The Car:
Today’s article is about the the Jaguar XJR-15. The XJR-15 is the coolest Jaguar that you’ve never heard of. It was a Jaguar supercar that was made in the 90s and has some pretty cool build features. However, when you think of a Jaguar supercar, most people think of the XJ220, which was the fastest car in the world for a brief time. The XJ220 came out in 1992 and was low, sleek, and fast. As you can see, the XJR-15 shares many of these characteristics. However, it was actually built before the famous XJ220.
The XJR-15 is lightly based on the XJR-9 that came before it. The XJR-9 what a racing car conceived by the Jaguar Sport division that won Le Mans multiple times. The newer XJR-15 is loosely based on the same chassis and design. It was designed by the Jaguar Sport division along side Tom Walkinshaw Racing. The car was envisioned as a small run, high performance, Jaguar supercar that would be road legal but still able to race. In total, they made 53 chassis, even though it is only reported that they made 50 models. There were 27 that were made for the road, and 26 that were produced for racing. The car, much like the model that inspired it, also raced at and won the Le Mans race.
You may think that since there were examples that were made for the road, they would be more tame of mellow in some way. This was not the case. These road going models were just as insane, loud, and fast as you would expect and race car to be. In fact, they actually came with a pair of intercom headphones in the car so that the driver and passenger could speak to each other. Yes, it was that loud. Many people who own one of these cars compare the feel of driving the car to a surreal experience. They say that is really touches every one of your senses and by the time you have driven the car for a while, you will have to take a break.
The car itself was a dark blue color that I believe all models were painted in. It had very smooth flowing lines in the design that gave it a super sporty and fast look. It was a was also very low, which added to the aggression. There was almost nothing on the body to create drag and this made it extremely aerodynamic. It was quite long, like the XJR-9 and the XJ220, and also had the lower side vent that directed cool air into the engine. Located on the front of the car were the super cool pop up headlights of the 90s. When they were down, the car looked as though it was getting ready to strike. And, when the pop up lights where up, it looked as though the car was watching you. Around the rear there was a large spoiler to add downforce and twin exhaust pipes in the center of the back of the car.
The XJR-15 was a true race car. It wasn’t retrofitted for road use by adding luxuries in the cockpit or comfortable seats. Instead, it was only fitted to adhere to regulation to get certified for the road. The inside was still as harsh as it was in the race cars. In fact, one owner who drives his XJR-15 regularly has said that while you are driving you can smell all of the liquids and the exhaust that the car is using and producing. To many, this may sound off putting but for a true petrol head, that sound like a real dream.
Since only 53 were made, the car is extremely rare. It is even more rare to find one for sale that you can drive on the road. However, the DuPont Registry currently has one for sale. The price is unfortunately not listed on the website but I do not doubt that the price is easily more than a million dollars. When they were first released, they were all sold for 500,000 gbp. The appreciation and rarity of these cars has certainly meant that the price has increased over time. Now, I have talked about the looks and the feel of the car and it is time to get into the more mechanical facing stuff. Lets talk about the specs of this beast.
The Specs:
The Jaguar XJR-15 has a naturally aspirated 6.0L V12 that created 450hp. The engine had an advanced fuel injection system that used an electronic system to create more power. The engine was routed through a six-speed manual gearbox, though a five speed was also available as an extra option. The car had steel disc brakes with four piston calipers that were very quick. The car also has a totally independent suspension system with an anti-roll car for better performance going into and leaving corners.
The performance stats for the XJR-15 are also pretty impressive. It will do 0–60 mph in 3.9 seconds which is blisteringly quick for a rear-wheel drive, manual super car. The car will do a top speed of 191 mph. The top speed is technically gear limited and so it may have been able to achieve a higher top speed if it was fitted with a larger seven speed gearbox. The car created a lot of downforce and was extremely quick around tracks. It was a proper rear-wheel drive sports car and this meant that it would preform exactly as you think it would when you threw it into a corner. It won a lot of races in the 90s and was driven by some of the best race drivers in Jaguars history.
The listing for this car can be found here: Jaguar XJR-15 for Sale. If you would like to know that price or are interested in purchasing the car, you can further inquire about its details to the seller. I hope that one day I could experience this car as it would be an absolute dream to drive it on the track, or even cruise it on the highway. However, with the extreme rarity of these cars, we may not see another one like this on the market for a while. If you enjoyed this article, please follow the blog or share it with your friends, it would really help me out!
If you would like to read more on the blog, you can find the article here: 1969 Inc.
