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91-509: The Jaguar Sport XJR-15 is a two-seater sports car of which a limited number were produced by JaguarSport, a subsidiary of Jaguar and Tom Walkinshaw Racing between 1990 and 1992. Only 50 were planned (although 53 chassis were eventually made), each selling for £500,000. The chassis was mechanically based on the Le Mans -winning XJR-9 , designed by Tony Southgate . The body of the XJR-15

182-501: A 0–60 mph (0–97 km/h) time of 3.9 seconds and a gearing limited top speed of 191 mph (307 km/h). The ride height was somewhat higher than required to take full advantage of under-body aerodynamics due to the road going nature of the car. Additionally, the suspension was softer than would be found on the XJR-9 racer and - in a last-minute deal - Tom Walkinshaw switched tyre suppliers from Goodyear to Bridgestone just before

273-399: A controversial choice for a "purist" sports car. The Elan sold poorly and was discontinued after three years. The 1996 Lotus Elise , a mid-engined, rear-wheel drive roadster, was much more successful and remained in production until 2021. Roadsters enjoyed a resurgence in the mid-1990s, including the 1989-present Mazda MX-5 , the 1995-2002 BMW Z3 (succeeded by the 2002-2016 BMW Z4 ),

364-409: A definition. Insurance companies have also attempted to use mathematical formulae to categorise sports cars, often charging more for insurance due to the inherent risk of performance driving. There is no fixed distinction between sports cars and other categories of performance cars, such as muscle cars and grand tourers , with some cars being members of several categories. Traditionally,

455-399: A development car at Silverstone early in 1991, put it: "the result is oversteer". However, once accustomed to the characteristics, he went on: "Through the very tight chicane, the XJR-15 showed excellent change of direction and I was able to pick up power early for the long right hander leading up to Beckett's. This gradually became a long right-hand power slide as my confidence increased." As

546-440: A misfire and again finished fifth. At Spa, I managed to qualify second without using both sets of new Bridgestone slicks. I found a time good enough for the front row with my 'scrubbed' first set. At the start, I followed poleman Cor Euser for a few laps, but his tyres went off as he'd used them for the second qualifying session. I passed him - it was quite easy really. The race lasted 11 laps and I won by 3-4 seconds to collect

637-399: A pressed-steel chassis, a gated 4-speed transmission, pushrod-actuated overhead inlet valves , a honeycomb radiator, low-tension magneto ignition , a long wheelbase, a low center of mass and a very effective suspension system. The overall result was a "safe and well-balanced machine" with a higher performance than any other contemporary production car. At the 1903 Gordon Bennett Cup ,

728-427: A production Simplex 60 hp was entered only due to a specially-built 90 hp racing car being destroyed in a fire; the 60 hp famously went on to win the race. The 1910 Austro-Daimler 27/80 is another early sports car which had success in motor racing. The 27/80 was designed by Ferdinand Porsche , who drove the car to victory in the 1910 Prince Henry Tour motor race. The Vauxhall and Austro-Daimler —like

819-515: A road-car, the suspension was more softly set-up and with the right tyres, testers were unanimous in their praise. Ian Kuah, writing in World Sports Cars in 1992: "Considering its racing pedigree, ride quality is pretty good - at low speeds, better than a Ferrari 348...Levels of grip are far beyond those transgressed by any sane man, except perhaps when exiting a tight corner in a low gear when the sheer grunt pushing you through can persuade

910-452: Is an iconic sports car of the early 1960s, due to its attractive styling and claimed top speed of 241 km/h (150 mph). The E-type was produced for 14 years and was initially powered by a six-cylinder engine, followed by a V12 engine for the final generation. In 1962, the MG B introduced a new era of affordable lightweight four-cylinder roadsters. The MG B used a unibody construction and

1001-551: Is believed to be the prototype). The blue car was bought by a car collector in the UK sometime after 2013 making it the first XJR-15 LM outside of Japan, thus making the existence of such a variant known. Sports car A sports car is a type of car that is designed with an emphasis on dynamic performance, such as handling , acceleration, top speed, the thrill of driving, and racing capability. Sports cars originated in Europe in

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1092-415: Is detailed and legibly analogue. The shift lever is less than 3 inches (76 mm) from the small steering wheel, and the motion between gears is almost imperceptible. The reclined seating position provides excellent forward visibility - over the top of the instrument panel you see only racetrack." According to a press release by Jaguar Sport, a limited number of XJR-15s were built specifically to compete in

