ZF8HP Gearbox Conversions

The future is here..

The use of the ZF8HP gearbox is frankly the biggest technological jump in the Jaguar world for the last 20 years, a gearbox that didn’t just take a technological leap forward but had taken a space rocket and meant it wasn’t on this planet anymore in comparison to the earlier iterations.

The ZF5, ZF6 or even earlier boxes of the 80’s and early 90’s were such a slow and awkward affaire that they could almost be the poster child for why the auto box was such a bad idea compared to a manual box.

The modern automotive offerings of auto boxes have blurred the lines between the pitfalls of the auto box compared to a manual and have become more socially acceptable, this has in large part been due to the ZF8HP box and the large proportion of the automotive world that adopted it (Alfa Romeo, Aston Martin, BMW, Ford, Jeep, Land Rover, Rolls Royce) to name but a few.

This automotive shift has been down to ZF creating a much more seamless gearbox that works for you and not against you unlike old iterations. The ideal demonstration of this can be seen between the X150 and the F-type models where the different gearboxes were fitted to the same 5.0S engine, This back to back comparison shows that the ZF8 is more fuel efficient, provides a faster 0-60, quicker at changing gears and much more clever at predicting gear changes when you need them and is able to be mapped to the owners the requirements.

What does this mean for Jaguar owners of classics and future classics? Taking this recipe and translating it onto older models is exactly what we have done, but this process is not without its complications from an electrical standpoint in the form of a stand alone engine management system. Depending upon application we also need to fit an adapter plate to the engine and custom gearbox mounts too.

As development has now ended for the late 4.0 and 4.2 X100 models these are available to order and book in with us here for conversions, this particular conversion utilises the already developed engine ECU conversion for the X100 model and allows both the engine and gearbox to be controlled by the new Maxx Race Gen 2.

Not only does this eliminate future failure points on this vehicle but it increases drivability in both the engine and driveline, more power output due to smaller transmission losses and a far greater technological jump in what the car can achieve. Lastly being able to still use the Jaguar J-gate shifter in the X100 makes the fitment of the conversion look completely standard and keeping its original classic Jaguar looks while maintaining full functionality.

The outcome here enables us to bring a vehicles drivability up to date meaning that we can unlock endless possibilities from your late 5.0 X150 to even an XJS in the future. This then unlocks countless possibilities for your classic car without the added cost of going to a manual gearbox, making it a far more cost effective solution to change the way your car behaves in all situations.

We are now taking bookings for this conversion on the X100 model so please enquire with us for pricing and availability at enquiries@swallowsracing.co.uk for more information.

New models are in the pipeline as we develop kits from the Jaguar XJS to X300 and XJ40, future possibilities are endless with development of more modern models over the next few years.

For such an exciting prospect with limitless capabilities here at SR we feel that this is going to transform classic Jaguar ownership for the better, especially as older gearboxes continue to fail and are increasingly harder to maintain and replace when they go wrong.

The possibilities are endless here at SR to make your dreams a reality while maintaining your pride and joy for the better –

Do you fancy a 6.0 V12 XJS on throttle bodies, full stand alone ECU with ZF8HP and paddle shift?

We can build it!