| Motorsport | Le Mans 24-hours | Jaguar XJR-9LM |
Twenty four years ago Jaguar returned to Le Mans and four years later the Coventry firm took victory for the first time since 1957. This year Jaguar will return the winning Silk Cut Jaguar XJR-9LM to Le Mans. Jan Lammers - who drove the Group C car to victory at Le Mans - will be at the wheel as he leads a special parade lap around the Sarthe circuit ahead of the 24-hour race.
Designed by Tony Southgate and constructed by Tom Walkinshaw Racing (TWR), the XJR-9LM was developed from the XJR-9. For Le Mans the priority was low aerodynamic drag to attain the highest possible speed down the 3.1-mile Mulsanne straight. Power came from a 750bhp 7.0-litre Jaguar V12, which was based on the 5.3-litre V12 used in the Jaguar XJ-S.
For the 1988 race Jaguar entered five cars: two retired but the remaining three finished first, fourth and sixteenth. The first placed Jaguar - in the hands of Jan Lammers, Johnny Dumfries and Andy Wallace - completed 394 laps and a total distance of 3,313 miles.
Along with the parade lap there will be a 40-minute race for historic Group C cars including several Jaguars in the famous purple and white Silk Cut livery. The historic race is scheduled to start at 10:15 am on 14th June and the 2008 Le Mans 24-hour race will commence at 3:00 pm.
John Lambert - 10 Jun 2008