In 1988, Jaguar won the 24 Hours of Le Mans with an entry of five XJR-9 cars. The winning car, driven by Jan Lammers, Johnny Dumfries and Andy Wallace, completed 394 laps and covered a distance of 3313 (5332.79km). This followed Jaguar’s earlier victory at Le Mans when the the winning D-type covered a distance of 2732 miles (4397km) in 1957.
The XJR-9 was manufactured by Tom Walkinshaw Racing (TWR) who began racing Jaguars in the European Touring Car Championship. This led to a victory with the the Jaguar XJS that would motivate a new Group C car. TWR partnered with Bob Tullius who had already campaigned several Group C cars under his Group 44 banner in the states. With backing from Jaguar, he had taken the XJR-5 to Le Mans with moderate success. After two attempts, Jaguar turned to the local Tom Walkinshaw for a fresh approach.
With assistance from Tony Southgate, TWR prepared the XJR-6 which would race both in Europe and in the American IMSA series. It was a departure from previous designs, using a full carbon-fiber monocoque and undercarriage venturis. With little success this car was upgraded into the XJR-7 and the XJR-8 which won the 1986 European World Championship, but retired at Le Mans.
By the time the Le Mans-winning design debuted in 1988, TWR already had a 7.0-liter V12 capable of producing 750 bhp. Five cars equipped with this unit were prepared for Le Mans and the factory-backed Porsche 962C competition. Jaguars led from the inception of the race, but two retirements meant only the XKR-9 of Jan Lammers, Johnny Dumfries and Andy Wallace was the only car left to take overall honors. Despite a transmission problem, the car was driven only in fourth gear until it finished two laps ahead of the Porsche 962C.
| type | Racing Car |
| body stylist | Tony Southgate |
| production | 6 |
| engine | 60º V12 |
| position | Mid Longitudinal |
| aspiration | SOHC, 2 Valves per Cyl |
| block material | Aluminum |
| valvetrain | 2 Valves / Cyl |
| fuel feed | Zytek Fuel Injection |
| displacement | 6995 cc / 426.86 in³ |
| bore | 94 mm / 3.7 in |
| stroke | 84 mm / 3.3 in |
| compression | 12.0:1 |
| power | 559.3 kw / 750 bhp @ 7200 rpm |
| specific output | 107.22 bhp per litre |
| bhp/weight | 851.31 bhp per tonne |
| torque | 828 nm / 610.7 ft lbs @ 5500 rpm |
| body / frame | Kevlar & Carbon Fibre Monocoque |
| driven wheels | RWD |
| front tires | Dunlop Denloc Racing |
| rear tires | Dunlop Denloc Racing |
| front brakes | Carbon Fiber Discs w/AP Racing Calipers |
| rear brakes | Carbon Fiber Discs w/AP Racing Calipers |
| steering | Rack & Pinion w/Power Assist |
| f suspension | Double Wishbones w/Inboard Coil Springs over Dampers |
| r suspension | Double Wishbones w/Inboard Coil Springs over Dampers |
| curb weight | 881 kg / 1942 lbs |
| length | 4780 mm / 188.2 in |
| width | 2000 mm / 78.7 in |
| height | 1030 mm / 40.6 in |
| transmission | March/TWR 5-Speed Manual |
| top speed | ~394.20 kph / 245 mph |
| key drivers | Martin Brundle, Jan Lammers, Johnny Dumfries, Andy Wallace |
| race victories | 1988 Daytona 24 Hours, 1988 24 Hours of Le Mans |
