Like so many long-standing automotive marques, Jaguar looks very different today than it did 50+ years ago. Sure, you can still see some evidence of the Jaguar of old in its new models. The Jaguar F-Type is still a long-nose coupe meant to loosely recall Jags of old. But those Jags of old are gone, and they weren't exactly perfect. Well, someone has decided to change that, and build a Jaguar XK you can look at without the rose-tinted lenses.

That someone(s) is British restoration house Thornley Kelham and ex-McLaren designer Paul Howse. Howse is responsible for the design of modern icons like the McLaren P1 and 720S. The model is part of the European Programme from Thornley Kelham, which reinterprets classics like the Mercedes 300SL Gullwing, and now the Jaguar XK. All you need to do is provide them with a donor car.

Howse has slightly reworked Jag's initial XK120 design, lowering the roofline and adding more prominent curves down the side of the car. The XK's arches are also widened to accommodate new, wider wire wheels. Nearly all of the car's brightwork is removed, like the headlight's chrome bezels, and a subtle crease is added to the hood of the car to accentuate the dividing line of the windscreen. Finally, the rear of the car is swept up slightly to create a more defined teardrop shape.

Inside, Howe has totally redesigned the dash with body-color aluminum while also working in some modern touches. These include air conditioning, electric windows, and leather-wrapped electronic gauges. Power steering is also added, and so is a Bluetooth head unit. The seating position has also been lowered, and the seats slightly reworked to be more supportive than the originals. There's even a spot to stow small items in the door. Unfortunately, images of the interior were not provided.

For the powerplant, Kelham uses the Jag's 3.8-liter straight-six. In-period, that motor made a measly 160-220 hp, severely limited by the technology of its time. Thornley Kelham changes that, and the new motor now produces 300-340 hp depending on spec. For reference, a modern Jaguar XF P300 makes 296 hp from its turbo-four. If customers want more power than that, they can ask.

To achieve that, the restoration house uses an upgraded aluminum radiator with oil cooler, as well as a modern direct injection system. The all-alloy motor also gets a reworked camshaft and bored-out cylinders. The XK's hood louvers are functional and help to increase cooling capacity. You'll even get to row your own gears with a reworked five-speed manual.

The XK clearly performs like a more modern car, and the car's underpinnings are updated to reflect that. Double wishbone suspension is used at the front, helped along by Bilstein shocks and Eibach springs. The rear axle is also completely redesigned and fitted with a new LSD. Braking is handled by four-pot calipers at each wheel.

In total, the extensive rebuild of the donor Jaguar XK is said to take around 5,000 hours, with paintwork taking 800 hours on its own. Cars are already being built and Thornley Kelham says it has already received one reservation, with prices starting at a whopping $594,764 USD plus the cost of whatever donor car you bring to the table.