1183-433: Is fitted. There is no storage space in the car due to its racecar-like nature. However, considering the purpose for which it was intended, the interior was highly praised in contemporary automotive press publications. Ron Grable wrote: "Aesthetically, the XJR-15's interior is breathtaking. Expanses of shiny black carbon fibre woven with yellow Kevlar are everywhere, all fitting together with meticulous precision. Instrumentation

1274-483: Is known for their aftermarket automotive brake components, including calipers, drums , rotors, and brake lines. Brembo owns the foundries that produce their initial materials and supply the manufacturing plants. In all other markets, the company controls the entire production system—from raw materials through distribution. The company holds QS9000 and ISO 9001 certifications. A variety of Formula One teams, including Ferrari , use Brembo brakes. Brembo also supplies

1365-406: Is notable for using a three-seat layout, where the front row consists of a centrally-located driver's seat. The location of the engine and driven wheels significantly influence the handling characteristics of a car and are therefore crucial in the design of a sports car. Traditionally, most sports cars have used rear-wheel drive with the engine either located at the front ( FR layout ) or in

1456-511: Is powered by a 5,993 cc (6.0 L) 450 hp (336 kW), naturally aspirated 24-valve Jaguar V12 engine . The engine features an advanced electronically managed fuel injection system with a very advanced (for its time) 'fly by wire' throttle. The standard transmission is a TWR unsynchronised six-speed manual transmission while a five-speed, synchromesh transmission was also available as an optional extra. The XJR-15's chassis and bodywork are composed of carbon fibre and Kevlar (it

1547-520: The Audi RS 2 Avant . Ford Europe withdrew from the sports car market at the end of 1986 when the Capri was discontinued after a production run of nearly two decades. There was no direct successor, as Ford was concentrating on higher-performance versions of its hatchback and saloon models at the time. In 1989, a new generation of Lotus Elan roadster was released which used a front-wheel drive layout,

1638-541: The BMW 303 , Citroën Traction Avant and Fiat 508 — offered similar handling and comfort to the more expensive sports cars. Powerful, reliable, and economical (although softly suspended) American saloons began to be imported to Europe in significant numbers. Sports car ownership was increased through models such as the Austin 7 and Wolseley Hornet six , however many of these sports cars did not offer any performance upgrades over

1729-623: The Bentley Speed Six (1928-1930), with the former famously described by Bugatti's founder as "the fastest lorry in the world". Between the Great Depression and the World War II the pre-war era was a period of decline in importance for sports car manufacturers, although the period was not devoid of advances, for example streamlining . Cheap, light-weight family sedans with independent front suspension— such as

1820-762: The GP2 Series and the FIA Formula 2 Championship . Since 2010, Brembo has been an official whole brake supplier for the GP3 Series and the FIA Formula 3 Championship . Brembo is the exclusive supplier of braking systems for the MotoE World Cup . AP Racing brakes are currently used on GT500-class cars in the Super GT series as well as cars competing in the DTM . Brembo is the official brake supplier for

1911-520: The Jensen FF became the first sports car to use all-wheel drive . The Ford Capri is a 2+2 coupe that was produced from 1968 to 1986 and intended to be a smaller European equivalent of the Ford Mustang. A main rival to the Capri was Opel Manta , which was produced from 1970 to 1988. The 1973-1978 Lancia Stratos was a mid-engined two-seat coupe that was powered by a Ferrari V6 engine. This

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2002-465: The Sultan of Brunei . In order to adapt the XJR-9 for road use, Stevens made a number of modifications to increase space and improve access. "Taking the race car as a base, we widened the cockpit by 75 mm (3.0 in) and raised the roof by 40 mm (1.6 in) to allow more headroom", he said when interviewed in 1991. "The scale model was ready by Easter 1989, from there we went to clay... which

2093-583: The "thrill of driving" or are marketed "using the excitement of speed and the glamour of the (race)track" However, other people have more specific definitions, such as "must be a two-seater or a 2+2 seater" or a car with two seats only. In the United Kingdom, early recorded usage of the "sports car" was in The Times newspaper in 1919. The first known use of the term in the United States

2184-403: The 1905 Isotta Fraschini Tipo D, the 1906 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost , the 1908 Delage , the 1910 Bugatti Type 13 , and the 1912 DFP 12/15 . Early motor racing events included the 1903 Paris–Madrid race , the 1905-1907 Herkomer Trophy, the 1908-1911 Prince Henry Tour and the 1911–present Monte Carlo Rally . The Prince Henry Tours (which were similar to modern car rallies) were among

