THIS ULTRA-RARE 1991 JAGUAR WITH ONLY 78 MILES IS NOW UP FOR GRABS

The supercar is one of only 27 roadgoing examples that were built.

One of the rarest modern Jaguars is just sitting around waiting to be bought.

RM Sotheby’s recently listed a one-of-27 road-going XJR-15 for sale in California. The fact that the supercar is even up for grabs is noteworthy enough, but this example also has less than 100 miles on the odometer.

The XJR-15 owes its creation to the success Jaguar experienced on the track as the 1980s turned into the 1990s. The company’s XJR-9 and XJR-12—both of which were built by Tom Wilkenshaw Racing—took the checkered flag at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1988 and 1990. Soon after, someone had the bright idea that customers might be interested in a road car inspired by the victorious racers. The resulting car was the XJR-15, a sporty V-12 with a Peter Stevens-designed body made primarily from carbon fiber (a first for a road car). Jaguar Sport, a joint venture between the automaker and racing team, built 50 examples between 1990 and 1992, only 27 were homologated for street use.

This example currently up for sale, chassis no. 008, was built in 1991. It’s finished in a rich metallic blue over a grey leather interior. It even still wears a white Jaguar Sport decal along the top of its windshield. The car was imported to the U.S. from Japan by its current owner in 2018, so the steering wheel is on the right-hand side of the cabin. Each of the racing-style seats features a hardwired headset so that the driver and passenger can hear themselves clearly no matter how loud it gets inside the vehicle.

The XJR-15 is powered by a naturally aspirated 6.0-liter V-12 that can generate 450 hp and 420 ft lbs of torque, which is sent to the rear wheels via a five-speed manual gearbox. The output may not sound like much today, but it was an impressive number at the dawn of the ‘90s. It was also enough to allow the car to launch from zero to 60 mph in just 3.2 seconds and to a top speed of 215 mph. That’s fast, even by today’s standards. This example only has 78 miles on it, which means it’s barely been touched since leaving the factory, but it has been regularly maintained since leaving the factory.

RM Sotheby’s is currently brokering a private sale of the vehicle. Price is available upon request, but it’s safe to say it will be expensive. Every time an XJ-R has popped up on the market in recent years, it’s sold for at least $1 million. This one has the potential to go for considerably more because of its low mileage.

Written By Bryan Hood