Lunaz XK120: Luxury Without Emissions

Electrifying the Most Beautiful Car Ever Made

When Jaguar unveiled the XK120 in 1948, it wasn’t just a car—it was a statement of wealth, taste and success. The long, flowing fenders, the sculpted grille, the impossibly low stance—it was automotive art in motion. And it wasn’t simply about looks. With a top speed of 120 mph, it was the fastest production car in the world at the time. Hollywood stars, racing legends, and aristocrats all clamored to own one. But as beautiful and groundbreaking as it was, time has caught up with the XK120. Classic car lovers have long been torn between preserving these machines in their original form, complete with outdated mechanicals and constant maintenance, or updating them for modern roads. Enter Lunaz, the British company redefining automotive restoration by perfectly combining timeless aesthetics with cutting-edge electric performance. The Lunaz Jaguar XK120 is a complete reinvention of what an iconic classic sports car can be – And it just might be the most beautiful electric car ever built.

Lunaz: Masters of Electrified Restoration

If there’s one company pushing the boundaries of EV restomods, it’s Lunaz Design. Based in Silverstone, England, the home of British motorsport, Lunaz has made a name for itself by meticulously restoring and electrifying the world’s most desirable classic cars. Their philosophy is simple: preserve the soul of the car while future-proofing it for the modern era. From Rolls-Royces to Bentleys, they’ve breathed new life into automotive legends, ensuring they can be enjoyed for decades to come, without emissions, mechanical headaches, or reliability concerns.

The Jaguar XK120 was an obvious candidate for their craft. Few cars can match its timeless styling and historical significance, but its original 3.4-liter straight-six, charming as it is, requires constant tuning, carburetor adjustments, and an old-school driving technique that feels increasingly out of place in the 21st century. By converting it to electric, Lunaz have made it an everyday drivable, high-performance, zero-emissions grand tourer.

Lunaz doesn’t do simple EV swaps. Each build is a ground-up reengineering process, ensuring the car is not just electric, but exceptional. The XK120’s original 160-horsepower gas engine is replaced with an in-house-developed electric powertrain producing 375 horsepower and 516 lb-ft of torque—more than doubling the car’s original output. The result? A classic roadster that now accelerates like a modern sports car. Underneath, Lunaz installs their owna state-of-the-art battery pack, offering a range of 250 miles per full charge, ensuring the XK120 isn’t just a showpiece, but a car you can drive daily.

A Reinvented Driving Experience

A classic car is more than just looks—it’s about how it feels on the road. One of the biggest challenges of electrifying an icon like the XK120 is ensuring it still delivers an engaging, rewarding driving experience. To achieve this, Lunaz has completely reengineered the suspension, brakes, and steering. The XK120’s original recirculating-ball steering system, known for its vague and heavy feel, has been replaced with a modern rack-and-pinion setup, ensuring precise handling. Braking is vastly improved, thanks to regenerative braking and a modern disc brake system, replacing the finicky drum brakes of the original. And to ensure the car remains composed and comfortable, Lunaz has fitted an adaptive suspension system, giving it a far more refined ride without losing the raw, analog feel that makes classic sports cars so special. The XK120 now handles like a true grand tourer, with none of the compromises of its late 1940s engineering.

Sustainable Luxury

The XK120’s handcrafted interior combined old-world craftsmanship and modern tech. Lunaz has completely reupholstered the cabin, using the finest materials—but with a sustainable twist. The leather seats, for example, aren’t just sumptuous—they’re sourced from ethically tanned hides, avoiding the environmental impact of traditional tanning processes.The wood trim is Burr Walnut veneer with a satin finish, adding a touch of warmth and nostalgia. Meanwhile, the carpets are made from reclaimed nylon fishing nets, a small but significant step toward reducing plastic waste. And while the XK120 retains its classic charm, it’s now equipped with modern creature comforts. A touchscreen infotainment system—beautifully integrated into the dash—offers Apple CarPlay and Bluetooth connectivity, ensuring that while the car may look like the 1950s, its technology belongs firmly in 2025. Even the gauges have been subtly redesigned to reflect the car’s electric soul, with a state-of-charge meter replacing the fuel gauge—a nod to the future without erasing the past.

A Driving Experience Unlike Any Other

Lunaz approached the XK120’s reinvention with the same level of detail and craftsmanship as their Rolls-Royce and Bentley builds, re-engineering the entire car from the ground up. Before a single panel was touched, they created 3D CAD models to ensure technical accuracy, then applied traditional coachbuilding and restoration skills to bring the body back to life. The result? A car that remains faithful to the original XK120 in its design and spirit, but with a thoroughly modern electric soul. This particular example has been finished in a deep, elegant Blue Obsidian, adding to its timeless appeal.