2275-495: The 1921 Coppa Florio . Another approach— such as that used by Morris Garages— was to convert touring cars into sports cars. The first 24 Hours of Le Mans race for sports cars was held in 1923, although the two-seat sports cars only competed in the smallest class, with the majority of cars entered being four-seat fast touring cars. "This race, together with the Tourist Trophy Series of Races , organised after

2366-404: The 1948 Ferrari 166 S . A new concept altogether was the modern Gran Turismo class from Italy, which was in effect unknown before the war: sustained high-speed motoring from relatively modest engine size and compact closed or berlinetta coachwork. The 1947 Maserati A6 1500 two-seat berlinetta was the first production model from Maserati. In Germany, the motor industry was devastated by

2457-499: The 1980 Deutsche Rennsport Meisterschaft and Giro d'Italia automobilistico marathon. The Montecarlo was a basis for the silhouette racing car , Lancia Rally 037 . In the 1970s, turbocharging began to be adopted by sports cars, such as the BMW 2002 Turbo in 1973, the first Porsche 911 Turbo in 1975, and the Saab 99 Turbo in 1978. Turbocharging became increasingly popular in the 1980s, from relatively affordable coupes such as

2548-452: The 1980–1986 Renault Fuego and 1992–1996 Rover 220 Coupé Turbo , to expensive supercars such as the 1984-1987 Ferrari 288 GTO and 1987-1992 Ferrari F40 . In the late 1980s and early 1990s, several manufacturers developed supercars that competed for production car top speed records . These cars included the 1986–1993 Porsche 959 , 1991–1995 Bugatti EB 110 , 1992–1994 Jaguar XJ220 and 1993–998 McLaren F1 . The 1980-1995 Audi Quattro

2639-506: The 1990s, all-wheel drive has become more common in sports cars. All-wheel drive offers better acceleration and favorable handling characteristics (especially in slippery conditions), but is often heavier and more mechanically complex than traditional layouts. Examples of all-wheel drive sports cars are the Lamborghini Huracan , Bugatti Veyron , and Nissan GT-R . Rear engine layouts are not typical for sports cars, with

2730-535: The 1991 Jaguar Sport Intercontinental Challenge; a three-race competition held throughout the year as a support event for the 1991 Formula One Grand Prix at Monaco , Silverstone , and Spa-Francorchamps . Sixteen cars built in racing specifications were entered in each of the events. The winner of the third and final race, Armin Hahne , was awarded a cash prize of US$ 1 million. Having parted with nearly US$ 1m for their cars, most XJR-15 owners wanting to participate in

2821-457: The 1995-2002 MG F , the 1996–present Porsche Boxster and the 1998–present Audi TT . AP Racing Brembo N.V. is an Italian manufacturer of automotive parts that most notably produces brakes and rims, especially for high-performance cars and motorcycles . Its operational head office is in Curno , Bergamo , Italy , while Amsterdam , Netherlands, is the company's legal seat. Brembo

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2912-704: The Automotive Brake Components division of Hayes Lemmerz. The approximately €39.6-million sale included approximately 250 employees and production facilities in Homer, Michigan and Apodaca, Mexico . An official press release on May 21, 2014, announced an €83-million expansion of the Michigan facility. Later that year, on December 2, Brembo also announced plans to invest €32 million into a 31,500-square-meter production facility, projected to produce two million aluminum calipers annually. The expectation

3003-701: The British Motor Show. Following Jaguar's success at Le Mans, he enlisted Peter Stevens to develop a road-going version of the XJR-9 , originally designated the R-9R. A number of wealthy racing enthusiasts were keen to own such a car and pressed Walkinshaw into manufacturing a 'road going racer'. This car was originally intended to be a better alternative to the XJ220. Original owners included Derek Warwick , Bob Wollek , Vern Schuppan , Matt Aitken , Andy Evans and

3094-589: The Intercontinental Challenge got professional drivers to drive the cars. Preparation and maintenance by Jaguar Sport was included in the purchase price of the race cars. At stake for the winners of the first two rounds were a pair of Jaguar XJR-S road cars whilst at the Spa finale there was a US$ 1m winner-takes-all prize fund. A maximum of 16 grid slots were available for each event and all three were fully subscribed. Derek Warwick emerged on top of

3185-468: The Mercedes Simplex 60 hp— were production fast touring cars. The 1912 Hispano-Suiza Alfonso XIII is also considered one of the earliest sports cars, as it was a "purpose built, high performance, two-seater production automobile". The model was named after King Alfonso XIII of Spain , a patron of the car's chief designer and an enthusiast for the marque. Other early sports cars include

