JAGUARS BACK ON TRACK

Press, Volume CXVI, Issue 34129, 15 April 1976, Page 10

JAGUARS BACK ON TRACK

Leyland’s new Jaguar Vl2 racing saloons will make their first competitive appearance at Italy’s Autodromo Mugello on May 2. It will be the first time a wot kt Jaguar has appeared ot the track since 1956.

Jaguar gained consit erably kudos from it series of Le Mans wins ii the 50s, and the compan plainly hopes that the per formance of the two 5.4 litre XJ coupes in the 1< rounds of the 1976 Eure pean touring car champior ship will bring it furthclaurels — and sales. The XJs have bee; developed and prepared by Broadspeed Engineering and Jaguar’s engineering department at Coventry. Broadspeed prepared the Triumph Dolomite Sprint which won last year’s British touring car championship for Leyland. Part of the. brief for the racing Jaguar coupes was that appearance should remain as close as practical

to the production cars. Perhaps the cars are the world’s only ‘’racers” with full width wood veneer facias. While the engines retain lhe standard block, heads, con-rods and crankshaft, there are major differences, particularly in the top end and combustion chamber lesign. The power output (“comfortably over” 50C ihp) is developed at 8001 pm. and the red line is at >OOO. The compression atio is up from 9 to t to 1.5 to 1 and FI-type Lucas uel injection feeds each of he slightly enlarged cylinlers. Electronic ignition is ised. Among other major .levelopments is a special hydraulic clutch. The gearbox is standard Jaguar, but 10 different axle ratios can be selected giving a crown wheel for every 500 rpm increment. This means a top speed range from 100 mph (161 km/h) to 210 mph (338 km/h) to allow for the wide range of circuits, and race lengths from four to 24 hours, in the championship series. The brakes have the

same swept area as the production car but they art substantially modified principally to ensure adequate cooling by means ot vents and ducting. There is also an emergency, driveroperated, water injection brake cooling system. The suspension is tilth changed from standard bu one novelty is a cockpit controlled rear anti-rol rar, cable operated, provic' ng four different position; or the bar to allov “trimming” to cope with t lightening fuel load.

As the regulations require no spare wheel, the boot is all but filled with a 27 gallon (120 litre) fuel cell: The bodyshell is fullylightened and strengthened, with a roll cage welded in. The tyres have been sepecially developed by Dunlop on 16in. (4064 mm) wheels (standard is 15in giving the same over-ai diameter as standard be with a reduced aspect rat of 31 per cent on the fr< and 33 per cent at 1 rear.