Over the years, Jaguar has made some of the most beautiful vehicles. While the E-Type generally gets the spotlight, the 1948 to 1954 Jaguar XK120 is just as impressive. Moreover, UK-based company, Lunaz, dabbles in restoring and converting classic vehicles to zero-emissions EVs, and their latest project is based, precisely, on the elegant, British roadster. The Jaguar XK120 by Lunaz isn’t just about zero emissions. It’s also about sustainability and the whole vehicle has been restored using recycled waste from the oceans.

While we are used to seeing EV conversions based on classic Porsche 911s and even the Ferrari 308, to name a couple, Lunaz has taken electric conversions to new heights by including a sustainability aspect in their latest work. The electric Jaguar XK120 was commissioned by a special customer and was unveiled at the Concours on Savile Row in London.

Originally, the Jaguar XK120 came with a 3.4-liter, DOHC, inline-six that produced 160 horsepower (119 kilowatts) at 5,000 RPM and 195 pound-feet (265 Nm) at 2,500 RPM. For the U.S., there was an M version, which stood for modified, and it produced 180 horsepower (134 kilowatts). Lunaz has replaced the internal combustion engine with a twin-electric motor setup that’s good for 375 horsepower and 516 pound-feet (700 Nm). This allows the electrified XK120 to do the 0 to 60 mph (97 km/h) sprint in 5.0 seconds. The 80 kWh battery pack allows for 250 miles (402 km) of range.

Jaguar XK120 by Lunaz specifications

Powertrain

twin-electric motor

Power

375 HP

Torque

516 LB-FT

0 to 60 mph

5.0 seconds

Battery

80 kWh

Range

250 miles


The most important aspect of the Lunaz Jaguar XK120 is the world-first, leather-free interior, which compliments the blue exterior of the car. The seats are finished in high-quality fabric material and the seat frames are constructed out of recycled aluminum. The driver’s seat features a black stripe to accentuate that despite being eco-friendly and sustainable, the “Jag” is still a proper driver’s car.

The only classic material found inside the Jaguar XK120 is the Burr Walnut veneer wood, which was given a satin finish. As mentioned before, the materials used for the car’s restoration are innovative and upcycled from the ocean. The car has undergone full restoration at the Lunaz facility, near Silverstone where the reimagined classic has also undergone fine-tuning in order to be an exciting driver’s machine.

One of the staples in every Lunaz project is customization, which is why the in-house design department, headed by Jen Holloway, works closely with its clients to understand their aesthetic preferences when building bespoke vehicles. Although it looks as classically correct as the original car, the Jaguar XK120 by Lunaz neatly incorporates modern infotainment features like a subtle screen, operated by Apple CarPlay, positioned under the center-mounted gauges. Lunaz has also restored whatever possible from the 70-year-old vehicle so as to avoid manufacturing new parts, thus reducing the carbon footprint of the car to a minimum.

Lunaz has effectively reinvented the way a car is being made by using reclaimed ocean waste. In fact, an independent audit confirms that, once a car undergoes Lunaz’s treatment, it reclaims over 80 percent of the embedded carbon of the original car’s production. In simple terms, once Lunaz makes a conversion like this Jaguar XK120, it reduces the original car’s carbon impact by over 80 percent. At the same time, the all-electric Jaguar XK120 is much more capable than the original, and in times when the push for sustainability is bigger than ever, Lunaz has presented a win-win solution.