3276-544: The R390 used revised rear and front ends, a wider overall chassis, and a different suspension for better handling, as well as a new exterior design, and - obviously - a Nissan rather than a Jaguar engine. All four R390s finished in the top 10 at the 1998 Le Mans , in 3rd, 5th, 6th and 10th. On 6 June 1999, the Aston Martin Owners Club ran the first ever Historic 'Group C' invitation race at Donington Park in

3367-798: The UK. Bryan Wingfield entered a XJR-15 (number 7, originally driven by Cor Euser in the Jaguar Intercontinental Challenge), driven by Brazilian ace Tommy Erdos , finishing 4th overall and 1st in class. In the inaugural season of the AMOC’s Group C Challenge that followed in 2000, with Tommy Erdos committed elsewhere, Bryan Wingfield enlisted motoring journalist Paul Chudecki to drive the XJR-15, on 21 May at Spa-Francorchamps finishing 7th overall and 3rd in class, on 4 June at Donington Park 9th overall and 1st in class, on 24 June at Silverstone 8th overall and second in class and on 9 July at Brands Hatch 6th overall and 2nd in class. At

3458-517: The US$ 1m prize." Results were: Monaco 16 laps x 3,328 = 53.248 km Silverstone 20 laps x 5,226 = 104.52 km Spa Francorchamps 11 laps x 6,94 = 76,34 km Further developments After Jaguar withdrew from sportscar racing in 1994, Nissan approached TWR to develop the R390 race car. TWR used the middle-section of the XJR-15's tub - the cockpit and greenhouse - for the R390, however

3549-419: The barriers on both sides of the track before Hahne lost it entering the swimming pool on lap three, luckily emerging unscathed. This allowed Warwick to open up a four-second gap from Brabham, Jones and Fangio before losing it all after locking up into the swimming pool. The Englishman eventually finished seven tenths of a second ahead of Brabham after 16 laps of hard racing. With the first race having enthralled

3640-427: The best handling street car you can imagine. Being 100% composite, it's so light that every aspect of performance is enhanced. Relatively low spring and roll rates are enough to keep it stable in pitch and roll, as well as deliver a high level of ride compliance. The brakes are phenomenal and the acceleration fierce. And always, there's that V-12, a medley of mechanical noises superimposed over the raucous rise and fall of

3731-479: The car appeared during the next year or two, all conforming to the same basic design and earning for themselves a reputation second to none for fast and reliable travel. The 60-h.p. cars were announced late in 1902. The cars were possessed of a very real performance superior to anything else which could be bought at the time... and the model achieved an almost invincible position among the fast cars of its day. The Sports Car: Development and Design The basis for

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3822-421: The centre of the car. The car retains the rear suspension unit from the XJR-9 with vertical coil-springs mounted in units with uprights within the rear wheels, allowing for the maximum possible venturi tunnels. The engine forms a stressed member for the rear-frame. The bottom of the car is completely flat, in line with Group C practice. The brakes are steel disc units with AP four-piston callipers. The XJR-15 has

3913-594: The company has more than 10,634 employees within Italy and at branches in Brazil, China, Japan, Mexico, Poland, Spain, Sweden, the UK and the US. As of 2019, Brembo was present in 14 countries worldwide. In October 2024, Brembo acquired Öhlins Racing for $ 405 million. Brembo specializes in performance braking systems and components as well as conducting research on braking systems. Brembo sells over 1,300 products worldwide and

4004-400: The crowd yet passed without any major incident, hopes were high for another great spectacle at Silverstone. Warwick again started from pole with Brabham, Cor Euser , Ian Flux, and Wollek in fifth. Fangio, David Leslie , Hahne, Kenny Acheson and Needell also qualified in the top ten. The rolling start saw five abreast into the first corner but the opening lap passed with all 16 cars intact. On

4095-411: The development of performance cars such as the 1910 Vauxhall Prince Henry , 1910 Sunbeam 12/16 , 1910 Talbot 25 hp , 1910 Straker-Squire 15 hp and 1913 Star 15.9 hp . Following the halt in sports car production caused by World War I , Europe returned to manufacturing automobiles from around 1920. It was around this time that the term 'Sports Car' began to appear in the motor catalogues, although

4186-408: The drivers knew was that the chequered flag would fall after at least six laps. Qualifying saw Euser on pole followed by Brabham, Warwick, Hahne, Percy, Will Hoy, Wollek, Leslie, Thierry Tassin and Flux all in the top ten. However, only fourth place Hahne and newcomer Tassin had saved a spare set of fresh tyres for race day. The rolling start went off without a hitch until Brabham had a big moment at

