In the early 1990s, some of the fastest sports cars of all time were built. These second generation Group C cars used Formula 1 engines and ground-effect aerodynamics. Despite 150 kg weight penalty these cars were believed to be almost as fast as or even faster than contemporary F1 cars. TWR Jaguar called in F1 designer Ross Brawn to design the XJR-14. Pitched against similar cars from Peugeot and Toyota, the exquisite Jaguar clinched the 1991 World Sportscar Championship. In 1992 the cars were raced in the United States where the mighty Toyota-Eagles proved too much for the more fragile XJR-14s. After the program ended one of the cars that had raced as a Jaguar had its roof removed and was fitted with a Porsche engine. In this guise, the former XJR-14 won Le Mans outright in 1996 and 1997. In a very rare outing we caught up with an XJR-14 at the recent Goodwood press preview. We have been ensured that the car will be back for the Festival of Speed for all to see and hear.
This week's car news comes from the United States where the annual New York Auto Show will kick off this Thursday. Cadillac will preview the CTS-V Sport Wagon, the third version of the CTS based high performance cars. With 556 bhp on tap, it has to be one of the fastest estates available today. Ford completed the 2011 model-year Mustang line-up by revealing the GT Convertible at a big event in California. It shares the sophisticated 412 bhp V8 engine with the Coupe model launched a few months ago.
Earlier this month we published the first pictures of Audi's new Le Mans challenger, the R15 plus. Immediately after last week's Sebring 12 Hours, the German manufacturer tested the car on the bumpy airfield track. It was certainly a mixed session for the eight-time Le Mans winners as the car suffered a big accident. After conclusion of the test, Audi did release four more pictures of the very interestingly styled sports racer. The R15 plus will make its debut at next month's Le Mans Series' eight-hour season opener at Le Castellet. We will be there to bring you all the news and a full report of the Le Mans Series race and the Classic Endurance Racing event, which has a 60+ car entry.
Enjoy the links:
2010 Audi R15 plus - Images, Specifications and Information
2010 Cadillac CTS-V Sport Wagon - Images, Specifications and Information
2010 Ford Mustang GT Convertible - Images, Specifications and Information
1991 Jaguar XJR-14 - Images, Specifications and Information
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