The 1984 Jaguar XJ-S is the fourth in our series.
One year after winning the Spa 24 Hours with Mazda Tom Walkinshaw took a liking to the Jaguar XJ-S, in part because it had independent rear suspension, a rare commodity at the time. Furthermore, the car’s endless wheel wells meant it could run the widest tyres the FIA allowed without modification. This was a big plus, as Group A prohibited modification of the body shell from its stock form. After two years of disappointment in Spa, Walkinshaw managed to bump the power of the 5.3 litre V12-engine to 450 bhp, using valves from Cosworth’s DFV F1 engine. The Big Cat dominated the ETCC and in Spa it took the lead halfway through the night, to eventually win with three laps in hand. At the wheel, Walkinshaw was joined by Win Percy and Hans Heyer. For the latter it was his third consecutive win. It was also Jaguar’s first 24-hour win since the victorious D-Type of Le Mans 1957.