YouTuber Rescues an Ultra-Rare 1990 Jaguar XJR TWR: A “Proper Diamond in the Rough”MotorBiscuitRahaan MazumderSat, September 26, 2026 at 2:15 PM UTCAdd us on GoogleIf you punch a vintage car's registration into a history-checking app and the MOT failure report reads like a post-mortem autopsy, the logical thing to do is walk away. But in the world of classic British super saloons, logic rarely applies.Automotive YouTuber Mike Fernie recently embarked on a massive road trip to a remote countryside dealership in Wales to rescue a vehicle that had been rotting behind a lineup of cheap hatchbacks. His target? An incredibly rare 1990 Jaguar XJR TWR."Today I'm taking you guys on a rescue mission," Mike explained at the start of his journey. "There is an incredibly rare super saloon at a countryside dealership in the middle of nowhere, and I'm setting out today to find the car, buy it and hopefully save it from an almost certain rusty death".AdvertisementAdvertisementHe wasn't exaggerating about the rarity. According to Mike, there are fewer than five of these specific TWR body-kitted cars currently legally on the road in the UK.The Tom Walkinshaw ConnectionTo understand why a boxy, 1990 Jaguar XJ40 is so special, you have to look at the three letters on its badging: TWR."What is TWR? Well, it stands for Tom Walkinshaw Racing," Mike noted. Walkinshaw was a legendary Scottish racing driver who built a motorsport empire in the 1980s. After TWR took over Jaguar's Group C endurance racing program, they famously won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1988 and 1990.Jaguar was so thrilled with TWR's track success that the two companies formed "JaguarSport" in 1988, a joint venture designed to build high-performance road cars. This first-generation XJR featured a 4.0-liter straight-six with uprated camshafts, Bilstein dampers, a limited-slip differential, and heavier power steering for better road feel.AdvertisementAdvertisementBut the holy grail for collectors is the optional TWR body kit—featuring custom front and rear bumpers, side skirts, and a rear lip spoiler—which was only offered on the 1988, 1989, and 1990 models.The Terrifying MOT Report and the $4,500 GambleWhile absolute mint-condition models can fetch over £20,000, Mike secured this neglected Welsh survivor for just £4,500. The massive discount, however, came with a terrifying catch: the car hadn't moved in six years, and its last MOT attempt in 2023 was a horror show.Reading the report out loud, Mike listed failures that would make any mechanic sweat, including: "Nearside rear vehicle structure is deformed, and structural rigidity is significantly reduced at the jacking point".To see exactly how bad the structural rot was, Mike hauled the Jaguar to the specialists at Swallows Racing. Once the car was up on the lift, the team started aggressively poking at the floorpans with a screwdriver.AdvertisementAdvertisement"Oh no, it's gone through the other side," Mike laughed nervously as the screwdriver punched right through the metal into the cabin. "That is straight through".Because the TWR body kit acts as a trap for water and road salt, massive chunks of the side sills and wheel arches had simply evaporated into dust. However, the most critical part of the chassis—the front bulkhead—was completely solid. Why? Because the car had allegedly been leaking oil for years."There's a catastrophic oil leak going in here… It's done you a huge favor," Tom from Swallows Racing explained while examining the engine bay. "Both sides are splashed oil, which has probably protected it".The Rebirth of TWRThe Swallows team confirmed the car was absolutely salvageable, setting the stage for a massive, ground-up restoration. The build series is perfectly timed, as Mike Fernie is currently serving as an official brand ambassador for the newly relaunched TWR Performance brand.AdvertisementAdvertisementNow led by Tom Walkinshaw's son, Fergus Walkinshaw, the reborn company is currently developing the "Supercat"—a wild, 600-horsepower supercharged V12 carbon-fiber restomod based on the classic Jaguar XJS. Mike even recently drove the Supercat prototype up the hill at the Great British Jaguar Day at Bicester Motion just a few weeks ago.With TWR officially back in the global automotive spotlight, bringing one of their original 1990 super saloons back from the dead is the ultimate tribute.