XJ6(66): The Restomod of the Beast

I have a soft spot for Jaguars of a certain era, particularly their grand and effortlessly muscular cars of the 60s-80s. It turns out I’m in excellent company. Sharing this obsession is Iron Maiden drummer Nicko McBrain, whose car of choice for running to the hills is a Jag XJ6. The vehicle being featured here today however is far from ordinary. The brainchild of Jaguar’s Classic Works division and McBrain himself, the car, nicknamed ‘Greatest Hits,’ is a mish-mash of Jaguar parts from across the decades, and the result is sublime.

While many parts of the car spent wasted years as part of McBrain’s original XJ, which was left for long periods of time at the residence of bassist Steve Harris, you’d never guess it now, thanks to extensive reconditioning. Perhaps the most striking, and most brash addition to the Jag are the huge 18″ spoked wheels, sitting in newly expanded wheel wells. The car’s door handles have been removed and fitted with those from a Series 2 for a cleaner look, while the bumpers are new and have been crafted on to the wings with new chrome detailing, and LED headlights fitted.

Inside is where the car becomes truly divergent. For the man who needs to be quick or be dead, it certainly provides a comfortable environment for high-speed cruising, and it’s bedecked with homages to McBrain’s background. The wood used in the interior’s construction, Dark Grey stained Sycamore, is that used by the drummer in his snare drums, and the knobs have been modeled on those of an amp. The logo you’ll find bedecked on the steering wheel is also custom, a Maidenified version of the classic roaring Jaguar logo. As you’d expect from a metalhead, the car has been fitted with a crushing 1100 watt sound system, the speakers of which come from a 2012 XF. The engine under the hood is the same 4.2 liter straight-six you’d find in a regular XJ6, but this one has been tuned and augmented with a trio of E-Type SU carbs. There’s also a custom exhaust setup with four tailpipes, because you need the most noise you can get when you’re in this thing.
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