This is the unbelievably rare 1991 JaguarSport XJR-15 (chassis 019) one of only three total examples painted yellow for the world today. The JaguarSport XJR-15 was developed by Scottish racing driver Tom Walkinshaw, founder of Tom Walkinshaw Racing (TWR). His relationship with Jaguar rose after success racing a Jaguar XJ-S in the 1982 European Touring Car Championship. By 1988, the TWR-designed Jaguar XJR-9 won the 24 Hours of Le Mans. With demand growing for a racing road car, TWR and Jaguar Cars Limited formed JaguarSport in the late 1980s to develop the XJR-15 and XJ220. Initially dubbed ‘XJR-14’, ‘R9-R’, or ‘S3’ internally, the Peter Stevens-designed XJR-15 was based on the Tony Southgate-engineered XJR-9LM. Stevens began with the ex-Win Percy XJR-8 tub, building a Le Mans-style road car per Walkinshaw’s request. Stevens later revised the carbon monocoque for road use, while Jim Router and David Fullerton tuned the chassis. Carbon fiber work was done by Astec Composites and Dove. Andy Morrison served as project manager, with Charlie Bamber and Martin Smith developing the engine under Allan Scott. It was also built to race in the 1991 Jaguar Sport Intercontinental Challenge—held at Monaco, Silverstone, and Spa—with 16 cars entered and two spares prepared. In total, 52 XJR-15s were made, including race cars, LM versions, road cars, and prototypes, each with unique differences. Interestingly, chassis 019 is equipped with the same 6-speed Hewland racing gearbox that was seen in the 16 race cars during the one-make series, which features vastly different gearing from the 5-speed seen on the road-examples.
How many made? 1 of 52 total cars that were produced, consisting 50 total XJR-15s (race, road, and LM) and 2 R9-R prototypes.
Engine: 6.0L 450hp naturally aspirated 24-valve Jaguar V12 engine, and chassis 019 is equipped with a Hewland 6-speed race gearbox.
Debut: 1991 at the Silverstone circuit
Top Speed: around 191mph
0-60mph: around 3.9 seconds
Photo Credit: @am_media_ny
Research: @rarecarsonly