The world is facing up to weaning off oil and improving economy and emissions. Potentially not quite perfect timing to reprise a  British V12 sports tourer from yesteryear. But it’s happened nonetheless.

MODERN Jaguar is going electric; earlier this year, the firm announced all its car produced from the year 2025 will be battery-compelled.

The parent business, JLR, also said its Land Rover segment would roll out six “pure electric variants” over the next five years.

Plus, of course, it is also now working on the prototype of a hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle, with testing of the concept slated to start later this year.

The vehicle will be based on the new version of the Land Rover Defender, and is part of JLR’s broader attempt to meet a target of zero tailpipe emissions by the year 2036. Testing of the vehicle will focus on areas such as fuel consumption and off-road capabilities.

JLR, which is owned by Tata Motors, recently described fuel cell electric vehicles as being “complimentary to battery electric vehicles … on the journey to net zero vehicle emissions.”

“Hydrogen-powered FCEVs provide high energy density and rapid refuelling, and minimal loss of range in low temperatures, making the technology ideal for larger, longer-range vehicles, or those operated in hot or cold environments,” the company added.

But anyway, you get the picture. JLR is saying goodbye to fossil fuels.

But that’s the modern brand. The one living in the now and preparing for the future.

There’s another Jaguar, of sorts, that prefers to live in the past. In last century in fact.

E-Type UK’s name is a bit of a giveaway. It’s a restorer that dials back to the 1960s, when sheep skin jackets and deerskin driving gloves were in vogue. So was the E-Type, debatably Jaguar’s greatest sports car, but certainly its most famous one. Even though it first ran with a six-cylinder engine, the ‘E’ is most known as a V12-engined machine.

An icon of its age? For sure. And one that E-Type UK reckons still has a chance at a fresh life. Maybe they don’t keep up with the news. Or perhaps they imagine there is a Planet Petrol out there somewhere.

Anyway, just a fortnight after JLR having revealed its hydrogen project, E-Type UK has announced intent to introduce an all-new brand “dedicated to reimagining the E-Type.”

The ‘Unleashed’ brand’s first creation is a restomod of the E-type Series 3, which introduced originally in 1971 and – ahem – was considered the least desirable E-Type by cognoscenti.

The maker (or re-maker, one never quite knows) is patently undeterred by past history. It says it has refined and upgraded this car “in every way” to create the ultimate incarnation of Jaguar’s V12-powered icon.

Which means? A strengthened and tweaked platform and a plethora of enhancements to the car’s drivetrain, body and interior. The key ingredient is a significantly enhanced V12 engine. The cylinders have been re-bored to increase the engine’s capacity by 800cc, taking it from 5.3 litres to 6.1 litres. Power is rated at 298kW, transmitted via a new five-speed gearbox and lightened flywheel and sounding out through a stainless steel exhaust.

The engine upgrade is matched by better brakes than the original had. Unleashed gets four-piston brakes with grooved vented discs and braided brake lines.

The original’s poor record for mechanical reliability has obviously played on this outfit’s mind. They assure a performance high-flow aluminium radiator, oil cooler coupled with ECU-controlled cooling fans for optimum temperature control will “afford owners total peace of mind.” 

Power is nothing without handling to match it, which is why the Unleashed’s chassis is fitted with fully adjustable shock absorbers, allowing for complete customisation to reflect a driver’s personal preference when it comes to ride comfort and cornering stability. Sports torsion bars alongside PU suspension bushings advance the handling ability of the Unleashed to even greater heights.

A restomod isn't really completed until it's cosmetically perfect as well. The Series 3 conceivably created a bit of a challenge in that respect, as for various reasons, it was a somewhat pudgy thing. E-Type UK talks of having “subtly finessed” the shape to create a sleeker, more flowing profile whilst retaining the unmistakable outline of the original.

Notable exterior tweaks for this Unleashed include unique chrome bumpers front and rear, a new front grille, extended bonnet louvres and LED headlights. It runs on 16-inch wheels, but they’re wire-spoked types to retain a period feel.

The interior may well be the best bit. Entirely retrimmed and hand-stitched, it’s leather-lined but with air-con, Bluetooth, electric windows and even heated seats.

It'll be little surprise to learn the car is neither a cheap nor quick transformation. Each build takes 4000 hours, with prices from $NZ642,000 plus the cost of a suitable donor.