4277-489: The early 1910s and are currently produced by many manufacturers around the world. Definitions of sports cars often relate to how the car design is optimised for dynamic performance, without any specific minimum requirements; both a Triumph Spitfire and Ferrari 488 Pista can be considered sports cars, despite vastly different levels of performance. Broader definitions of sports cars include cars "in which performance takes precedence over carrying capacity", or that emphasise

4368-400: The early 1920s, the cost to produce a racing car was not significantly higher than a road car, therefore several manufacturers used the design from the current year's racing car for the next year's sports car. For example, the 1921 Ballot 2LS based on the racing car that finished third at the 1921 French Grand Prix. The Benz 28/95PS was also a successful racing car, with victories including

4459-430: The end of the production run of the XJR-15, TWR produced a limited run of more powerful variants in collaboration with a British automotive firm XK engineering designated XJR-15 LM for a Japanese customer. These cars had the 7.0-litre V12 shared with the XJR-9 with a power output upwards of 710 PS (522 kW; 700 hp). Bodywork alterations include a larger rear wing, an additional front splitter with air vents in

4550-463: The exact origin of the name is not known. The decade that followed became known as the vintage era and featured rapid technical advances over the preceding Brass Era cars . Engine performance benefited from the abandonment of " tax horsepower " (where vehicles were taxed based on bore and number of cylinders, rather than actual power output) and the introduction of leaded fuel , which increased power by allowing for higher compression ratios . In

4641-404: The exhaust." The XJR-15 offers little in the way of practicality. Entry to the car, over a wide sill, requires the driver to step onto the driving seat. The gear-lever is mounted on the right-hand side of the driver (all cars are right-hand-drive), while the driver and passenger seat are extremely close together - almost central in the car. Due to minimal sound insulation, an in-car head-set system

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4732-472: The first supercars . Other significant European models of the 1960s and 1970s which might be considered supercars today are the Ferrari 250 GTO (1962-1964), Ferrari 250 GT Lusso (1963-1964), Ferrari 275 GTB/4 (1966-1968), Maserati Ghibli (1967-1973), Ferrari Daytona (1968-1973), Dino 246 (1969-1974), De Tomaso Pantera (1971-1993), Ferrari 308 GTB (1975-1980) and BMW M1 (1978-1981). In 1966,

4823-528: The first World War by the R.A.C. , appealed to the public imagination and offered to the manufacturers of the more sporting cars an excellent opportunity for boosting sales of their products." The classic Italian road races— the Targa Florio , and the Mille Miglia (first held in 1927)— also captured the public's imagination. By 1925, the higher profits available for four-seater cars resulted in

4914-573: The gravel. Acheson was forced to pit. Competing for third, Needell and Hahne had another coming together forcing both cars out of contention. At the front, Fangio took the lead when Flux missed a gear at Club and dropped to second ahead of Wollek and Win Percy. Wollek's tyres were still in great condition having driven steadily throughout and the American was able to reel in Flux, passing on lap 18. Fittingly,

5005-528: The huge Bridgestones to relinquish some grip. Seat of the pants feel and communication is terrific and the steering nicely weighted so that smooth inputs are easy. When it comes to stopping, the huge AP Racing brakes - with softer pads for road use - wash off speed with steely determination." Ron Grable, the racing driver, writing in Motor Trend in May 1992: "As the engine sprang into a muted rumbling idle, it

5096-573: The late 1920s were AC Cars , Alfa Romeo , Alvis , Amilcar , Bignan and Samson, Chenard-Walcker , Delage , Hispano-Suiza , Hotchkiss , Mercedes-Benz and Nazzaro . Two cars from the Vintage Era that would influence sports cars for many years were the Austin Seven and MG M-type "Midget". Successful sports cars from Bentley during this era were the Bentley 3 Litre (1921-1929) and

5187-629: The majority of MotoGP teams; the Gresini squad used Nissin brakes during the 2014 season. Brembo was also an official brake supplier for the IndyCar Series from the 2012 season until the 2016 season; during the 2017 season, Brembo supplied calipers only. During the next season , Brembo supplied entire braking systems to all Spark Racing Technology Gen2 cars in Formula E . Since 2005, Brembo has been an official brake caliper supplier for

5278-518: The mass-produced cars upon which they were based. The highest selling sports car company of the 1930s was Morris Garages , who produced 'MG Midget' models of the M-Type , J-Type , P-Type and T-Type . The K3 version of the K-Type Magnette was a successful racing car, achieving success in the Mille Miglia , Tourist Trophy and 24 Hours of Le Mans . The Bugatti Type 57 (1934-1940)

