The Silk Cutjaguar Xjr11 Chassis: 289 Jaguar Xjr11 Chassis 289
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THE SILK CUTJAGUAR XJR11 CHASSIS: 289 JAGUAR XJR11 CHASSIS 289 The Jaguar XJR-11 is the forgotten Group C car to emerge from the Tom Walkinshaw Racing stable. The V6-powered machine didn’t notch up the successes of the normally-aspirated V12 predecessors, but the car introduced during the second half of the 1989 World Sports-Prototype Championship represented a significant step forward. Jaguar had claimed a first Le Mans 24 Hours victory in more than 30 years in 1988, and it had won both the drivers’ and manufacturers’ titles in the World Sports-Prototype Championship that year for good measure. But it knew that the writing was on the wall for its line of Group C cars powered by Jaguar’s production-based, normally- aspirated V12 powerplant. The result was a new design from the pen of Tony Southgate powered by a lightweight turbocharged engine. The Sauber Mercedes squad, now with the full weight of the German car giant behind it, had been pointing to the future with the early successes for its WSPC contender powered by a twin-turbo five-litre V8. The modern powerplant whereas the V12 weighed nearer 250kg. The XJR- was simply more efficient than a V12 engine that 11 — and its IMSA cousin, the XJR-10 — retained had been conceived back in the 1950s. Efficiency, the family look of the line of V12-powered TWR remember, was the name of the game in the Group ‘Tomcats’, but it was in fact a new car. C fuel-formula, which restricted the amount of fuel each car could use in the race. A turbocharged engine also gave Sauber and Mercedes, like it had done Porsche before it, an advantage in qualifying. The boost could be turned up for a hot lap, a luxury not available to Jaguar. TWR knew it had to react and experimented with — and briefly raced — a 48-valve version of the “The XJR-11 followed the design theme of the V12, but it proved complex and only exacerbated previous V12 cars, but there wasn’t much that was the top-heavy characteristics of the narrow- interchangeable between the two,” says Alastair angle 60-degree V12. Instead, TWR boss Tom Macqueen, chief engineer at the TWR Jaguar project. “The monocoque was completely different, the sidepods were lower, as was the rear deck. The geometry was all new and the wheelbase longer. “It was really an evolution of the previous design taking into account that it had a smaller, lighter engine. But it was fundamentally a better car. It had a lower centre of gravity and more downforce.” The first turbo TWR Jag - built, like its predecessors, around an Advanced Composites carbon monocoque — was up and running as early as January 1989. The Group C car that would receive the XJR-11 type number tested before its IMSA sibling, though it would be the car destined for North America that would race first: the turbo IMSA car made its debut at the Lime Rock round in May, two months before the first race of the Walkinshaw hatched a plan to use an engine XJR-11 at Brands Hatch. developed from Austin Rover’s 6R4 Group B rally The car was given its first run-out at Donington car of the mid-1980s. It was the starting point for Park. Straight out of the box, it was half a second what would become the all-alloy JRV6 powerplant quicker than the V12-powered XJR-9. TWR then that raced in 3.5-litre form in Group C and as a moved to Jerez in Spain for a more concerted test 3.0-litre in IMSA competition in North America. with Jan Lammers and Patrick Tambay driving. The engine tipped the scales at under 150kg, The team was on a steep learning curve with turbocharged technology, particularly when it a major step forward for the XJR-11. came to the Group C version of its latest creation. The car scored its first - and only victory - at WSPC rules dictated that the cars must run on Silverstone in the hands of Martin Brundle and pump petrol, whereas IMSA allowed higher-octane Alain Ferte. There was an element of good fortune racing fuels. TWR’s engine guru, Allan Scott, to their win from second on the grid because one had to overcome initial detonation problems and of the new Mercedes-Benz C11s had been excluded produce a driveable engine with manageable power before the race for receiving outside assistance delivery. during free practice and the second broke its The XJR-11 made its engine while debut on home ground leading. Lammers at Brands in July. Both and Andy Wallace TWR crews switched came through to over to the