<< Prev Page 2 of 3 Next >> Two XJR-14s were completed in time for the first round of the championship at Suzuka. The very sophisticated cars offered the drivers some new challenges. First of all, there were no doors; access to the cockpit was through the removable side windows. The tight, right-hand drive cockpit featured a centrally mounted gear-lever, forcing the drivers to shift with their left hand. The designers considered that a small price to pay for a linkage that could run straight back to the gearbox. Before the race, the XJR-14s had to be ballasted to meet the 750 kg minimum weight. The only other 'next generation' Group C car at Suzuka was the Peugeot 905. The V10 engined machine had been first raced late in 1990 but it did not take an expert's eye to see the car's aerodynamics were not quite in the same league as the XJR-14's.
Derek Warwick and Martin Brundle qualified their XJR-14 on pole position for the season opener. They were well on their way to score a debut victory until a starter problem saw them drop from the lead. There were no problems in race 2 at Monza where the two Jaguars qualified first and second and finished second and first. The V8-engined machines won again at Silverstone and the Nürburgring. For the much longer Le Mans race, Jaguar opted to run the more reliable V12-engined XJR-12s, which duly finished 2nd, 3rd and 4th. Now in their second season, the Peugeots started to pick up pace and by round six at Magny Cours, they were as quick as the Jaguars. The XJR-14 failed to score another victory but the early form proved enough for Jaguar and driver Teo Fabi to clinch the World Team and Driver Championships.
At the end of the season, Jaguar announced its withdrawal from Group C. The high cost involved with running the F1-inspired machines were too much for the British company and many of its rivals. The only major manufacturers still fully committed to the World Championship in 1992 were Peugeot, Toyota and Mazda, who ran a Judd V10 engined version of the XJR-14. The FIA had succeeded in driving the manufacturers out of sports car racing but with the exception of Mercedes-Benz had failed to lure them into Formula 1. All was not lost for the XJR-14 as Jaguar decided to field it elsewhere. The first outing was a one-off participation late in 1991 in the final round of the All Japan Sportscar-Prototype Championship. Teo Fabi and David Brabham won the race from pole.
For 1992 the XJR-14s were repainted to 'Bud Light' colours and entered in the IMSA GTP Championship. The cars arrived in Group C configuration at TWR's American headquarters at Valparaiso and all development work focused on adapting the cars to the slightly different regulations. The biggest change was the relocation of the roof-mounted air-intake, which could not be the highest part of the car. Additional dampers were also fitted to bring the engine note down to 108 db. The Jaguars were welcomed to the United States with great anticipation and would line up against the locally built Nissan and Toyota-Eagle. They featured more powerful turbocharged engines and even higher downforce levels but were forced to run at a higher minimum weight. << Prev Page 2 of 3 Next >>
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Two XJR-14s were completed in time for the first round of the championship at Suzuka. The very sophisticated cars offered the drivers some new challenges. First of all, there were no doors; access to the cockpit was through the removable side windows. The tight, right-hand drive cockpit featured a centrally mounted gear-lever, forcing the drivers to shift with their left hand. The designers considered that a small price to pay for a linkage that could run straight back to the gearbox. Before the race, the XJR-14s had to be ballasted to meet the 750 kg minimum weight. The only other 'next generation' Group C car at Suzuka was the Peugeot 905. The V10 engined machine had been first raced late in 1990 but it did not take an expert's eye to see the car's aerodynamics were not quite in the same league as the XJR-14's.