The Jaguar XJ220 has been named the favourite British supercar in a reader poll, taking the People's Choice award after a debate that ranged from 1970s grand tourers to modern track-focused machines. The nomination, put forward by a reader using the handle GaryRoach, drew the most support in the discussion and earned a $25 credit for the publication's merchandise store.
The XJ220 is widely regarded as a defining British supercar of the 1990s. It was nominated with the observation that it qualifies even without a V12 engine, a reference to the difference between the car's original concept and the production version that reached customers. The model has become a fixture of the collector market, with an example crossing the auction block in September 2025.
The poll asked readers to name their favourite British supercar, a question that immediately raised the problem of definition. The term itself is the subject of long-running disagreement, and the discussion reflected that: nominations spanned machines built for the road, cars derived from racing programmes, and at least one vehicle whose claim rested on being both «super» and a «car».
The McLaren F1 was a popular alternative, described by one reader as the obvious choice and by another as a legend that a newer machine, the Gordon Murray Automotive S1, has improved upon in almost every respect. The F1 has been reviewed against period rivals including the Ferrari F40, and footage of that comparison was resurfaced in an earlier feature.
Other nominations included the Jaguar XJR-15, praised as the first road-legal car to use a carbon fibre tub with Kevlar components, and the Lister Storm GTL, noted for its early-1990s racing-car sound and a shape that one reader compared to a blend of two famous performance models. The Ultima RS also received a mention.
The debate reached further back with the Jaguar XKSS, a road-going derivative of a competition car, and the Bentley 4½ Litre, nominated on the playful logic that it is super, it is a car and it is British. The 1977 Aston Martin V8 Vantage was put forward as «Britain's First Supercar», a dignified brawler whose 170 mph top speed placed it firmly in supercar territory for its era.
The range of answers underlined how much the category depends on period and purpose. A machine that qualified on outright speed in the 1970s might be judged differently against a 1990s carbon-chassis special or a modern low-volume design, and the poll made no attempt to impose a single standard. Instead, readers were invited to nominate candidates and endorse the suggestions that appealed to them, with the most-liked comment carrying the award.
The question was set in the wake of a British motoring event held in partnership with two UK specialists, where a strong field of vehicles was on display. That occasion prompted the focus on a niche within British motoring, and the discussion quickly showed that the country has produced more supercars than its understated reputation might suggest.
The winning nomination places the XJ220 at the centre of that history. It is a car that has long divided opinion over its engine and its development, but the reader vote suggests its status as a 1990s icon remains secure among enthusiasts. The poll's organisers closed the thread by thanking participants and confirming that a new question would follow shortly.