The XJ220 is the most famous of the two supercars
Jaguar has built to date, with 275 units being delivered; the even more exotic
XJR-15, by comparison, had a run of just 53 cars. But, if we could afford it,
we’d rather have the Jag featured in those images than any of the other two –
and we’ll tell you why.
What we have here is a 1990 Jaguar XJR-11, one of
only three prepared for Group C competition. It’s a certified race winner,
progenitor of the XJ220 that would follow two years later, and fully prepared
for track duty and historic racing.
Like the XJ220 road car, the XJR-11 racer embodied a
switch from V12 power (used in the XJR-9) to a smaller, lighter,
twin-turbocharged V6 – the better for tighter circuits. It was derived from the
Cosworth engine used in the MG Metro Group B rally car, and was later further
adapted for – you guessed it – the XJ220. Two versions were prepared: a
3.0-liter for the IMSA series in the US (where the same car was dubbed the
XJR-10), and one with 3.5 liters for the international Group C (used in this
XJR-11) where it produced 750 horsepower.
Thanks to its smaller form than the old V12 and its
aluminum construction, the engine weighed just 143 kg, helping
JaguarSport (a joint venture between Jaguar and Tom Walkinshaw Racing) to
better challenge the Sauber-Mercedes C11s. And challenge it did, winning the
race at Silverstone, where this very example lead a one-two finish for
JaguarSport.
Unfortunately it proved unreliable and retired from
numerous races that year, leaving Sauber’s “Silver Arrows” to win every other
round on the calendar. But it’s now been comprehensively restored by the
specialists at JD Classics, and it’s coming up for auction, complete with its
iconic Silk Cut/Castrol purple and white livery.
Bonhams expects it to fetch £ 1.2-1.5 million when the gavel drops this weekend at the Goodwood Revival. If we were
so fortunate as to have the cash on hand, we’d be there bidding – especially if
we had an XJ220 to drive on the way to the track.
