Though Jaguar had designed its XJ-S as a lavish grand tourer, Tom Walkinshaw maximised its performance potential with commendable race outings in the European Touring Car Championship.

In 1988, the newly formed JaguarSport—influenced in large part by Walkinshaw’s eponymous racing team—revealed the XJR-S, a high-performance version of Jaguar’s opulent cruiser.

Wearing a distinctive body kit, unique 15-inch alloy wheels, and specially designed suspension that deployed modified coil springs and Bilstein shocks, the XJR-S was a weapon for the road that offered an enticing British-made alternative to the likes of the BMW 850i and Mercedes-Benz 600 SEC.

Later versions of the XJR-S, including the example offered here, were powered by an uprated V-12 engine with displacement increased to 6.0 litres, offering 328 horsepower.

This car was built for delivery to Jaguar Belgium, so was configured in left-hand drive with a km/h display.

Despatched by the factory on 13 January 1992, the Jaguar w...