1989 Jaguar Hyper XJR-S

Hyper might not be as widely known as Lister or TWR, but there’s no doubting their skill. Body kits, for example, aren’t tacked on as an afterthought but are structurally integral to the vehicle, something years of competition taught them was essential.

The ‘MK2’ conversion package you see fitted on this example is comprehensive and includes:

• Upgraded, adjustable suspension
• Upgraded steering rack bushes
• Stainless-steel tubular manifolds and exhaust, with a double-skinned section between the headers and first set of silencers to remove any rattle from the system. Hyper claimed this gave a ~50bhp increase over the stock system
• Full MK2 body kit, fabricated and custom-fitted to the vehicle including a full respray in Jaguar Metallic Flamenco Red
• Hyper rear spoiler with high-level brake light
• Custom-made Hyper ‘aircraft spec aluminium’ three-piece billet wheels

It is worth noting that prior to fitment of the Hyper body kit, the bodyshell was checked-over to ensure there was no corrosion or other problematic areas before being undersealed.

The body kit was then fitted to the car utilising specially fabricated brackets to ensure there would be no cracking or shifting over the years.

Not that this is the end of the story because the Jaguar returned to Hyper in 2008 for further work and a ‘freshen up’. This included installing full-electric front seats from a later model car and a re-trim by Aldridge Trimming that included a one-off dashboard top, a rear parcel shelf, an alcantara roof, and two-tone seats.

The car was used on the road for two years before being placed into dry storage in 2010, where it sat until recommissioning began in 2019. This work spanned a number of years and included a suspension rebuild, an overhaul of the braking system, and new Spax/Hyper dampers plus the replacement of any worn bushes.

Both sub-frames were removed, cleaned, repainted and refitted, as was the fuel tank. Attention was also paid to the air-conditioning system and fuel injectors, and the car was treated to a full service and a new battery in addition to four new tyres.

The eagle-eyed among you might recognise the car as one we sold in December 2022. The seller bought ‘G758 YMF’ from us on a bit of a whim but has reluctantly found that he simply doesn't have the time to use it - he has never had the time to pick the car up from storage or use it.

Having been refreshed during the recommissioning works and used only lightly since, you’d expect the bodywork to be in fine fettle – and it is.

With great shutlines alignment, the dent- and dink-free panels look terrific. The flanks are free of ripples too, and the overall impression is of a car that has been assembled with a great deal of care.

It’s has real authority too, and bystanders are left in no doubt they’re in the presence of greatness.

The 16-inch Hyper billet aluminium wheels are in great shape and are reminiscent of the Jaguar ‘pepper pot’ design. They’re fitted with a full set of matching Falken Ziex ZE310 tyres too, all of which have good tread left on them.

Other highlights are the ‘subdued order’ badges, clear and undamaged lamp lenses, and pristine glazing.

• Naturally, as you’d expect of a vehicle of this age, there are a few minor flaws:
• Swirling in the paintwork on the driver’s door and offside front wing
• The seals on the offside front quarter light seal and rear window show signs of aging
• There is a small patch of bubbling on the roof above the driver’s door
• The nearside rear buttress plastic trim shows some wear and there are some marks to the paintwork on the inner edge of both rear buttresses
• Wear below the rear number plate and a larger chip to the rear bumper above the offside exhaust pipe

You might want to order a numberplate of the correct size for the rear while you’re at it.

The re-trimmed leather interior presents very well having seen only very limited use since the work was carried out in 2008.

Trimmed in a very attractive two-tone hide, the electrically-adjustable front seats, which are the later design of course, show virtually no signs of any discernible wear but then they’ve only covered 300 miles since being recovered.

The rear seats, with that HUGE Jaguar emblem between them, are like new and the usual chrome controls and wood trim retain the elegant ambience Jaguar is known for.

