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Revision as of 17:36, 18 December 2017 by U1Quattro (talk | contribs)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff) Motor vehicle| Jaguar XJR-11 | |
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| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | Jaguar Cars |
| Production | 1989–1990 |
| Designer | Tony Southgate with Ross Brawn for TWR |
| Body and chassis | |
| Class | Racing car |
| Body style | 2-door Coupé |
| Layout | RMR layout |
| Related | Jaguar XJR-10 |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine | 3.5 L 90 degree Rover V64V Twin-Turbocharged V6 |
| Transmission | TWR 5-speed manual |
| Dimensions | |
| Curb weight | 900 kg (1,984 lb) |
| Chronology | |
| Predecessor | Jaguar XJR-9 |
| Successor | Jaguar XJR-14 Jaguar XJR-16 |
The Jaguar XJR-11 was a sports-prototype racing car introduced for the 1989 World Sports Prototype Championship while its sister car, the XJR-10 was introduced to compete in IMSA series races.
Development
For the 1989 season, Tom Walkinshaw realised that the TWR produced V12 Jaguar sports prototypes were lacking competitiveness, especially in short sprint events. The small, light weight forced induction engines used by competitors such as Mercedes-Benz outperformed the big, naturally aspirated engines that Jaguar Sport had been using for a long time.
Jaguar started development of a new engine in order to stay competitve. The Rover's V64V 3.5 L V6 engine originally designed for the MG Metro 6R4 rally car proved to be an ideal engine for the new car, with its weight of just 143 kg (315 lb) and consistent performance. Jaguar developed two variants of the engine, the 3.0 L variant was intended for competition in the IMSA series and the 3.5 L variant was intended for competition in World sports car championship. Both variants were fitted with two Garett turbochargers and produced varied power outputs of 650 hp (659 PS; 485 kW) and 750 hp (760 PS; 559 kW) respectively depending on the level of boost.
With the help of Formula One managing director, Ross Brawn, Tony Southgate designed a new chassis for the car which was compact and the evolution of the carbon fibre monocoque of the previous XJR-8/XJR-9. The chassis incorporated double wishbone suspension with push-rod actuated dampers front and rear with the rear suspension mounted overboard. This helped free up more space for the ground-effect tunnels in order to improvise handling. Two different bodies were designed for the car as it was to compete in two different championships. The more aerodynamically bodied car was dubbed the XJR-10 and the other one, the XJR-11.
Racing History
The XJR-11 was entered into competition in July 1989 at Brands Hatch and as expected, faced strong competition from the V8 powered Sauber-Mercedes Silver Arrow' cars (the C8 and C9). The team of Lammers and Patrick Tambay managed to finish sixth in the debut race. The car faced reliably issues throughout the year and was able to secure a single victory in the 1990 season. The XJR-11 wasn't used at the 24 hours of Le Mans event unlike the XJR-9 and a new car, the XJR-12 was developed to compete in that event. The car's career was short lived and it was no longer eligible to compete in events due to the new rules of the FIA for the 1991 season. With only one victory in its short career, it was one of the most unsuccessful sports prototypes produced by TWR with the major reason for its failure being unreliability but the its 3.5 litre engine would later find use in one of the most legendary Jaguar super cars, the Jaguar XJ220.
References
- ^ Wouter Melissen (2012-01-18). "History of the XJR-11". Retrieved 2017-12-18.
- Wouter Melissen (2012-01-18). "Development of the XJR-11". Retrieved 2017-12-18.
External links
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