1988, 7-liter, V12 engine Jaguar Le Mans race car on show at the London Classic Car Show
In 1988, Jaguar entered at least five XJR9s for that year's Le Mans 24 Hour race, each powered by a Jaguar 7-liter V12 engine which produced 750 hp. This car, driven by Jan Lammers, Johnny Dumfries and Andy Wallace, fought off challenges from a field of Porsche's 962Cs, to take the checkered flag in one of the most thrilling Le Mans finishes ever. Even today, it's still a fabulous car to drive with brutal amounts of horsepower and incredible acceleration. 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. An evolution of the design for the XJR-8, the XJR-9 was designed by Tony Southgate and built by Tom Walkinshaw Racing (TWR), and featured a Jaguar V12 based on the production engine as used in the Jaguar XJS road car. 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. Rear three-quarter view of the 1988 Le Mans-winning XJR-9. Jaguar XJR8-9 (1987) Menu 0:00 Jaguar XJR8-9 driven by Justin Law at Goodwood Festival of Speed 2009 Problems playing this file? See media help. 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.
Size: 4764px × 3436px
Location: ExCeL London, One Western Gateway, Royal Victoria Dock, London, E16 1XL
Photo credit: © John Gaffen / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: 24, 7-liter, car, classic, engine, hour, jaguar, le, mans, race, show, v12, xjr9
