Andy Wallace and the Jaguar XJR
In 1988, race car driver Andy Wallace took the top
spot at Le Mans. He did so in the Silkcut-liveried Jaguar XJR-9 LM. Since then,
that car has become an iconic machine and is instantly recognizable in its
purple, yellow, and white paint scheme. The car was built by Tom Walkinshaw
Racing, and it's powered by a 7.0-liter V-12 that produces between 750 and over
1,000 horsepower depending on how it's tuned. The top speed is north
of 245 mph.
Wallace was recently reunited with his Le Mans-winning
machine, and he was also introduced to the Jaguar XJR super sedan. Under the
lights at Silverstone, Wallace hopped behind the wheel of both
vehicles to celebrate his victory back in 1988. This marked the first time that
the XJR-9 had actually been driven at night since it slashed a path down the
Mulsanne straight all those years ago.
The road-going XJR is down on power, having just 545
or so horsepower by way of its supercharged 5.5-liter V-8. It does have LED
headlamps though, which should prove a bit nicer than the units on the race
car. Additionally, this LED setup is a first for Jaguar. The XJR won't hit the
240-mph mark, but if it did it would certainly be aided by the upgraded
lighting compared to what Andy Wallace had to contend with back in '88.
Still, as good as the XJR might sound... it can't hold a
candle to that wailing V-12 nestled deep inside the chassis of the Le Mans
winner.
source: http://www.motorauthority.com/news/1101019_jaguar-xjr-meets-the-xjr-9-lm-under-silverstone-lights-video
by Jeff Glucker
http://www.boscheuropean.com
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