There are auto journalists and then there is Chris Harris. Just when we thought that the well-spoken hoonigan couldn’t possibly produce a video that could top the incredible McLaren P1 road and track test, the latest video from Chris Harris on Cars features a truly legendary car: the very Jaguar XJR-9 Group-C racing car that took victory at the 24 Hours of Daytona outright in 1988.
The magnificent Castrol livery Jaguar XJR-9 represents the peak of the Group-C era of endurance racing in the 1980’s. At the time, racing teams made incredible advances in engine building, aerodynamics, and materials science. The XJR-9 is powered by a 6.0 liter V12 engine producing more than 700hp while weighing just under 900 kg.
Despite all the performance, an extremely wet Brands Hatch circuit and a lack of traction control (which did not exist in Group C racing in the 1980’s) has caused Chris Harris to err on the side of caution and to bring the monstrous Jaguar around the track gently and not wreck the moving piece of history. The Jaguar XJR-9 is scheduled to be sold at the RM Auctions at Amelia Island on March 14, 2015.
At the time, Group C racing permitted a wide variety of power units including the naturally aspirated V8, turbocharged V8, turbocharged flat-6, and of course the enormous V12. Depending on the straight, closing speeds between different Group C racers could be upwards of 50 mph. According to Andy Wallace, the driver that won the Daytona race in the XJR-9, slower cars literally cowered to the bottom of the banking at the sound of the ferocious V12 engine to allow the slick Jag to rocket past.
Be sure to watch the Chris Harris video below to experience the power of the historic Jaguar XJR-9 Group C machine. Hopefully the FIA will consider bringing the exciting era back to Le Mans in the future!
By Danny Choy