The Company Behind The Jaguar XJR-15 Is Back And Working On A New Car

Tom Walkinshaw Racing (TWR) was a significant name in the British motorsport and vehicle engineering scene in the 1980s and 1990s. It worked on the Le-Mans winning Jaguar endurance racers and contributed to Jag’s XJ220 supercar project. Now, the name is preparing for a revival, and a new teaser provides an initial glimpse at the new vehicle. 

Unfortunately, TWR is not offering specific details about the revived company’s first project. The teaser image shows the vehicle’s flared rear fender. There’s also a low-slung roofline and a flat tail. The shape suggests this is a performance coupe and possibly a supercar. No powertrain or interior details are available, but the business said a full unveiling is coming “shortly.”

Tom’s son, Fergus Walkinshaw, is spearheading the new project. The revived company intends to cooperate with brands to produce high-performance vehicles. The business isn’t saying who these partners are yet.

“It gives me a great amount of pride that the TWR name will live on for a new generation,” Fergus Walkinshaw said. “High-performance engineering runs in the blood of the Walkinshaw family, and ever since the original TWR closed its doors I have longed to find a way to continue the family legacy.” 

To be clear, this is not the original iteration of TWR. That company went out of business in the early 2000s. Fergus Walkinshaw and his business partner brought the name back in 2020 as a separate entity. 

The original iteration of Tom Walkinshaw Racing started in 1975. One of the company’s early projects was modifying the first-gen Mazda RX-7 to go racing, and that vehicle won the 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps in 1981. Later, the business formed a close relationship with Jaguar, including developing the XJR-9LM that won Le Mans in 1988. The Jaguar XJR-12 scored a victory in the important race in 1990.

TWR also worked on road cars. It modified the Jaguar XJS into the XJR-S, which featured a more aggressive body kit and a more powerful V12 engine. The company also developed the XJR-15 supercar (pictured above), featuring carbon fiber for the body panels and monocoque. Power for it came from a 6.0-liter V12. Beyond the Jag connection, TWR helped develop models like the Saab 9-3 Viggen and the Renault Clio V6.