Jaguar, through TWR Racing, made their official return to competition in 1985 with the XJ-R6, the first of four V12-powered racers. 1987 saw the birth of the XJ-R8, a car that made Jaguar the World Sportscar Champions but didn’t manage to achieve victory at Le Mans.
To the casual observer, the XJ-R9 was virtually unchanged from the car that came before it, but that couldn’t have been further from the truth. Considerable alterations were made to the bodywork, suspension and numerous mechanical components. However, TWR also worked hard to make the XJ-R9 package eligible for both the Group C and IMSA GTP regulations.
Having won the Daytona 24 Hours earlier in the season, preparation for Le Mans itself was just as important as repeating the 1987 WSC Championship title… perhaps more so! This replica of the Le Mans-winning Jaguar XJ-R9 LM finished in traditional British Racing Green is the ultimate tribute to Jaguar’s glorious racing past and connects it with Jaguar’s racing rebirth.
