For many the dream jaguar The Jaguar XJ220 has been for twenty years. A potential hypercar, before the term hypercar came about, had the Bugatti EB110 firmly in its sights and should become the fastest production car of all time.
But the XJ220 missed that 220 mph goal a little and still hit an impressive 213 mph. The reasons for this were numerous, including budget and lack of time, but most attribute it to the loss of the large V12 engine that is stable among the most expensive British cars.
Instead, the XJ220 had a comparatively dreary twin-turbo V6; This doesn’t sound particularly strange in today’s times when hybridization is king, but in 1992 it was a sticking point. Despite its shortcomings as a Jaguar Halo vehicle, it stayed in the hearts and minds of many fans of the brand, neglecting the equally brilliant XJR-15.
Expensive, only produced for two years and with Peter Stevens, co-designer of the Mclaren F1, it definitely sounds interesting. Let’s take a closer look at the Jaguar XJ220.
Jaguar XJR-15 had the proposed V12 of the XJ220
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Many moons ago Jaguar had driven at the highest level and the XJR-9 had even won Le Mans. The XJR-15 shared parts with the winning car and was certainly intended as a Le Mans racing car that would meet road regulations.
Like similar offers from McLaren today, the street car wasn’t cheap, costing about $ 1 million. The XJR-15 was a toy for the wealthy and was only offered to fifty of the overly wealthy at a time. But unlike the more famous XJ220, the XJR-15 came with the most coveted of all features, a 6.0 liter V12 engine with 450 horsepower that was available to the driver.
Not only was the car so expensive because of its engine, but it was the first car to be made entirely from carbon fiber and kevlar, giving it a curb weight of just over 2,200 pounds. The Jaguar was as heavy as a classic Mini, had a lot of power and was a dream in corners. This weight saving gave the car a sprint to sixty of 3.9 seconds and a top speed of 191 mph. In comparison, the XJ220 may do a little better, but the XJR-15 drives better and is a true racer indeed.
The Jaguar XJR-15 Racing Series has made a name for itself
Via: Alexandre Prévot, Wikimedia Commons – https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0
Jaguar retired from track racing in 1994 before the company acquired a Formula 1 team. But there was a bit of racing action with the XJR-15 that came out earlier. In 1991 the Jaguar Intercontinental Challenge ran as an accompanying racing series to the Formula 1 World Championship.
The opening season of the series was made up of three races in Monaco, Silverstone and Spa Francorchamps, three of the most famous Formula 1 racetracks a million dollar prize pot to shoot up. These drivers all came from different areas of motorsport such as touring cars and Formula 1. This special series was well received and the races were close to the final.
A second version of the car was produced with the 7.0-liter V12 from the XJR-9; with 700 hp it was called the XJR-15 LM, an allusion to the engine’s Le Mans success. Five of these have been made and only one is believed to be outside of Japan. But with Jaguar’s retirement from racing in 1994, the XJR-15 was never able to break free in various races around the world.
However, fate might not have been in his favor. The team that designed the XJR-15 produced the Nissan R390. who would claim the Le Mans title in various guises; it was inspired by the Jaguar hypercar. Given both the car’s legacy and that of its successor, it is reasonable to assume that Jaguar would have been successful had Jaguar continued its races and brought some of them to the track.
The Jaguar XJR-15 beats the XJ220 in many ways
Via: Secret classics
Both cars are a product of their era. The XJR-15 is inspired by the 80s with a touch of the RX-7 in the shape of the body panels, but it paves the way for the Mclaren F1 that would follow in just a few years. The rear has a lot of grace of the XJ220, especially the spoiler, but differs in design from the front; the XJ220 looks a bit like a fish and has aged badly.
The earlier car appears a little sleeker, and most importantly, sportier, probably due to the car’s real racing roots. The car looks great in most colors; however, the yellow is particularly faint and, like all Jaguars, it comes with an excellent aesthetic in British Racing Green.
The XJR-15 may have a slower top speed, but with its historic debut in car design and the move towards the iconic McLaren, it’s well worth remembering. For those budding auto collectors out there obsessed with production numbers, there are two hundred and seventy-five XJ220’s in the wild. When it comes to sheer rarity, the XJR-15 is the car to get.
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About the author
Douglas Hamilton
(62 published articles)
Douglas Hamilton is a British driven man with a degree in literature. He grew up surrounded by F1, Need For Speed and classic cars. He has a worrying obsession with jaguars.
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The post This is why the forgotten Jaguar XJR-15 supercar is underestimated first appeared on monter-une-startup.Did you miss our previous article...
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