5369-537: The middle of the vehicle ( MR layout ). Examples of FR layout sports cars include the Caterham 7 , Mazda MX-5 , and the Dodge Viper . Examples of MR layout sports cars are the Ferrari 488 , Ford GT , and Toyota MR2 . To avoid a front-heavy weight distribution , many FR layout sports cars are designed so that the engine is located further back in the engine bay, as close to the firewall as possible. Since

5460-460: The middle, a modified engine cover with additional vents in order for additional engine cooling and an air intake situated on the roof to aid in cooling the larger engine. Very little is known about the LM variant due to non-availability of records, though there are photos to suggest that at least five cars were produced (three in dark green, one in white and one in the same blue as the standard car which

5551-544: The most common layout for sports cars was a roadster (a two-seat car without a fixed roof). However, there are also several examples of early sports cars with four seats. Sports cars are not usually intended to transport more than two adult occupants regularly, so most modern sports cars are generally two-seat or 2+2 layout (two smaller rear seats for children or occasional adult use). Larger cars with more spacious rear-seat accommodation are usually considered sports sedans rather than sports cars. The 1993-1998 McLaren F1

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5642-475: The next lap, Tassin and Percy had a coming together at the bus stop, Tassin ending up atop the barriers after a heavy impact. After six laps were up, the racing became more fraught at the front. Now up to second, Hahne seized the initiative when Euser went offline through Eau Rouge on the eighth lap. Hahne's momentum took him through down the main straight and third place Warwick had eyes on second but dicing with Euser allowed Hahne to get away. Warwick then lost it at

5733-809: The notable exception of the Porsche 911 . The front-wheel drive layout with the engine at the front ( FF layout ) is generally the most common for cars, but it is not as common among traditional sports cars. Nonetheless, the FF layout is used by sport compacts and hot hatches such as the Mazdaspeed3 . Sports cars with an FF layout include the Fiat Barchetta , Saab Sonett , or Opel Tigra . The ancestor of all high-performance cars had its origin in Germany. The 28-h.p. Cannstatt-Daimler racing car of 1899

5824-565: The owner for road-use in the UK, although with such a limited production run, the car was never type-approved. The car's production was announced in a press release on 15 November 1990 with an official launch at Silverstone early in 1991. The XJR-15 was built by JaguarSport in Bloxham , Oxfordshire , (a subsidiary of TWR; it was a joint venture between Jaguar Cars and TWR to produce high performance sports cars) England from 1990 to 1992 and had no official involvement from Jaguar itself. The XJR-15

5915-456: The philosophy of achieving performance through minimizing weight and has been rated as one of the top 10 sports cars of the 1960s. The Elan featured fibreglass bodies, a backbone chassis, and overhead camshaft engines. A different style of roadster was the AC Cobra , released in 1962, which was fitted with V8 engines up to 7.0 L (427 cu in) in size by Shelby . The Porsche 911

6006-423: The production of two-seat sports cars being limited to smaller manufacturers such as Aston-Martin (350 Astons built from 1921 to 1939) and Frazer-Nash (323 cars built from 1924 to 1939). Then by the late 1920s, the cost of producing racing cars (especially Grand Prix cars) escalated, causing more manufacturers to produce cars for the growing sports car market instead. Significant manufacturers of sports cars in

6097-439: The race series started. When interviewed by Autosport in 2011, Ian Flux recalled: "The worst thing was that Tom had done a deal with Bridgestone. At first, it was going to be on road tyres, but then they changed to slicks and wets. The fronts weren't a problem, but they didn't have moulds for the rears, so used F40 moulds instead. They went off very quickly and it was hard to judge how hard to push." As Tiff Needell, who road-tested

6188-453: The race was won by Fangio precisely 45 years after his famous uncle's last win at Silverstone. At the end of the race, 11 of the 16 entries had suffered some kind of damage. The final Intercontinental Challenge race at Spa was a big deal. With US$ 1m on the line for the winner, there had been much speculation about race fixing agreements between the drivers. To counter, Jaguar Sport decided the race would run for an undisclosed number of laps. All

6279-401: The second lap Nielsen and Jones engaged in some panel bashing at Becketts whilst at Stowe, second placed Warwick turned in on leader Euser. Warwick took the position, Euser spun (dropping to third) but Warwick's lead was short lived as he picked up a puncture, lost control and hit Brabham when making a pass. Both men went into the pits for repairs. This left Euser back in the lead but his bonnet

