XJR-14
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| Category | Group C | ||||||||
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| Constructor |
Jaguar Cars (Tom Walkinshaw Racing) |
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| Designer(s) |
 Ross Brawn John Piper Mark Thomas |
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| Technical specifications | |||||||||
| Engine | Cosworth HB 3500 cc V8. Naturally aspirated mid-mounted | ||||||||
| Transmission | manual transmission | ||||||||
| Tyres | Goodyear | ||||||||
| Competition history | |||||||||
| Notable entrants |
Silk Cut Jaguar (WSC) Jaguar Racing (IMSA) |
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| Notable drivers |
Derek Warwick Martin Brundle David Brabham Teo Fabi Davy Jones Arie Luyendyk
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| Debut | 1991 430km of Suzuka | ||||||||
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| Constructors' Championships | 1 (1991) | ||||||||
| Drivers' Championships | 1 (1991) | ||||||||
The Jaguar XJR-14 was a sports-prototype racing car introduced for the 1991 World Sportscar Championship season. It was designed by Ross Brawn and John Piper, and was built by Tom Walkinshaw Racing (TWR).
The 1991 season marked the introduction of the FIA’s new, and controversial, 3.5 Litre Formula which replaced the highly successful Group C category that had been used in the World Sportscar Championship since 1982. However, due to a small number of entries in the new 3.5 litre formula heavily penalised Group C cars were allowed participate in the newly created C2 category for the 1991 season but Jaguar participated in the new formula.
To comply with the new regulations Jaguar produced an all-new car, the XJR-14. It was designed by Ross Brawn and John Piper, and was built by Tom Walkinshaw Racing (TWR). In the past, TWR's Jaguars had been designed under the direction of Tony Southgate, while Brawn worked with a large design staff (12 according to John Piper); a paradigm shift (albeit small) in its own right and reflective of Brawn's Formula One background.
The abandonment of the Group C fuel consumption regulations meant a change in aerodynamic design philosophy. Coupled that with vastly different packaging requirements for a small, light, normally aspirated engine meant that concerns over drag became a secondary requirement to downforce. The new design, lower kerb weight of 750 kg (1,653 lb) and higher downforce levels meant that the XJR-14 was a lot faster in corners compared to the previous Group C front runners.
The primary feature of the new regulations centred on 3.5 litre naturally aspirated engines. Although the XJR-14's predecessor, the XJR-11, used a twin turbo charged 3.5 litre engine derived from the Metro 6R4-derived JV6 engine, in order to comply with the new rules the two turbochargers would need to be removed. Naturally this wasn't a realistic option, nor was it ever considered, given the design compromises of not using a bespoke engine.
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