Four Wheel Alignment for Incredibly Rare Jaguar V12 Powered XJR-15

Article written by Bush Tyres

The Jaguar V12 powered XJR-15 is built on the chassis of the Le Mans winning XJR-9 race car. Production was limited to only 53 units worldwide. Read more about this incredibly rare car and its recent visit to Spalding Branch for four-wheel alignment during it's restoration.

JAGUAR XJR-15

The JAGUAR XJR-15 was first conceived as a concept by Tom Walkinshaw of motor racing and TWR fame in 1988, after the more well known XJ220 concept was first shown. Walkinshaw thought the XJR-9 platform would make a much better starting point for a road going performance car. He set Peter Stevens, of Lotus design, the task of turning the Le Mans winning XJR-9 into a road legal supercar. What eventually came to be, was this, the XJR-15, arguably one of the worlds’ first real Hypercars from an era that also brought us the Ferrari F40 and Porsche 959. Stevens later went on to Maclaren and helped co-design the Mclaren F1. The XJR-15 still has the status of being the world’s first all Carbon Fibre constructed road car. Very few changes were made to the XJR-9 to make it suitable for road use. The cabin was widened and raised slightly to allow more space, and little other comforts were added. Produced by JaguarSport in Oxfordshire, one of TWR subsidiaries, the car had officially no direct involvement from Jaguar itself.

Launched in 1990, only 50 units were planned with a price of £500k. Production did eventually extend to 53. A single make race series was also created, the Jaguar Intercontinental Challenge, this followed the F1 race series in 1991 with races held at Silverstone, Monaco, and Spa.

The car is arguably the grandfather of many modern-day Supercars and Hypercars and set out the blueprint for many other Carbon Fibre constructed cars that followed in its tyre tracks. The XJR-15, born from racing enthusiasts with enough influence to persuade Tom Walkinshaw to produce road versions of their racers. It was Intended as a better alternative to the by then, flawed XJ220. Many Jaguar enthusiasts were left disappointed the XJ220 was now scaled back from its original 6.2 V12 engine to the 3.5 V6 Twin Turbo. The V12 eventually found itself in the XJR-15, much to the delight of 53 very lucky enthusiasts.

The engine is a 6.0L naturally aspirated V12, with 24 valves and produces over 450hp. With the then revolutionary “fly by wire” throttle control and electronic fuel injection we see on many modern cars. This engine was very advanced for its time. It could hit 60mph in just 3.9 seconds and on to a maximum of 191mph.

JAGUAR XJR-15 Alignment

More likely to be seen in a museum or heritage collection these days than on the road, this XJR-15 is still driven. The owner understands and appreciates the benefits of having correct wheel alignment, even with all the development technology of a Le Mans winning chassis. If the alignment is not checked and adjusted regularly, handling and tyre life will both be affected.

It is always a privilege for our team to work on any of our customers’ vehicles, the team taking extra care in this case to protect the exposed carbon fibre weave. Using extra padding to support the steering during the adjustment and setting the car to the owner’s custom specification. This ensures they get the best driving experience possible from this incredible car.

To find out more about the XJR-9 or the XJR-15, why not visit the Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust, they have over 170 cars on display including the XJR-9 and the original V12 XJ220 concept at the British Motor Museum in Gaydon. To arrange a Wheel Alignment for your own vehicle, if it’s a road going race car, or not. Call into one of our local branches for expert advice and options for your vehicle.

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