6370-587: The sequence of corners before the bus stop, pin balling off the barriers and into retirement. From thereon in it was Hahne all the way and when the chequered flag fell at the end of lap 11, the US$ 1m prize was secure. When interviewed by Autosport in February 2012 for 'Race of Your Life', Armin Hahne chose his XJR-15 win at Spa as career-highlight: "I qualified second to Warwick in Monaco but half-spun on oil while chasing him, so fell to fifth. At Silverstone I had

6461-558: The sporting events of the period, bringing renown to successful entrants. The Prince Henry Tours started the evolution of reasonably large and technically advanced production sports cars. In England, the development of sporting cars was inhibited by the Motor Car Act 1903 , which imposed a speed limit of 20 mph (32 km/h) on all public roads. This led to the 1907 opening of the Brooklands motor circuit , which inspired

6552-408: The sports car is traced to the early 20th century touring cars and roadsters , and the term 'sports car' would not be coined until after World War One. A car considered to be "a sports-car years ahead of its time" is the 1903 Mercedes Simplex 60 hp , described at the time as a fast touring car and designed by Wilhelm Maybach and Paul Daimler . The Mercedes included pioneering features such as

6643-476: The sports car, but also the most important and diverse technical developments [and] very rapid and genuine improvement in the qualities of every modern production car; assisted by new design and manufacturing techniques a consistently higher level of handling properties has been achieved." In Italy, a small but wealthy market segment allowed for the manufacture of a limited number of high-performance models directly allied to contemporary Grand Prix machines, such as

6734-646: The time. The company entered into a supply contract with Alfa Romeo in 1964 and became Moto Guzzi 's brake component supplier in 1966. In the 1980s, Brembo also began supplying brakes to BMW , Chrysler , Ferrari , Mercedes-Benz , Nissan , and Porsche . Brembo went public on the Milan Stock Exchange in 1995. In 2000, Brembo purchased the UK-based racing brake and clutch manufacturer AP Racing (a former division of Automotive Products ). On November 9, 2007, Brembo's North American subsidiary acquired

6825-457: The timesheets in qualifying followed by Armin Hahne , Jim Richards , David Brabham and Davy Jones . Rounding out the top ten were Bob Wollek , Tiff Needell , John Nielsen , Ian Flux and Juan Manuel Fangio II . Each race kicked off with a rolling start administered by Tom Walkinshaw and the charge into Ste Devote saw Warwick and Hahne touch several times before Warwick emerged in front. On lap two, John Nielsen ran wide at Tabac and thumped

6916-406: The top of Eau Rouge dropping from second to seventh in the process. This left Euser, Hahne and Warwick to open up a gap at the front, the three drivers pacing themselves for the opening stint. There was plenty of action going on behind though, John Watson losing it at the end of the main straight, flying off the track backwards at 140 mph (230 km/h) and collecting Needell in the process. On

7007-478: The war, but a small number of manufacturers returned it to prominence. In 1948, the Porsche 356 was released as the debut model from Porsche. The significance of the Porsche 356 and its successors was described in 1957 as "future historians must see them as among the most important of mid-century production cars". The 1954 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL is another significant car from this era. The 1961 Jaguar E-Type

7098-415: Was a pioneering all-wheel drive sports car. The 1995 Porsche 911 Turbo (993) saw the 911 Turbo model switch to all-wheel drive, a drivetrain layout that the model uses to this day. The BMW M3 was released in 1986 and has been produced for every generation since. The 1993-1996 Mercedes-Benz W124 E36 AMG was the mass-produced AMG model. Audi's equivalent division, called "RS", was launched in 1994 with

7189-684: Was an unusual arrangement for a car used to compete in rallying, nonetheless it was very successful and won the World Rally Championship in 1974 , 1975 , and 1976 . The Lancia Montecarlo was produced from 1975 to 1981 and is a mid-engine two-seater, available as a coupé or a targa-top. It was sold as Lancia Scorpion in the USA. Its racing variant, Montecarlo Turbo, won the 1979 World Championship for Makes in its division and overall for 1980 World Championship for Makes and 1981 World Endurance Championship for Makes . Montecarlo also won

7280-627: Was another significant sports car of the pre-war era and is now among the most valuable cars in the world. The T57 was successful in sports car races, including winning the 1937 24 Hours of Le Mans and 1939 24 Hours of Le Mans . Another successful Bugatti sports car was the Bugatti Type 55 (1932-1935), which was based on the Type 51 Grand Prix racing car. The decade following the Second World War saw an "immense growth of interest in

