabin could be of any hyper-custom build on the floor at SEMA. And not to sound like a hayseed, where exactly are you supposed to put anything? There don’t seem to be any flat surfaces or even pockets in the doors.

Pricing and production numbers are predictably unavailable at the unavailable at press time, but you can check out more of Carlex Design’s handiwork here.

Photos: Carlex Design