The Jaguar XJR-15 Is The Coolest Supercar You’ve Never Heard About

The Jaguar XJR-15 specs are nothing short of supercar-worthy, with a 450-horsepower 6-liter V12 engine capable of pushing it to a top speed just shy of 200 mph, and 0-60 mph in under four seconds (via Motor1). All that power wasn’t solely intended for the streets though, as Jaguar even made a race series specifically for it (via Silverstone). Throwing an exclusive celebratory event made sense considering the Jaguar XJR-15 price already cost over half a million dollars when it went for sale in 1991, according to Silverstone. What’s worth celebrating more though, is the Jaguar XJR-15’s game-changing design that pioneered the carbon fiber monocoque.

It was the product of decorated racecar designer Tony Southgate and Peter Stevens — the man behind iconic vehicles like the Lotus Esprit, Lamborghini Diablo, and McLaren F1, per Bonhams. This resulted in the XJR-15 becoming the world’s first-ever fully carbon fiber car, a trend that modern supercars have continued to follow generations later. So, why is it still being overshadowed by the XJ220’s popularity? Sure, this V12 monster sounds like everything the Jaguar’s V6 XJ220 failed to be, but there’s also less of it to go around compared to the latter, which sold close to 300 units. Only 27 of the total 53 examples made it to the streets, while the rest were destined to be abused on the race track (via Motor1). With only a handful of owners ranging from musicians to sultans, finding one on the road can be a challenge in itself, let alone getting behind its wheel.