Friday 22nd March 2013

Pic Of The Week: TWR XJS at Donington

A V12-powered brute leads the pack at last year's Donington Historic Festival

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There’s little in the motor racing world to rival the sight and sound of classic touring cars going at it hammer and tongs. Iconic models we’ve come to remember fondly, but wider, and angrier, swapping paint out on a track, with all the accompanying noise and spectacle... well, if it isn’t enough to stir your soul, then we’re not quite sure what is.

So feast your eyes on this snap, then, which we found while getting together the story on our discount offer for this year's Donington Historic Festival. Captured by Peter de Rousset-Hall during the JD Classics Challenge race at last year’s event, it features the sole Jaguar XJS to be entered. Gary Pearson's the man at the wheel, and leading the Hermetite Ford Capri of Tom Pochciol and the Bastos Rover Vitesse driven by Bert Smeets around Roberts and onto the start/finish straight. Pearson’s already getting on the gas, as the cocked front wheel of the XJS attests; in the event, the Jaguar nearly went on to win the race, but a spin by co-driver Alex Buncombe just shy of the chequered flag handed top honours to the Escort RS1800 of Mark Wright and David Coyne.

Subtle these TWR XJSs certainly weren’t – as Dan can attest to, having had a chance to experience one at full chat up close’n’personal at Goodwood earlier this week. If any further proof were needed, though, check out this video of Walkinshaw himself wrestling one around the Mount Panorama circuit in 1985. It’s one of the finest displays of racing driver heroism there is.

Traditional (4:3)
Computer widescreen (16:10)
TV widescreen (16:9)
Portrait (smartphone, etc)

[Maldini35]

God that looks great

[jagseven]

wow, that takes me back. I remember watching these race at silverstone when I was a lad - the start of a life long love of jags and why at age 24 after much saving bought myself a V12 XJS...happy days

[Loplop]

Saw this (and the Capri behind it) in action at the Oulton Park Gold Cup last year, what a sight!

[Mr_C]

What a noise!

With this and the Isdera feature it must be a day for nice noises

[urquattro]

I am fortunate to have two V12s with 5 speed manual gearbox coversions, a much much better animal.

[mat777]

Fantastic car, I was gutted to see it taken out at the opening of its race at the gold cup

[grosserbaby]

XJ-S+Capri+SD1/Racing=Heaven

[Mark-C]

urquattro said:

I am fortunate to have two V12s with 5 speed manual gearbox coversions, a much much better animal.

My XJS is a 4.0 six with a three speed auto .... a completely different beastie to a manual V12! Mine is the laziest car I've ever owned (in a good way) and watching the V12s being hustled around circuits is a very strange thing indeed since it has no correlation with my experience.

And +1 for the lovely noise comments.

[LostCroc]

Looks like it (or one of its sister cars) is for sale at JD Classics. If only I had won big on the lottery!

http://www.jdclassics.co.uk/showrooms/Jaguar-XJS-T...

[itsrodders]

Twelve, six and eight cylinders' worth of happy place.

[curtisl]

I was lucky enough to get a ride in this at Goodwood and it truly is a beast. It was an amazing experience! Here's a little clip.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZY1sX0DT8k

[williamp]

Love the 80s whip aerial. Ideal for llistening to radio 1 on the medium wave!!

[61GT]

Fantastic picture.

I was there in 1984 for the ETCC (European Touring Car Championship) IIRC.

Must go and dig out my old programmes

[vladcjelli]

Went to this last year, not a bad turn out, in spite of the weather.

Those Rovers (or one of them at least) were making some sort of incredible noise. (May have been broken?)

Also liked the BMW batmobile.

[AndyNetwork]

Loplop said:

Saw this (and the Capri behind it) in action at the Oulton Park Gold Cup last year, what a sight!

I take it that was during practice on the Saturday, as come the race, he stuffed it into the barrier taking out the near side rear on the first lap.

[gsrgeoff]

Looks superb - i'll be there.

Edited by gsrgeoff on Monday 25th March 22:40