PANZANI DESIGN TUNING

History

Get a Jaguar S-Type, with its classic but somewhat old-fashioned style, and pay homage to the V8 4.2 that comes under the hood. History of a modern revolution that could become timeless

There has always been some reverential fear of approaching certain cars. This taboo for tuning does not affect all the prestigious brands, because now we are scandalized less and less for a Bentley ostentatiously loaded with luxuries and whims and, indeed, the preparers are praised that the supercar from maximum performance pump them like earth-ground missiles. This is not the case for the customization of the Jaguar, a brand that between vicissitudes and business raises has never divested itself of that air from the untouchable classic.

That’s why we think that the Vintage GT of Panzani Design was a sensational act of courage: not only have they put their hands on an icon of timeless sport sedans, but they have also done it with a risky diktat as “distorting”. In addition to the awareness that the result will not meet half-measures by the public, and the tuners will clearly divide between applause and head shaking. We of TG that we have already had the opportunity to witness the first reactions, however, we can announce that some conversion of the skeptic has already been. But since to judge you need to know and not just look, here’s what has been done, redone and distorted. For starters, even if you have recognized all in spite of the restyling, the base is that of the S-Type, but not any: it is the R version with the worst engine of the Jaguar range, the 4.2 accredited V8 of almost 300 hp . “It all started with the desire to give a new heart to a more dated Jaguar S-Type R Supercharged. But how? Not a simple fiberglass dress, not something that could simply embellish. Stravolgere was the watchword. The Vintage GT wants to be something really new, a style that does not exist and that every time has to be reinvented, following feelings and heart “: word of Alessandro Panzani, designer of the car from the beginning of the works. As standard, the S-Type already had its distinctive features, special signs that had already introduced something in the new Jaguar era: a dynamic and sporty line, and the unmistakable oval of the grille and the tail moldings. The skill of Carrozzeria Panzani has been to respect these cornerstones, upsetting everything that surrounds it: the body has been completely restyled by building ad hoc components entirely in sheet metal, which fit perfectly on the original anchorages. The wheel arches have been enlarged by 10 cm on both axles and perfectly connected on the new bumpers: in the front one have been created two large air intakes that balance the aesthetic balance of the showy calender Jaguar and above all optimize the outflow of the air towards the braking system which – as we will see later – was obviously increased. Another fundamental hallmark of the S-Type has been fully respected: despite the dictates of fashion, which always want a facelift to the creatures’ gaze, the front light clusters have been kept original, and only covered with metal grids that evoke wisely the racing cars of the seventies. The only concession to modernity that have been granted is a pair of diurnal LED emitters housed in the lower part of the bumper.

The rear-view mirrors are a gem: small, round, perfectly integrated into the doors and above all very Old Style. There is a taste of the past even in the choice of the fuel cap, now completely exposed. While respecting the oval of the moldings, the interventions on the tail have been more invasive: in this case, for example, the original optical groups have been replaced by two led elements of 180 mm in diameter and in the bumper a new Maranello style air extractor which has “imposed” the choice of a 100 mm diameter double outlet central outlet. The maximum of refinement was reserved to the body color, a particular composition studied by the style center of Panzani Design: it is an intense and full-bodied lava gray, composed of an extremely uniform grain treated then with opaque transparent.
It ‘s perhaps right to remember that the S-Type marked a turning point not only from the stylistic point of view for the Jaguar but also for the substance: the structure spoke of dynamism and the suspensions were already standard set for high speeds. The structure of the Vintage GT was even more extreme, with a lowering of 40 mm on both axles, and a strengthening of the braking system with calipers with four pumping and oversized discs. A body so impressive, then, could only require appropriate wheel groups: OZ 10 “x20” front and 12 “x20” rear wheels.