Жагуар XJR 15: Ұлыбританиялық жол жүруге арналған жарыс машинасы

The Jaguar Sport XJR 15 is a two seater sports car produced by JaguarSport, a subsidiary of Jaguar and Tom Walkinshaw Racing between 1990 and 1992. Only 50 were planned (although 53 chassis were eventually made), each selling for £500,000. The chassis was mechanically based on the Le Mans winning XJR 9, designed by Tony Southgate. The body of the XJR 15 was designed by Peter Stevens, who went on to co design the McLaren F1. The car competed in a single make racing series called the Jaguar Intercontinental Challenge, which supported three Formula 1 races (Monaco, Silverstone and Spa) in 1991. The XJR 15 was the world's first road car made entirely from carbon fibre. originally designated the R 9R. A number of wealthy racing enthusiasts were keen to own such a car and pressed Walkinshaw into manufacturing a 'road going racer'. This car was originally intended to be a better alternative to the XJ220. Original owners included Derek Warwick, Bob Wollek, Vern Schuppan, Matt Aitken, Andy Evans and the Sultan of Brunei. In order to adapt the XJR 9 for road use, Stevens made a number of modifications to increase space and improve access. "Taking the race car as a base, we widened the cockpit by and raised the roof by to allow more headroom", he said when interviewed in 1991. "The scale model was ready by Easter 1989, from there we went to clay which was finished by October (1989). The first prototype was held up by Le Mans preparations but it was ready for Tom (Walkinshaw) to drive when he came back from France in July 1990". TWR explicitly developed the XJR 15 as a road going racing car, in the mould of the Jaguar C and D types, the Ford GT40 and the Ferrari 250 GTO. As such, the car complied with British construction and use regulations and could be registered by the owner for road use in the UK, although with such a limited production run, the car was never type approved. The car's production was announced in a press release on 15 November 1990 with an official launch at Silverstone early in 1991. The XJR 15 was built by JaguarSport in Bloxham, Oxfordshire, (a subsidiary of TWR; it was a joint venture between Jaguar Cars and TWR to produce high performance sports cars) England from 1990 to 1992 and had no official involvement from Jaguar itself.

The XJR 15 is powered by a , naturally aspirated 24 valve Jaguar V12 engine. The engine features an advanced electronically managed fuel injection system with a very advanced (for its time) 'fly by wire' throttle. The standard transmission is a TWR unsynchronised six speed manual transmission while a five speed, synchromesh transmission was also available as an optional extra. The XJR 15's chassis and bodywork are composed of carbon fibre and Kevlar (it was the first road going car built entirely of carbon and Kevlar composites, before the McLaren F1 used similar construction techniques in 1992). The overall proportions differed from the XJR 9, with the XJR 15 being 480 cm long, 190 cm wide and 110 cm tall. The final weight amounted to be
A fully independent suspension was used, with non adjustable Bilstein shock absorbers all round. Front suspension consists of wide based wishbones and working push rods to spring damper units mounted horizontally across the centre of the car. The car retains the rear suspension unit from the XJR 9 with vertical coil springs mounted in units with uprights within the rear wheels, allowing for the maximum possible venturi tunnels. The engine forms a stressed member for the rear frame. The bottom of the car is completely flat, in line with Group C practice. The brakes are steel disc units with AP four piston callipers. The XJR 15 has a time of 3.9 seconds and a gearing limited) top speed of
The ride height was somewhat higher than required to take full advantage of under body aerodynamics due to the road going nature of the car. Additionally, the suspension was softer than would be found on the XJR 9 racer and in a last minute deal Tom Walkinshaw switched tyre suppliers from Goodyear to Bridgestone just before the race series started. When interviewed by Autosport in 2011, Ian Flux recalled: "The worst thing was that Tom had done a deal with Bridgestone. At first, it was going to be on road tyres, but then they changed to slicks and wets. The fronts weren't a problem, but they didn't have moulds for the rears, so used F40 moulds instead. They went off very quickly and it was hard to judge how hard to push." As Tiff Needell, who road tested a development car at Silverstone early in 1991, put it: "the result is oversteer". However, once accustomed to the characteristics, he went on: "Through the very tight chicane, the XJR 15 showed excellent change of direction and I was able to pick up power early for the long right hander leading up to Beckett's. This gradually became a long right hand power slide as my confidence increased." As a road car, the suspension was more softly set up and with the right tyres, testers were unanimous in their praise. Ian Kuah, writing in World Sports Cars in 1992: "Considering its racing pedigree, ride quality is pretty good at low speeds, better than a Ferrari 348 Levels of grip are far beyond those transgressed by any sane man, except perhaps when exiting a tight corner in a low gear when the sheer grunt pushing you through can persuade the huge Bridgestones to relinquish some grip. Seat of the pants feel and communication is terrific and the steering nicely weighted so that smooth inputs are easy. When it comes to stopping, the huge AP Racing brakes with softer pads for road use wash off speed with steely determination." Ron Grable, the racing driver, writing in Motor Trend in May 1992: "As the engine sprang into a muted rumbling idle, it was impossible to keep from grinning. Easing the unsynchronised six speed into gear, I accelerated onto the straight. Many race cars are diabolical to get moving not so the Jag, the smooth V 12 pulled cleanly away, nearly as docile as a street car. On the track, the XJR 15 is a truly wonderful ride, the perfect compromise between racing and street. You can say the savage edge of a pure race car has been softened slightly, or conversely, that it's the best handling street car you can imagine. Being 100% composite, it's so light that every aspect of performance is enhanced. Relatively low spring and roll rates are enough to keep it stable in pitch and roll, as well as deliver a high level of ride compliance. The brakes are phenomenal and the acceleration fierce. And always, there's that V 12, a medley of mechanical noises superimposed over the raucous rise and fall of the exhaust." The XJR 15 offers little in the way of practicality. Entry to the car, over a wide sill, requires the driver to step onto the driving seat. The gear lever is mounted on the right hand side of the driver (all cars are right hand drive), while the driver and passenger seat are extremely close together almost central in the car. Due to minimal sound insulation, an in car head set system is fitted. There is no storage space in the car due to its racecar like nature. However, considering the purpose for which it was intended, the interior was highly praised in contemporary automotive press publications. Ron Grable wrote: "Aesthetically, the XJR 15's interior is breathtaking. Expanses of shiny black carbon fibre woven with yellow Kevlar are everywhere, all fitting together with meticulous precision. Instrumentation is detailed and legibly analogue. The shift lever is less than from the small steering wheel, and the motion between gears is almost imperceptible. The reclined seating position provides excellent forward visibility over the top of the instrument panel you see only racetrack."

At the end of the production run of the XJR 15, TWR produced a limited run of more powerful variants in collaboration with a British automotive firm XK engineering designated XJR 15 LM for a Japanese customer. These cars had the 7.0 litre V12 shared with the XJR 9 with a power output upwards of Bodywork alterations include a larger rear wing, an additional front splitter with air vents in the middle, a modified engine cover with additional vents in order for additional engine cooling and an air intake situated on the roof to aid in cooling the larger engine. Very little is known about the LM variant due to non availability of records, though there are photos to suggest that at least five cars were produced (three in dark green, one in white and one in the same blue as the standard car which is believed to be the prototype). The blue car was bought by a car collector in the UK sometime after 2013 making it the first XJR 15 LM outside of Japan, thus making the existence of such a variant known.