his car shown here is a beautiful 1991 JaguarSport XJR-15 (chassis 023), photographed by @stylenl during the 2018 edition of the London Classic Car Show. This XJR-15 (H236 UNT) is the only example of the 50 production cars built that is finished in ‘Daytona Black’. 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 mechanically based on the running gear of the the Tony Southgate-designed, ahead-of-it’s-time, Le Mans-winning 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, 50 XJR-15s were made, including race cars, LM versions, road cars, and 2 R9R prototypes, each with unique differences.
How many made? 52 total including prototypes.
Engine: 6.0L Naturally aspirated dry sump V12 450 horsepower
Debut: 1991, Silverstone circuit, UK
Top Speed: ~185mph
0-60mph: around 3.3 seconds
Photo credit: @stylenl
Research: @rarecarsonly