Wearing the warpaint of the 1990 winner but actually its Silk Cut team-mate, our XJR-12 is chassis number 190, raced (and retired) at Le Mans by Michel Ferté, Davy Jones and Eliseo Salazar, at Daytona in 1991 by Kenny Acheson, Eddie Cheever and John Nielsen, at Sebring that year by Raul Boesel, Jones and Neilsen, and at Daytona in 1993 by Scott Goodyear, Jones and Scott Pruett. And it still races, owned now by Staffan Svenby and campaigned in historic Group C by Justin Law.

In 1990 the XJR-12 took a U-turn from 3.5-litre V6 turbo power and reverted to the classic, naturally aspirated V12 last seen in the XJR-9. The rules allowed any capacity, any number of cylinders, a minimum weight of 1000kg, a flat bottom of specified size, 100 litres fuel capacity (with an overall allowance for Le Mans of 2250 litres) and gravity refuelling.

It is far closer to the modern generation than to the D-type’s, physically big and dominated by low-drag, highdownforce aerodynamics and massive rubber. Inside is black carbonfibre weave rather than matt paint, and it’s a tighter squeeze. Passenger space is even more token; switchgear and instrumentation more comprehensive and ordered, with signs of the new-wave electronic management.

Starting procedure says one blip to boot up the alternator, then steady, low revs (about 3500) until rising temperature crosses falling oil pressure as the lubricant warms through. The idle is even but very hardcore, and when you can finally rev it, it sounds big and violent.

This one is 7.4 litres and full Group C spec, which means around 750bhp even in reliable 24-hour tune. At Le Mans in 1990, even with chicanes, these cars topped 200mph four times on every lap, hit 220mph in the race and lapped at close to 140mph. That’s why even people who didn’t know motor sport loved Le Mans in the Jaguar days.