new car in make it a Jaguar what turned out to be an one-two in front encouraging debut. of the flag-waving Jan Lammers claimed home crowd. a debut pole position for the car ahead of the two If the turbo Sauber-Mercedes, while Jaguar was Davy Jones put the fortunate to win at second turbo car fifth on Silverstone, it was the grid. A third entry, unfortunate not to a V12-engined XJR-9, claim the victory could only line up 11th laurels next time on the grid in John Nielsen’s hands. out at Spa. TWR was tactically superior to Sauber Lammers didn’t capitalise on pole - he was sixth in Belgium, switching its cars over to slick tyres on at the end of the first lap. But the two brand new a drying track long before its rivals. Jags were still in the mix when both hit issues Brundle held a comfortable lead when he was within minutes of each other during the middle forced to retire with a small fire, resulting from portion of the race. Lammers and Tambay went a fractured oil line. The second car shared by on to finish a delayed fifth, while the sister car Lammers and Wallace came through to finish shared by Jones and Alain Ferte ended retired with second, handicapped by an oiled screen that had distributor problems. resulted from following the sister car. There was another front row for the car at Spa The momentum looked to be moving in Jaguar’s and another top-six finish at Nurburgring as TWR favour, but the hope of spring dissipated when the continued to develop the XJR-11 in competition, WSPC resumed after Le Mans. The French enduro though it opted not to take the turbo car to the was not a round of the world championship in WSPC series finale in Mexico. That development 1990, and Mercedes opted to miss it. While Jaguar continued into the 1990 season. A series of updates focussed its resources on what turned out to be a came on stream for the Silverstone WSPC round in successful assault on the big race with the V12- May. engined XJR-12, Sauber was out testing with the Future Ferrari Formula 1 technical director Ross all-carbon C11. Brawn had joined the design team the previous Jaguar would notch up only two more podiums autumn. His main focus was on TWR’s design for over the remainder of the season. It wasn’t quite the forthcoming 3.5-litre Group C rulebook, the the last appearance of the XJR-11, however. The car that would become the XJR-14 of 1991, but he car raced on in the All-Japan Sports-Prototype also put his stamp on the ‘11’. Championship under the Suntec banner in 1991. The introduction of what was essentially a wide- track version of the car coincided with the arrival JAGUAR XJR-11 #289 of new Bosch engine electronics and carbon brakes TWR Jaguar built just three XJR-11s and chassis for the first time. The upgrade package resulted in #289 saw service right through the team’s season- and-a-half campaign with the turbo ‘Tomcat’. The appearances. car was on the grid when the ‘11’ made its debut “The car was actually a massive step forward on at Brands Hatch in July 1989 and was still racing the V12 Jags,” recalls the Brit. “It was a great car, at the last hurrah for the but it just happened design in October ‘90 in to coincide with Mexico City. one of the greatest Chassis #289 notched sportscars ever, the up its first points with a Mercedes C11. fifth-place finish at the “There was less of Nurburgring in August a pendulum effect with John Nielsen and than with the V12s, Andy Wallace driving and because you didn’t claimed its best qualifying have that big and result of its debut season at heavy engine trying Spa with third on the grid. to come around on Wallace and Jan you all the time, but it Lammers, two thirds of was spectacular in its Jaguar’s 1988 Le Mans- own way with all the winning line-up, were power. paired up in the #289 “If you wound the for the 1990 season. The car was renumbered as boost up you couldn’t use all the power; you’d be #590 in typical TWR fashion when the wide-track traction limited coming out of the corners. So upgrades came on stream for Silverstone race. there was a button on the steering wheel that gave This XJR-11 again finished second at Spa, this you another 200bhp that you could press once time to the Mercedes-Benz C11 shared by Jochen you’d got everything straight as you powered onto Mass and Karl Wendlinger. There would be one the straight.” more podium, at the season finale in Mexico City, Wallace remembers his last race in the XJR-11 after the car had been renumbered a second time with a hint of sadness.