The one-off dash top is in excellent shape with no wear or cracking, whilst the four-spoke JaguarSport steering wheel, door cards and other high-traffic areas remain in very good order throughout, having evidently seen only light use over the years.

The Alcantara headlining is taut and clean and the carpets in the cabin are excellent. However, those in the boot are not quite to the same high standard but then everything is relative because they are still good and in a very presentable condition.

An upgraded stereo with flip-out screen and navigation system has been fitted, along with an aftermarket alarm/immobiliser system.

The previous listing made mention of the fact that the key fob for the immobiliser system is inoperable and the system is now operated via a small tag located below the driver side dashboard.

We have been unable to test the ‘speed control’ (cruise control) system.

As you can see, the engine fires into life with a muted roar and shows both good oil pressure and a healthy charge. The rev counter takes a couple of seconds to wake up but the stainless-steel exhaust and custom headers work in harmony with the V12 to make a lovely noise when it’s being revved.

There is also a lovely crackle and pop on the over-run, which might be childish and moderately anti-social but is great fun.

A previous road test showed that the engine performs very well.

The previous listing referred to the steering wheel being slightly off-centre and there being a knock from the offside rear corner; both of these issues, together with an inoperative passenger side map light, were immediately rectified by the vendor. In further proof of his attention to detail, he had the car wax-oiled at the same time; these works added up to over £600, with the invoice on file.

The engine itself looks to be in good order but we can see the new owner might like to treat the underbonnet area to a professional valet to enable it to fulfil its potential. The under-bonnet heat/sound insulation has seen better days too and could do with being replaced while your man is under there.

As for mechanical faults, the only one we are aware of is a small leak from the power steering system which became evident in storage.

First registered in late 1989, this XJR-S started life as a demonstrator for Stratstone Jaguar of Mayfair before being sold to a Mr Robert Maxwell of the Maxwell Corporation.

It then moved on to Polly Peck International in August 1990 and was sold again in late 1992 to its third owner who kept it for eight months or so before settling with the fourth in July of that year.

It stayed with him in stock form until early 2000, at which time seven years of familiarity meant he wanted more. He chose Hyper in Oxfordshire, commissioning it to carry out its ‘MK2’ conversion we discussed earlier.

Unfortunately, Paul Hands of Hyper cannot produce any paperwork as the computer on which the conversion work was stored has lost the data. Furthermore, a number of invoices were mislaid in a house move by the previous owner.

The MoT certificate has expired but as it only did so on the 1st September 2023 – and it passed all four of the previous ones with no advisories – getting a new one might not be too troublesome.

Oh, and although the indicated mileage is believed to be out by some 18,000 miles due to a change of speedometer in 2005. The true mileage is thought to be around 110,000 miles.

Even the standard XJR-S is exceedingly rare - only 25 are shown as currently registered – but Hyper-converted cars like this take rarity to a whole new level making this is an almost unrepeatable opportunity to obtain a recommissioned, well-documented example of a Hyper XJR-S MK2.

If all of the above isn’t enough to convince you this is the car the XJR-S should have been, it’s worth reading what Jeremy Clarkson had to say:

“It does not take much - about £15,000 actually - to turn a five-grand XJ-S into the British answer to the Dodge Viper. The Hands Hyper XJR-S looks absolutely bloody marvellous […] this little lot (the body kit) turns the rather svelte, gentlemanly standard XJS into a car that looks as aggressive as a gorilla forced to wear evening dress for the first time […] what you’re left with is a truly splendid car to drive. Yes, it handles and yes, the steering is quite superb. But the best bit is that when you put your foot down on the accelerator, it goes whooooooooarrrrrggghhh. A lot.”

As for its value, it’s hard to place a value on such a rare and interesting car but our best estimate is the virtual hammer will fall somewhere between £15,000 and £20,000.

That would be astonishing value, wouldn’t it?

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located at the Bonhams|Cars Online HQ. Viewings are strictly by appointment. To make a booking, please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, and read our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.