Proud as its racing record stands, it's been a while
since we've seen production-based Jaguars competing on track. That's all about
to change, though, with the car you see here and a unique partnership.
What you're looking at is the first customer-racing
version of the Jaguar F-Type SVR, specially catered by Jaguar Land Rover's
Special Vehicle Operations division to meet GT4 regulations. The brakes,
wheels, tires, suspension, transmission, and engine have all been refitted
specifically for competition use. The all-wheel drive system was ditched in
favor of rear-drive only, and the 5.0-liter supercharged V8 will likely have
been detuned to comply with the rulebook.
Perhaps even more intriguing is the team
that will field the first of these competition-spec Jags in the British GT
Championship this season. The F-Type GT4 was commissioned by Invictus Games
Racing, an offshoot of the wounded-warrior athletic competition, and as such
will put a roster of injured military servicemen behind the wheel. The initial
lineup includes JLR engineer and former paratrooper Basil Rawlinson, former RAF
sergeant Ben Norfolk, and former marine-commando Paul Vice, a partial amputee
who won seven medals in the 2016 Invictus Games.
They'll be paired and mentored by experienced
racers Jason Wolfe and Matthew George, in a team started by Superdry clothing
designer James Holder (who drove in the same series in 2016). They'll hit the
track for the first race of the season on March 31 at Oulton Park, where
they'll be first and foremost racing against each other, but also hoping to
challenge for race wins.
