Yahoo Autos Watch This Jaguar XJR-12 Scream Around Paul Ricard
Jaguar is one the most notable names in Le Mans history. The automaker has taken home the victory at the 24 hour event seven times as a manufacturer, with its last trip atop the podium coming by way of the XKR-12 in 1990. Thanks to the folks at 19Bozzy92 on Youtube, we now have a chance to watch as an XJR-12 takes some fast laps around Circuit Paul Ricard.
The Jaguar XJR-12 was designed to compete at Le Mans in 1990 amid the other legends of the Group C class. The automaker had previously won Le Mans back in 1988 with its XJR-8 Group C car, though Sauber-Mercedes managed to secure the 1989 title with the iconic C9. Not ready to give up the top spot quite yet, Jaguar and Tom Walkinshaw Racing went back to the drawing board for the XJR-12. Under the bodywork sits a glorious 7.0-liter naturally aspirated V-12 built by TWR, which produces 730 hp and 579 lb-ft of torque. That power is fed to the rear wheels via a five-speed manual gearbox, making for a rather old-school experience by today’s standards.
This particular car, chassis #J12-C-190, was one of the three competition cars built for Le Mans in 1990. Unfortunately for the driver team of Davy Jones, Michel Ferté, and Eliseo Salazar, the car would leave the track with a failed engine before the 24 hours had ended. That didn’t matter to Jaguar in the long-run, as the other two XJR-12s would take home an iconic 1-2 finish. Unique among the XJR-12s, this particular vehicle also saw service in the IMSA GTP series here in the States. The car would eventually end up in the TWR museum, before later being sold off as part of the race team’s bankruptcy. The car is currently under the care of JMB Classics, who were kind enough to bring the car out to the 2022 Dix Mille Tours for us all to enjoy.
Racing might be more advanced today, but the XJR-12 surely puts on a show unlike any of the modern Le Mans competitors. That V-12 exhaust note is worth the price of admission alone, and the Silk Cut livery is just as badass as ever. If you ever needed a reminder that Group C produced some properly inspiring machines, here you have it.
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