Jaguar XJR and XJ-R9 LM trash the tracks at Silverstone

The new Jaguar XJR and the race inspired XJ-R9 LM had an encounter at Silverstone. Le Mans racing Winner Andy Wallace tried out both Jags. Wallace drove the Jags during the day and at night while experiencing the 5.0-litre Supercharged V8 of the XJR. Wallace expressed his experiences while driving both cars.

Driving at night on the Silverstone circuit gave Wallace the opportunity to test the new LED headlights on the new XJ, the first Jaguar to be fitted with the technology. “Driving at Le Mans back in 1988, it was so hard to see at night,” said Wallace. “We were travelling at around 385km/h and it was too fast to see the road ahead. We used the lights more to catch glimpses of landmarks as they whizzed past, so we knew where we were.

“These days, modern road cars have incredible lights. LED technology allows you to see three times the distance we could back then, while active steer and bend also help target the lights to the places you want to see. “As a driver, whether you’re cruising on the road or pushing for performance on track, that level of vision really helps to give you confidence and that improves safety, performance and precision. I would love to have had the modern lights we have now on the XJ-R9 LM.”

“The XJ is now more dynamic and distinctive than ever, and taking the high-performance XJR to Silverstone gave an excellent demonstration of how the new LED lighting fitted to the car can benefit the driver,” said Ian Hoban, Vehicle Line Director for the Jaguar XJ. "But the new LED lights are just one of many impressive new features on our flagship sedan. Delivering even greater levels of luxury and performance, it features our new world-class infotainment system and interior materials and finishes that create an even more bespoke feel."

The 2016 XJ has had a thorough exterior design refresh and the full LED headlights with unique double 'J-Blade signature' daytime running lights are one of the key additions. They are unique in the Jaguar range. The LED headlights provide a colour temperature closer to that of daylight than the Bi-Xenon lamps they replace, improving visibility and driver comfort and also delivering a significant improvement in energy efficiency.

The most advanced lights ever seen on a Jaguar or Land Rover product, they also accentuate the 'quad lamp' design feature that Jaguar sporting sedans have made their own – a feature that also appeared on the XJ-R9 LM.

Tosan Aduayi has reported on Motoring since 1994 with trademark columns (Roadrunner, Carliners). He is the Founder and Publisher of Trendy Africa Magazine.