Jaguar XJR-9

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Jaguar XJR-9
Jaguar XJR-9 LM front-left Heritage Motor Centre, Gaydon.jpg
The 1988 24 hours of Le Mans winning XJR-9 on display at the British Motor Museum
Overview
Manufacturer
Production1988–1989
AssemblyUnited Kingdom: Kidlington, Oxfordshire
Designer Tony Southgate for TWR [1]
Body and chassis
Class Racing car
Body style 2-door Coupé
Layout Rear mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive
Related
Powertrain
Engine 6.0 L 60 degree Jaguar V12 (IMSA)
7.0 L 60 degree Jaguar V12 (WSPC)
Transmission 5-speed manual
Dimensions
Wheelbase 2,780 mm (109.4 in) [1] [2]
Length4,780 mm (188.2 in)
Width2,000 mm (78.7 in)
Height1,100 mm (43.3 in)
Kerb weight 880 kg (1,940 lb)
Chronology
Predecessor Jaguar XJR-8
Successor

The Jaguar XJR-9 is a sports-prototype race car built by Jaguar for both FIA Group C and IMSA Camel GTP racing, debuting at the 1988 24 Hours of Daytona.

Contents

Development

An evolution of the design for the XJR-8, the XJR-9 was designed by Tony Southgate, built by Tom Walkinshaw Racing (TWR) and featured a Jaguar 7.0-litre V12 engine based on the production 5.3-litre engine as used in the Jaguar XJS road car. [3] A variant of the XJR-9, the XJR-9LM, would be developed specifically for the 24 Hours of Le Mans where the requirement for high straight line speeds on the Mulsanne Straight necessitated a low-drag aerodynamic package.

History

Rear three-quarter view of the 1988 Le Mans-winning XJR-9. 20070729 Silverstone070 edited.JPG
Rear three-quarter view of the 1988 Le Mans-winning XJR-9.

In the United States, the Castrol sponsored XJR-9s debuted at the 24 Hours of Daytona, with the car taking the overall win. However, throughout the rest of the IMSA Camel GTP season the XJR-9 was unable to gain another win until the final race of the season, meaning the team had to settle for third in the constructor's championship. In the 1988 World Sports Prototype Championship, the XJR-9, running Silk Cut sponsorship, met with more success. The XJR-9 was able to take six victories, including the 24 Hours of Le Mans, over the eleven race series. Silk Cut Jaguar won the Teams Championship and Jaguar driver Martin Brundle won the Drivers title. Jaguar's success at Le Mans marked the first time since 1980 that Porsche had not won Le Mans, and the first Le Mans victory for Jaguar since 1957.

For 1989, the XJR-9 was again entered in both IMSA Camel GTP and the World Sports Prototype Championship. However, the XJR-9 was by now dated, and in IMSA was being repeatedly beaten by Nissan, leaving the XJR-9 with only a single win on the season. This led to Jaguar introducing the XJR-10 midway through the season, which met with slightly better success having two wins on the season and usually placing higher than the XJR-9 it ran with. At the end of the season, Jaguar finished 2nd in the championship.

A similar story occurred in the 1989 World Sports Prototype Championship, with Jaguar not winning a single race during the series. Midway through the championship, the XJR-11 was developed to replace the XJR-9, although both finished out the season. This disappointment led to Jaguar finishing fourth in the Teams Championship.

Within months of Jaguar's 1988 Le Mans victory, TWR would use the XJR-9 chassis for the development of the R9R prototype which by 1990 had evolved into the XJR-15 sports car and spec-racer.

In 2010, the car won the Le Mans Legend race.

Specifications

Engine

Drivetrain

Performance figures

See also

Bibliography

Related Research Articles

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jaguar XJR-15</span> Motor vehicle

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Tom Walkinshaw Racing (TWR) was a motor racing team and engineering firm founded in 1976, in Kidlington, near Oxford, England, by touring car racer Tom Walkinshaw.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jaguar XJR-14</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jaguar XJR-11</span> Motor vehicle

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jaguar XJR-12</span> Motor vehicle

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tony Southgate</span> British engineer and car designer (born 1940)

Tony Southgate is an English engineer and former racing car designer. He designed many successful cars, including Jaguar's Le Mans-winning XJR-9, and cars for almost every type of circuit racing. He was responsible for the chassis design of Ford's RS200 Group B rally car. Southgate was employed as chief designer or technical director for many Formula One teams for over twenty years. These teams included BRM, Shadow and Arrows. Southgate retired after producing the Audi R8C, which was a major influence in the Bentley Speed 8, which won Le Mans in 2003. He continues to be a regular visitor to current and historic race meetings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jaguar XJR-8</span> Motor vehicle

The XJR-8 was a race car built by Jaguar for campaigning in the World Sportscar Championship and the 24 Hours of Le Mans as part of Group C. It was used during the 1987 season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jaguar XJR-6</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eagle MkIII</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jaguar XJR-10</span>

The Jaguar XJR-10 is an IMSA GTP sports prototype race car, designed, developed, and built by TWR for Jaguar, with the aim of competing, from 1989, in the IMSA GT Championship. Jaguar XJR-10s competed until 1991, before Jaguar replaced it with the Jaguar XJR-16. The car debuted a new 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 engine, which replaced the previous V12, and was later fitted to the Jaguar XJ220 as well.

The Jaguar XJR-17 was an IMSA Lights racing car, built by Tom Walkinshaw Racing. Rebuilt from a Jaguar XJR-16 for the IMSA Camel Lights, the XJR-17 never competed in the event due to funding issues and has since only been used in a few minor British events and historic races. It used a modified version of the XJR-16's 3.5-litre V6 engine, stripped of the twin-turbochargers and producing a claimed output of 450 hp, whilst its bodywork was cobbled together using various parts from older Jaguar XJR Sportscars.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jaguar XJR-5</span>

The Jaguar XJR-5 is a IMSA GTP sports prototype race car, designed, developed and built by Group 44 racing for Jaguar with the aim of competing, from 1982, in the IMSA GT Championship. Jaguar XJR-5s contested until 1985, before Jaguar replaced it with the Jaguar XJR-7.

References

  1. 1 2 Melissen, Wouter (7 November 2014). "1988 Jaguar XJR-9 LM - Images, Specifications and Information". Ultimatecarpage.com. Archived from the original on 3 April 2018. Retrieved 14 August 2019.
  2. "Jaguar XJR-9LM". Supercars.net. 1 March 2016. Retrieved 14 August 2019.
  3. Culmer, Kris (15 June 2017). "Throwback Thursday: Driving the 1988 Le Mans-winning Jaguar XJR-9". The Autocar . Retrieved 25 February 2021.