Comedian and auto enthusiast Jay Leno doesn't showcase replicas of classic cars very often, but once in a while he makes an exception. On Monday, Jay Leno's Garage featured a copy of a special Jaguar XKSS convertible once owned by movie legend Steve McQueen of Bullitt fame. Given that Leno once took a spin in the real thing seven years earlier, he chomped at the bit to get the inside scoop on the replica built by his friend Dan Moody from Team CJ, an Austin, Texas-based company that restores such classic cars as Jaguar, Aston Martin and Ferrari.
Jaguar Steering Wheel Placement Different
Moody spent two years building the McQueen copy that perfectly resembles the actual Jaguar, save for the steering wheel and pedals being shifted to the left side of the cockpit. "It is close to original as you could get," noted Leno. "If you look at it, it couldn't be more visually correct."
But planning took considerably longer, extending back to childhood, said Moody. "I started looking at the Steve McQueen car and pictures of Steve McQueen with his car literally back in the '60s," he recalled. "I became obsessed with that car."
Jag's Replica Engine Boasts 350 HP
While Leno said the replica looked perfect, Moody pointed out a few differences, such as the engine being tilted about eight degrees to the side for easier access to the trunk, given that the hood opens forward from the windshield. Moody opted not to replicate much of the engine for reasons associated with practicality and maintenance. But this one is far more powerful, with 350 horsepower and roughly 400 pound-feet of torque. McQueen's Jag engine possessed both horsepower and torque registering at 250.
Moody also installed a Cosworth five-speed gearbox on the car, which can hit 60 mph from a standstill in roughly three seconds. McQueen's version took four seconds, although it boasted a top speed of around 170 mph, back when the flower-power era barely entered infancy.
This Copy's Got Raw Visceral Appeal
Behind the wheel, Leno couldn't get over how similar the replica behaved to the McQueen car. He found it nimble to handle, with a throttle that responded instantly.
"This is what a sports car should be," said Leno. "Most modern cars are boring, up to 80 miles an hour. They're, you know, they're so isolated, so smooth, whereas this gives you the raw visceral feel of a proper car."
And despite the experience resulting in a thumbs-up, no doubt Leno got a bigger rush on the McQueen.
Source: Jay Leno's Garage