# Iconic Jaguar Engines & Drivetrains | Otto Explains | AutoTronix **Section:** Otto Explains **Canonical:** https://autotronix.om/otto/jaguar-engines-drivetrains **Language:** English **Arabic version:** https://autotronix.om/ar/otto/jaguar-engines-drivetrains --- ## Short Answer Jaguar’s most famous engine is the XK straight six of 1948, which powered its cars and Le Mans winners for about four decades. It was joined by a 5.3-litre V12 in 1971, replaced by the AJ6 and AJ16 sixes, and followed by the AJ-V8 of 1996 and the 5.0-litre V8 of 2009, often supercharged in R and SVR models. Later came Ingenium four-cylinders, all-wheel drive and, from 2018, electric drive. --- ## Why is the XK engine so important? The XK engine, launched in the XK120 in 1948, was a 3,442cc straight six with twin overhead camshafts. It stayed in production for about four decades: Jaguar says 40 years, and the Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust dates it from 1948 to 1992. It powered Jaguar to five Le Mans wins between 1951 and 1957, producing 270bhp in the D-type, and in 3.8-litre form it gave the 1961 E-type 265bhp. It grew to 4.2 litres in 1964 and powered the first XJ6 of 1968 in 2.8-litre and 4.2-litre sizes. --- ## How did Jaguar’s V12 come about? The V12 began as a racing engine: the one-off XJ13, developed from 1964, had a mid-mounted 5-litre V12 with four overhead camshafts and 502bhp. The production version, first used in the E-type Series 3 from 1971, was a 5.3-litre all-aluminium engine simplified to one overhead camshaft per bank. The XJ12 saloon of 1972 was the car it had mainly been designed for. Over time it gained fuel injection (1975) and High Efficiency cylinder heads (1981), and it was enlarged to 6 litres in 1993. Jaguar built 161,583 cars with a V12 engine until the last XJ12 on 17 April 1997, and V12 engines also powered the Le Mans winners of 1988 and 1990. --- ## What replaced the XK six? The AJ6, a new straight six, was first fitted in 1983 to the XJ-S Cabriolet. An improved version, the AJ16, powered the 3.2-litre and 4.0-litre XJ6 of the X300 range from 1994. In 1997 the XJ8, with Jaguar’s new AJ-V8, replaced both the six-cylinder and twelve-cylinder XJ saloons. --- ## Why did Jaguar choose supercharging? For its R performance cars Jaguar chose supercharging rather than turbocharging, judging it a better way to give effortless performance. The first supercharged R car was the 4.0-litre XJR of 1994, with 326bhp. Otto explains how the two systems differ in [turbochargers and superchargers](https://autotronix.om/otto/turbocharger-vs-supercharger). --- ## What was the AJ-V8? The AJ-V8 was the first V8 in a Jaguar production car, arriving in the XK8 in 1996. It was an all-aluminium engine with two overhead camshafts per bank and 32 valves, first 4.0 litres and 290bhp, later 4.2 litres. A supercharged 4.0-litre version with 370bhp followed in the XKR from 1998 and in the X308 XJR. --- ## What is Jaguar’s 5.0-litre V8? Launched in 2009 to replace the 4.2-litre V8, the 5.0-litre is a quad-cam, 32-valve all-aluminium V8 offered naturally aspirated and supercharged. Supercharged, it gave 510PS in the XFR and XKR, and later powered the F-TYPE from 2012 and the F-PACE SVR from 2018. Its most powerful road versions include the 575PS F-PACE SVR 575 Edition and the 600PS XE SV Project 8. --- ## Which smaller engines has Jaguar used? From 1998 the S-TYPE, and later the X-TYPE, used AJ-V6 engines, and in 2003 the X-TYPE brought Jaguar’s first diesel. The X351 XJ of 2010 offered a 3.0-litre V6 diesel, joined in 2012 by a supercharged 3.0-litre V6 and a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo petrol. In 2015 JLR began volume production of Ingenium, its own family of turbocharged four-cylinder petrol and diesel engines with aluminium blocks and 500cc cylinders, at its Engine Manufacturing Centre near Wolverhampton; the first was the 2.0-litre