Award-winning British restorers Thornley Kelham is launching a new Restomod division with a fresh take on Jaguar’s XK.
Their new Jaguar XK European doesn’t just update the vehicle with modern developments and creature comforts, but has also been fully redesigned by McLaren P1 and 720S designer Paul Howse.
The new hand-formed aluminum body is “lower, wider, curvier, cleaner,” looking like something Jaguar might have created themselves “were the XK subject to a kind of in-house skunkworks operation in the ‘50s.”
“The idea of improving or modifying any iconic design is one that must be approached with great care,” says Howse. “One has to be very respectful for what was originally designed in a very different time using very different tools. My vision was to meld the latest state of the art Automotive Design techniques with time-honoured craftsmanship – to create ‘purposeful beauty’.”
The Jaguar XK European is powered by a completely re-engineered 3.8-liter XK engine producing 340hp, considerably more than the 160-200hp of the original, with new suspension and disc brakes, while the walnut dash has been replaced by body-color aluminum and a lowered leather interior.
The process of turning an original XK into the Jaguar XK European takes 5,000 hours, with prices starting at £550,000 GBP (approximately $718,000 USD) plus a donor car.
In other automotive news, Genesis reveals X Speedium Coupe concept.
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