Evaluation: One of 27 road-going XJR-15s (most of the rest were used in a one-make racing series run as a support for F1). Delivered new to Japan. Showing 79 miles. Recommissioned earlier this year. There is a crack in the left marker lens but otherwise this looks like a new car.
Bottom Line: Jaguar Sport/Tom Walkinshaw Racing (TWR) developed the XJR-15 from the successful Le Mans-winning XJR-9 and XJR-12 racers. Unlike the regular production XJ220 the XJR-15 really was a racing car for the road, with a carbon-fiber monocoque that was nearly identical to the Le Mans cars as well as the race-proven 6.0-liter V-12. The car is also so loud that Jaguar supplied a pair of radio headsets so that occupants could hear each other speak. Sounds like a gimmick, but owners have said it’s a helpful feature.
Priced at about a million dollars, XJR-15s sold in tiny numbers and their one-make race series ended after just one season, so they faded into obscurity a bit after that. Other examples sold at auction in recent years have brought well under seven figures, but interest in ’90s race-bred performance generally has seen a huge upswing recently. XJR-15s offered privately have reflected that, and this result confirms that $2M for an excellent one isn’t out of the question.
