Arguably one of Jaguar's most intriguing sports cars from the '90s, the Jaguar XJR-15 is on the verge of being forgotten. The idea of a Jaguar XJR-15 began after British racer– Tom Walkinshaw saw the Jaguar XJ220 concept at the 1988 British Motor Show. The Jaguar XJ220 is a race car, and Tom Walkinshaw thought about making a road-going version. He approached the manufacturers, and they created JaguarSport, a subsidiary of both Jaguar and Tom Walkinshaw Racing.

JaguarSport was in charge of developing the XJ220 road-going version– the Jaguar XJR-15. To design the XJR-15, Tom Walkinshaw recruited Peter Stevens, a British automobile designer. Stevens would later join the Formula 1 program to design the 1992 McLaren F1. The Jaguar XJR-15 was released in 1990, and the production of the sports car ended in 1992. Here are ten things we just found out about the underrated Jaguar XJR-15.

10 Motorsport History

XJR-15
Alexandre Prévot

Though the XJR-15 was a road-going sports car, Jaguar made a racing version in 1991. The number of units produced was minimal, and the primary purpose of production was for these cars to participate in the Jaguar Intercontinental Challenge. With the prize being $1 million, most XJR-15 owners got professional racers to drive their cars on the tracks.

Jaguar XJR-15
Via Bonhams

The race was a support event for the 1991 Formula One Grand Prix and was held in Monaco, Silverstone, and Spa Francorchamps. After the races in Monaco and Silverstone, Armine Hahne emerged winner in Spa Francorchamps. He won by less than 4 seconds with Cor Euser behind him.

9 It Housed A 6.0-Liter V12

Jaguar XJR-15
Via: Classic Driver

The Jaguar XJR-15 best feature is its 6.0-liter Jaguar V12 which is available for road and racing versions. However, the road variant has a 5-speed manual transmission, while the racing version is equipped with a 6-speed manual. While the XJR-15 was being built, Jaguar Sport got inspiration from other race cars like the Jaguar XJR-9 and the Nissan R390 GT1.

Blue Jaguar XJR-15
Girardo

Jaguar's XJR-9 is a sports prototype car built for the 1988 24 Hours of Daytona race. The XJR-9 uses a 7.0-liter 60° Jaguar V12 engine with a 5-speed manual transmission system.

RELATED: What You Need To Know Before Buying A Jaguar Or Land Rover

8 Only 53 Models Were Built

1991_Jaguar_XJR-15_(Greenwich_2019)
Mr Choppers

Jaguar isn't new to making limited editions of cars. They made the C-Type with 53 units and the XKSS with only 25 units in 1957. When the development of the XJR-15 was in motion, Jaguar planned to make only 50 units. However, they ended up building 53 units of chassis for the XJR-15.

1991_Jaguar_XJR-15 Rear_Left_Side_(Greenwich_2019)
Mr. Choppers

Limited production means exclusivity, and we all know that many influential people in the world would pay for this. Owners of the XJR-15 include high-profile celebrities, professional racers, and even the prince of Brunei.

7 Chassis Development

Jaguar XJR-15 Front Closeup View
Girardo

While Peter Stevens worked on the bodywork design of the XJR-15, Tony Southgate was enlisted to develop the car's chassis. The XJR-9 chassis inspired the design of the XJR-15 chassis. Both sports cars also share many components. Tony Southgate also developed the XJR-9 chassis, made of carbon fiber and kevlar composite.

Jaguar XJR-15 Taillight
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Kevlar is a heat-resistant synthetic fiber that can replace steel in cars and bicycles. The fiber is also used to make bullet-proof vests. Jaguar's XJR-15 also used carbon fiber for most of its bodywork and became the first road car to do that.

RELATED: How The Jaguar XJS Influenced The Aston Martin DB7

6 Performance And Handling

Jaguar XJR-15
Via Classic Trader

Like any car in its class, the XJR-15 performs magnificently. Being inspired by a race prototype car– the XJR-9, it's no surprise that the XJR-15 is capable of 450 horsepower and 420 lb-ft of torque. Since the Jaguar XJR-15 was composed mainly of carbon fiber, the car is lightweight and lighter than some modern sports cars.

Jaguar XJR-15 Parked
Via MotorBiscuit

Tom Walkinshaw Racing (TWR) also used non-adjustable shock absorbers, so the XJR-15 is somewhat firm on the road. As expected for such an expensive car, the XJR-15 handles smoothly.

5 Glass-Like Roof Materials

Jaguar XJR-15
Via Classic Trader

Apart from its performance, another impressive thing about the XJR-15 is its design. The athletic design of the XJR-15 is timeless and modern. There's a smartly designed air vent on the hood to cool the raging 6.0-liter V12 engine. Unlike most cars from the '90s, the XJR-15 uses a round roof made from glass-like materials.

Jaguar XJR-15 Side View
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The XJR-15 also emulates the sleek design elements of Peter Stevens' previous projects. While the sports car's exterior is a grand fair, the interior is strictly minimal and looks like a race car interior.

RELATED: Check Out This Insane Jaguar XJ-C Restomod

4 It Is Priced Above $1 Million

Jaguar XJR-15 Rear
Via: Hemmings

Since the XJR-15 is a limited edition sports car, it's pretty rare to sight it on the roads. Some original owners of the XJR-15 have sold their cars to collectors as the car is now considered a collectible. Most models are currently sitting in garages because of their high running and maintenance costs.

Jaguar XJR-15
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At the initial release in 1990, the Jaguar XJR-15 was being sold for £500,000. The same way you hardly see the XJR-15 on the road, you can hardly see it available for sale. A Jaguar XJR-15's price today should be somewhere around the $1 million mark.

3 Safety Features

Jaguar XJR-15 Interior
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Most cars from the '90s wouldn't be considered safe compared to modern cars. Some of these cars only had airbags and an anti-lock braking system. The Jaguar XJR-15 has airbags for both the driver and the passenger and an anti-lock braking system.

Jaguar XJR-15 Pedals
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While features like traction control, stability control, and brake assist are unavailable, the XJR-15 has structural integrity. The sports car has parking sensors and LED lights to illuminate the switches and dials on the dashboard.

RELATED: 10 Things Everyone Forgot About The Jaguar D-Type

2 It Can Now Be Imported To The US

Jaguar XJR-15
Via Girado

Before 1988, Americans could easily import foreign vehicles into the country for their personal use. These foreign cars were cheaper than the American options, but they weren't always safer. With the government being concerned about public safety and American manufacturers worried about losing sales, something had to be done.

Jaguar XJR-15
Via Girado

The 1988 Imported Vehicle Safety Compliance Act was introduced, and it banned the importation of foreign cars not meant for the US market. However, there's a clause that allows foreign cars of 25 years old to be imported as antiques. With the Jaguar XJR-15 being 30 years old, it's now eligible for importation.

1 Most Units Have Low Mileage

Jaguar XJR-15 Gauge Cluster
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Jaguar's XJR-15 is mainly praised for its performance and styling. Seemingly, many owners of the XJR-15 bought the car mainly for the design. Decades after the initial release of Jaguar's XJR-15, most units still have low mileage.

Yellow Jaguar XJR-15
Mr. choppers

Of course, low mileage is considered good when buying a used car, but it's just shocking that XJR-15 models have such low mileage. That explains why they're rare to sight as they're probably just sitting in storage rooms. Some models have mileage as low as 385 miles.