There have been several important cars in Jaguar’s long history. The XK120, E-type and XJ6 Series I are just three that played their own pivotal roles in the company’s past.
Yet there’s another that despite not being as famous as its illustrious forebears, is just as influential and continues to be so; the XJR-S. As a sportier version of Jaguar’s big GT, not only did it initially pay homage to the company’s then competition machines but gave the car – and therefore Jaguar itself – amuch needed racier image. It also set the standard for all future R models which continues today.
Despite its importance on the company, the XJR-S was largely the work of Tom Walkinshaw Racing, an independent team that had been set up by the Scottish racing driver in 1976.
After TWR had successfully campaigned a Mazda RX-7 in the British Touring Car Championship that culminated with Win Percy taking the driver’s title in 1980 and 1981, Walkinshaw looked at a bigger prize, the European Touring Car Championship. He reckoned the XJ-S with its powerful 5.3-litre V12 was perfect for the new Group A rules the ETCC was adopting from 1982 onwards and so approached Jaguar’s then