7371-562: Was designed by Peter Stevens , who went on to co-design the McLaren F1 . The car competed in a single-make racing series called the Jaguar Intercontinental Challenge , which supported three Formula 1 races ( Monaco , Silverstone and Spa ) in 1991. The XJR-15 was the world's first road-car made entirely from carbon-fibre . Tom Walkinshaw conceived the concept in 1988 after seeing the XJ220 concept at

7462-509: Was established in Paladina , Italy, on January 11, 1961, by Emilio Bombassei and Italo Breda (father and uncle, respectively, to the current Chairman Alberto Bombassei ). The company was named after the Brembo river . Bombassei lived in a village on the coast of the river before moving to Milan. Soon after Brembo was formed, it specialized in disc brakes , which were imported from the UK at

7553-592: Was finished by October (1989). The first prototype was held up by Le Mans preparations but it was ready for Tom (Walkinshaw) to drive when he came back from France in July 1990". TWR explicitly developed the XJR-15 as a road-going racing car, in the mould of the Jaguar C and D types , the Ford GT40 and the Ferrari 250 GTO . As such, the car complied with British construction and use regulations and could be registered by

7644-490: Was gradually working loose which forced him to miss the apex at Beckets resulting in a spectacular 120 mph (190 km/h) spin. Now Flux was in the lead followed by Fangio and Hahne. By lap six Euser's charge back to contention suffered another setback when he hit David Leslie at Priory, both cars spinning as a result. Two corners later, Needell bumped Hahne out of the way to take third. Lap nine finally saw an end to Euser's afternoon when he hit Acheson and ended up beached in

7735-502: Was impossible to keep from grinning. Easing the unsynchronised six-speed into gear, I accelerated onto the straight. Many race cars are diabolical to get moving...not so the Jag, the smooth V-12 pulled cleanly away, nearly as docile as a street-car. On the track, the XJR-15 is a truly wonderful ride, the perfect compromise between racing and street. You can say the savage edge of a pure race car has been softened slightly, or conversely, that it's

7826-485: Was in 1928. Sports cars started to become popular during the 1920s. The term initially described two-seat roadsters (cars without a fixed roof), however, since the 1970s the term has also been used for cars with a fixed roof (which were previously considered grand tourers ). Attributing the definition of 'sports car' to any particular model can be controversial or the subject of debate among enthusiasts. Authors and experts have often contributed their ideas to capture

7917-484: Was initial operation by 2016 and full operation by the end of 2018. On March 5, 2015, Brembo's deputy chairman, Matteo Tiraboschi, reported the company's 2014 sales growth of 15% up to €1.8 billion and a net profit increase of 45% to €129.1 million. He also reported the company was exploring acquiring assets, with a focus on the automotive and aviation sectors. The company's corporate headquarters are in Stezzano, and

8008-694: Was produced until 1980. Other successful lightweight roadsters include the Triumph Spitfire (1962-1980) and the Alfa Romeo Spider (1966-1993). The Fiat X1/9 (1972-1989) was unusual for its use of a mid-engine design in an affordable roadster model. A late entrant to the affordable roadster market was the 1975 Triumph TR7 , however by the late 1970s the demand for this style of car was in decline, resulting in production ceasing in 1982. The original Lotus Elan (1962-1975) two-seat coupe and roadster models are an early commercial success for

8099-675: Was released in 1964 and has remained in production since. The 911 is notable for its use of the uncommon rear-engine design and the use of a flat-six engine . Another successful rear-engine sports car was the original Alpine A110 (1961-1977), which was a successful rally car during the Group 4 era. In 1965, the BMW New Class Coupes were released, leading to the BMW 6 Series which remains in production to this day. The Lamborghini Miura (1966) and Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale (1967) mid-engined high-performance cars are often cited as

8190-617: Was the first road-going car built entirely of carbon and Kevlar composites, before the McLaren F1 used similar construction techniques in 1992). The overall proportions differed from the XJR-9, with the XJR-15 being 480 cm long, 190 cm wide and 110 cm tall. The final weight amounted to be 1,050 kg (2,315 lb). A fully independent suspension was used, with non-adjustable Bilstein shock absorbers all round. Front suspension consists of wide-based wishbones and working push-rods to spring damper units mounted horizontally across

8281-417: Was without a doubt the first attempt to give real performance to a road car. Many of its features, such as a honeycomb radiator and gate gear change, were continued on the much improved version which Paul Daimler designed in 1899-1900. This was of course the famous Mercedes. It also laid down standards of chassis design which were to be followed, almost unthinkingly, for the next thirty years. Several variants of

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