This 1993 Jaguar XJR-12D was the quickest car at the 2017 Goodwood Festival of Speed, and it sounded amazing in action.
A 1993 Jaguar XJR-12D race car was the quickest car to storm up the Hillclimb Course at the 2017 Goodwood Festival of Speed. Driver Justin Law was behind the wheel of the 7-liter, 730 horsepower 60-degree V12 race car. The sleek British endurance racer turned an amazing run on the Goodwood Hill Climb, stopping the clock at just 46.13 seconds.
This marks the sixth time that a Jaguar has turned in the quickest time in the Hillclimb event. Each time Justin Law has been at the wheel. He led the field in 2004 and 2005 with an XJR-12 while turning in the best lap in 2008, 2009 and 2013 with an XLR8/9.
The video above, courtesy of the YouTube channel of 19Bozzy92, shows that winning run by Law and the 1993 Jaguar XLR-12D.
The 24-year old race car looked great and performed even better. However, the most awe-inspiring aspect of this run is the sweet, sweet sound of the 60-degree V12 mounted behind the driver. At low RPM, the Jaguar XJR-12D has a low, deep grumble. But when the massive engine gets into the higher RPM band, the open exhaust emits a glorious high-pitched roar.
As has been the case over the past few years, the Goodwood Hillclimb Course is lined with cameras to catch all of the high-speed action. This allows us to hear the XJR-12D as it approaches the cameras and as it races off into the distance. But from every angle, this classic Jaguar race sounds awesome.
"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.
"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.
"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.
"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.
"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.