AJ200D diesel, and the XE was the first Jaguar to use the family. Later F-PACE updates added mild hybrids, including in-line six-cylinder petrol and diesel engines, and in 2022 the P400e plug-in hybrid. --- ## Which gearboxes and drivetrains has Jaguar used? Most E-type Series 3 and XJ-S V12 cars were automatics, though manual gearboxes were available, and the XJR-S of 1989 used a remapped three-speed automatic. The X350 XJ and the X150 XK used six-speed automatics, made by ZF in the case of the XK, and the F-TYPE launched with a ‘Quickshift’ eight-speed close-ratio automatic. The X-TYPE introduced Traction-4 full-time all-wheel drive on its V6 models, while a 2.1-litre version was front-wheel drive. Performance cars varied: the XJ220 concept had a prototype four-wheel-drive system but the production car was rear-wheel drive, and the XE SV Project 8 has all-wheel drive. The first XF also introduced a rotary gear selector. --- ## How does Jaguar’s electric drive work? The I-PACE of 2018 uses two Jaguar-designed concentric electric motors, one at each axle, with the driveshafts passing through the motors to save space. Together they give 400PS, 696Nm and all-wheel drive, and the 90kWh lithium-ion battery of 432 pouch cells sits between the axles for 50:50 weight distribution. The Type 01 of 2026 has three electric motors with Intelligent Torque Vectoring, an 850-volt architecture and a 118kWh usable battery, with up to 1,030PS and 1,365Nm. In 2023 JLR announced that its Wolverhampton engine plant would build electric drive units and battery packs as the Electric Propulsion Manufacturing Centre. Otto’s guide to [hybrid, plug-in hybrid and electric cars](https://autotronix.om/otto/hybrid-vs-plug-in-hybrid-vs-electric) explains how these systems differ. --- ## What does this mean for owning a Jaguar today? Jaguar names tell you little about the hardware underneath. Two XKRs can differ completely: early cars used a supercharged 4.0-litre V8 with 370bhp, later ones a supercharged 5.0-litre with 510PS. The same F-PACE name has covered four-cylinder, six-cylinder, V8 and plug-in hybrid versions, and Jaguar’s own Oman website notes that engines and specifications vary by market. So identify the exact engine, transmission and drive system from the car’s documents before ordering parts, follow the maintenance schedule Jaguar sets for that specific car, and treat a fault as something to diagnose rather than something the model is known for. Otto’s overview of [engine designs](https://autotronix.om/otto/engine-designs-explained) explains the layouts behind these names. At AutoTronix, Garage handles mechanical repairs to engines, gearboxes and drivetrains, Lab handles diagnostics and electronics, and PERFORMANCE looks after high-performance Jaguars such as R and SVR models. --- ## Common Questions **Has Jaguar used turbochargers?** Yes, on smaller engines: the Ingenium four-cylinder petrol and diesel engines are turbocharged. For its R performance models, Jaguar preferred supercharging. **What was Jaguar’s first diesel?** The 2.0-litre four-cylinder diesel offered in the X-TYPE from 2003. **How many V12 Jaguars were built?** 161,583 cars with a V12 engine, between 1971 and the last one in 1997. **What powers the Jaguar Type 01?** Three electric motors with Intelligent Torque Vectoring, an 850-volt architecture and a 118kWh usable battery. It has no petrol engine. --- ## Related Otto Explanations - Horsepower vs Torque: What Do They Really Mean?: https://autotronix.om/otto/horsepower-vs-torque --- ## Related Services - AutoTronix Garage: https://autotronix.om/garage - AutoTronix Lab: https://autotronix.om/lab - AutoTronix PERFORMANCE: https://autotronix.om/performance --- ## Book a Service WhatsApp: +968 9966 8600 https://api.whatsapp.com/send/?phone=96899668600&type=phone_number&app_absent=0 Location: Mabellah Industrial, Street 7, Muscat — Saturday to Thursday, 9 AM to 9 PM