Page 1 of 2 Next >> Inspired by the outright victory in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1988, Jaguar Sport / TWR (Tom Walkinshaw Racing) decided to develop a racing car for the road. It was derived directly from the successful XJR-9 and XJR-12 racers. The new road racer was dubbed the XJR-15 to emphasise how close it was related to Jaguar's Group C competition cars.
Interestingly, Jaguar also developed a road going supercar during the same period. Known as the XJ220, this highly sophisticated, V6-engined machine was a pure road car. To further underline the differences between the XJ220 and the XJR-15, Jaguar Sport devised a one-make racing series for the XJR-15 in 1991. Known as the Jaguar Sport International Challenge, it was run as a support for Formula 1 races and open to all owners of the XJR-15.
Development of the XJR-15 was straightforward as the carbon-fibre composite monocoque and running were virtually identical to the XJR-9's. Like the Group C car, the XJR-15 featured a six-litre V12 that was based on a production engine. In XJR-15 guise, it produced around 450 bhp. The V12 was mated to a TWR six-speed gearbox that was developed for Le Mans but never used. As an option, a five-speed, all synchromesh gearbox was also available.
Before the XJR-15 moniker was chosen, the original plan was to actually call the car XJR-9R for road. Accordingly, the first exterior design was also inspired by the 1988 Le Mans winner. As this was not particularly practical for road use, Jaguar Sport employed designer Peter Stevens to create a body suited for both road and competition use. Stevens' design featured more glass, proper doors and a small rear wing. Page 1 of 2 Next >>
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Inspired by the outright victory in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1988, Jaguar Sport / TWR (Tom Walkinshaw Racing) decided to develop a racing car for the road. It was derived directly from the successful XJR-9 and XJR-12 racers. The new road racer was dubbed the XJR-15 to emphasise how close it was related to Jaguar's Group C competition cars.