And yet, despite the cutting-edge powertrain, this is still very much a classic Jaguar to drive. Lunaz took a deliberately restrained approach to modifying the suspension and steering, ensuring that the XK120 retains its original feel—for better or for worse. Unlike many restomods that heavily revise the handling, the Lunaz XK120 still features leaf springs at the rear, meaning body control and lean in corners remain largely unchanged from the original. It moves around on its skinny, high-profile wire wheels, and while it feels more planted than a 1950s Jaguar, it’s certainly no modern F-Type. As Lunaz engineers put it, this isn’t a classic car brought into 2025—it’s a 1950s car updated to feel more like a 1970s grand tourer.

That said, the XK120 is far quicker than its original form ever allowed. The original Jaguar XK120 was the fastest production car in the world when it launched, but today, it wouldn’t hold a candle to even the most basic sports cars. The Lunaz version changes that. The 375 horsepower twin-motor electric setup delivers instant torque, making the XK120 feel far more urgent than before. With no gearbox—just a simple forward and reverse system with a fixed ratio—acceleration is smooth, silent, and surprisingly quick. It’s nimble enough for city driving, making overtaking effortless, and although it’s not a full-blown performance machine, it now delivers the kind of effortless speed that the original designers could only have dreamed of.

Of course, a car with this much power needs modern brakes, and Lunaz has done exactly that—though you might not notice it at first. The braking system is designed to maintain the feel of a classic car, so there’s a fair amount of initial pedal travel before the brakes bite hard in a way that feels far more modern. To balance stopping power with efficiency, the XK120 also features adjustable regenerative braking, which can be customized to the owner’s preferences. Whether you want coasting, mild regen, or a strong one-pedal driving feel, Lunaz lets you fine-tune the setup to suit different driving conditions.

All this contributes to maximizing range. Lunaz estimates that its 80 kWh battery pack—mounted under the hood—provides 250 miles of real-world range, a figure calculated with a steady 65 mph cruise speed in mind. Since EVs are often least efficient at motorway speeds, Lunaz has ensured that even during spirited backroad drives, the range should still be impressive.

A $420,000 Engineering Masterpiece At $425,000, before taxes, the Lunaz Jaguar XK120 is not for everyone. But then again, neither was the original XK120—it was a car for discerning enthusiasts, collectors, and those who demanded the best. Lunaz has succeeded in doing what many thought impossible—modernizing a classic while preserving its soul. With stunning craftsmanship, superb in house tech, and a dedication to sustainability, Lunaz deliver a work of art, built for a world where beauty and performance no longer require a tailpipe, just deep pockets.

SPECS

Lunaz Jaguar XK120

Base Vehicle & Chassis

• Model: 1952 Jaguar XK120
• Builder: Lunaz Design (Silverstone, UK)
• Body: Original Jaguar XK120, fully restored to better-than-factory condition
• Chassis: Reinforced and reengineered to accommodate electric powertrain
• Production Numbers: Limited edition, built to customer specification

Electric Powertrain

• Motor: Twin electric motors (Lunaz in-house development)
• Power Output: 375 hp
• Torque: 516 lb-ft
• Battery Capacity: 80 kWh
• Range: 250 miles per charge
• Charging:

1. Fast-charging capability
2. Regenerative braking system

• Performance:

1. 0-60 mph: Estimated sub-5 seconds
2. Top Speed: Electronically limited for safety and efficiency

Chassis & Handling

• Steering: Upgraded rack-and-pinion system for modern handling
• Brakes:

1. Regenerative braking for energy recovery

• Suspension:

1. Fully upgraded for improved ride comfort and handling
2. Adaptive damping system

Interior & Technology

• Upholstery: Sustainable, ethically sourced materials, including leather-free options
• Dashboard: Burr Walnut veneer with a satin finish
• Carpets: Made from reclaimed nylon fishing nets for eco-conscious luxury
• Infotainment:

1. Hidden touchscreen system with Apple CarPlay & Android Auto
2. Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and navigation integrated into the design

• Instrumentation: Classic-look dials redesigned for EV functionality

Exterior & Lighting

• Paint Process: Full bare-metal restoration with bespoke paint options
• Lighting: Upgraded LED technology for enhanced visibility
• Wheels & Tires:

1. Bespoke wire-spoke wheels
2. High-performance Pirelli tires for modern grip

Information: ByLunaz.com

Photos by Jerome Andre and Lunaz