Today Slightly Mad Studios has announced the inclusion of the Jaguar XJR-9 into Project Cars 2. This announcement came in the form of a release video – which shows the XJR-9 driving at Long Beach (NOTE: video has now been removed for some reason…we’ve replaced it with footage of the video that we showed on the April 5th edition of This Week Inside Sim Racing Live!) – as well as an informative article written by SMS on Jaguar’s impressive motorsports history. The XJR-9 adds to a growing list of content confirmed for Project Cars 2.
An Icon in Jaguar History
The XJR-9 marks an iconic era in Jaguar’s motorsports based history. After a 30 year drought the V12 powered XJR-9 led Jaguar, along with sponsor Silk Cut, to victory at the 1988 24 hours of LeMans. This was the first time Jaguar won at LeMans since the D-Type in 1957. After four previous variations to the XJR platform, three of which utilizing the V12 engine, Jaguar finally had the proper combination of engineers, mechanics and drivers to lead the brand to a top podium finish again.
To develop the XJR-9 Jaguar turned to Team Walkinshaw Racing (TWR) – the same developers who worked on the XJR 6, 7 and 8 – as well as Formula One designer Tony Southgate. TWR worked in collaboration with designer Tony Southgate to create two versions of the XJR-9 for competition in the FIA Group C and IMSA Camel GTP racing series. A third version, the XJR-9LM was developed specifically for competing in the 24 hours of LeMans.
In 1987 Jaguar and TWR collaborated with Advance Composite Technology in Derbyshire, UK to construct a monocoque composed of kevlar and carbon fiber for the World Sportscar Championship XJR-9. This was paired with 6995cc V12 engine producing 750hp and 828Nm of torque. The LeMans spec XJR-9LM was equipped with a low drag aerodynamics package to allow for higher speeds on long straight sections of track. With a curb weight of 881 kg the XJR-9 could reach speeds of 395km/h.
During it’s debut, the Castrol sponsored XJR-9 took the overall win at the 24 hours of Daytona. Going on to earn one more win in the last race of the IMSA Camel GTP season, the Castrol Sponsored XJR-9 ultimately finished third in the constructors championship. Throughout the 1988 World Sports Prototype Championship the Silk Cut sponsored XJR-9LM saw victory in six out of eleven races, including the 24 hours of LeMans. This marked the first time Porsche had not won since 1980, and the first win for Jaguar since thirty years earlier.
One interesting note about the 24 hour of LeMans race were the gearbox issues Jaguar had been experiencing. After three of the five XJR-9LM models had dropped out of the race due to mechanical failures, only one remained with a chance at 24 hours of LeMans victory. With the XJR-9 gearbox one shift away from race ending failure driver Jan Lammers piloted the Silk Cut Jaguar to a first place win, he had been driving only in 4th gear for the final three hours of the race. The V12 would bog and Lammers would have to feather the throttle through the corners but he managed to hold off the 2nd place Porsche 926C all the way to victory lane.
XJR-9 in Project Cars 2
As we can see from the video and screenshots the version coming to Project Cars 2 does in fact have the panels hiding the rear wheels, a feature that makes the XJR-9 immediately recognizable. We can also see there will be two liveries, the standard Castrol livery as well as the Silk Cut livery. The exterior as well as the dashboard and gauges seem to be modeled accurately and as you can hear in the video the engine sounds are simply amazing.
In addition to the XJR-9 Slightly Mad Studios has hinted at another iconic Jaguar coming to Project Cars 2, we don’t know what this car is yet but it should be announced tomorrow.
Pulling out of sportscar racing, though, wasn’t the only momentous thing to happen to Jaguar in ’93 because that was also the year the V12 would come back to break Jaguar’s heart.
But that’s a story best left for tomorrow when one more Jaguar in Project CARS 2 is revealed …
Sounds like we have another V12 coming our way, no complaints here!