Race ready
IT WAS after my first couple of laps that Tom Robinson, unable to make himself heard over the roar of the super charged straight six engine, starts to gesticulate to me. “Rev harder,” he says with his hands, “don’t change up so early.”
So, after balancing the throttle in third through Castle Combe’s long final corner, Camp, I bury the pedal for the start/finish straight. This time, following Tom’s instruction, instead of changing at 4,000rpm as I had previously, I keep the pedal nailed to the floor. Revs and speed continue to increase until, at 6,500rpm, with the supercharged straight-six now wailing like a hysterical banshee as I hurtle down the track, I finally change up to third. This, without doubt, is the fastest and most brutal Jaguar–if not any car – that I’ve driven on a track.
Yet Tom’s car isn’t a purpose-built racing car, despite its speed, power and the clever tech. It started life as an X300-generation XJR, not a model known for its ferocious speed or effortless agility.
To find out just how far Swallows has pushed the boundary of possibility, I’ve arranged to compare Tom’s racing car with a standard model at Castle Combe.
This car shouldn’t be on a track, so let’s
