My main use of the Big Cat is as my daily driver. However, I have had some fun with it at the local drag strips. https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...p-drags-93030/

Last weekend I took it to a track day at Willow Springs International Raceway. It was a 2 day event. I learned a lot and it was a hoot and a half. I went with two friends who drove a Cadillac CTS (540 hp), and a Mustang GT with manual transmission. This guy is a suspension engineer and has modified the suspension of the GT. He also has a license to test cars on the Nurburgring so he can get around a racetrack efficiently.

I had to take the xj8 to a shop to get a tech sheet filled out by a mechanic. Things like no leaks, brake pads, torque settings on the wheels, fire extinguisher and so on. BTW, I attached my fire ext. to the passenger side door handle.

They place each driver into a running group based on experience. I was in the "green" group. Appropriate. In most groups passing is only allowed on two straightaways. They are VERY safety conscious and enforce the rules very strictly. One bunch of guys brought race prepared Vipers! They got to passing in corners and were called in for a little chew of the posterier parts. The message was drive safely or leave, never to return.

I was surprised by what showed up for this event. At least 8 Vipers, several race prepared Corvettes, a Chevy-Lola, a Panoz, all sorts of Mustangs, BMW's, a Mercedes SLR, and more. I did not have the fastest car. BUT, IMHO I had the best looking car of them all.

When I went out for my first run, (there were 5 a day for each group), I was lost. All the stuff I had read about such as "slow in fast out", "brake,shift, turn in, accelerate", "hit the apex" and the rest were just not being processed fast enough. Stuff happens fast on a track.

So for my next session I snagged an instructor, (Included in the price). He rode with me and talked me through the track. That made all the difference. For the next session I went out with him in his 600 hp modified Corvette. After that I just had to work on getting around consistently and gaining confidence. There is something a little intimidating about rushing at corners at high speed. For example, check out this Audi at a turn I went through many times. Too fast.
The fastest I got going was right at 111 to 112 mph at the end of the main straight. Not sure which, there is something about rushing at a 90 degree left turn a few hundred feet ahead that makes you pay attention to the road, not the speedometer.

The car amazed me. I was impressed with the brakes! I had new pads. There are 3 hard braking corners on this track, one going downhill. They never faded at all. I did smell them once though.

The videos I have seen show guys going around corners with the rear wheels spinning and the car leaning over. I did not do that. Plus I was not conscious of excessive body lean at all. That pleased me as I was worried about my Arnott shocks cancelling out the CAT system.

All in all, it was a hoot and a half and I will definitely do it again.

Tom

 

I had no idea that someone in my running group would post a video. However here is a video taken by a fellow in a Chrysler Crossfire. It is a Mercedes designed car Chrysler was allowed to produce during their brief "marriage" a few years back. These cars are good performers: 330 bhp, 3200 lbs, 95 inch wheelbase.


I think this was taken during our third session of track time. The Crossfire was not the fastest car at all. We had been told that if someone is close behind on the curvy section, pull to the right and allow him to pass you on the two straight sections. So he is roaring past cars that could have easily beat him down the straight. An example of this is where he is behind the white Porsche. The silver car ahead of the Porsche is my friend's 540 hp Cadillac CTS-V.
In my opinion the Crossfire's driver is just hot-******* it before he is experienced enough to do so safely. Everyone else is driving fast, but carefully, while learning the track and their own car's behavior. The Crossfire spins off the track at about 5:48. I will cruise by under a yellow caution flag at about 7:03.
See if you can see the driver's mistake at turn 4 which led to his spin.

BTW, this experience made a pretty good 75th birthday present!

Enjoy,
Tom

 

Apparently an editor found my use of the term "hot*******" to be unacceptable. To me it is a colloquial term meaning "driving really fast". If it is crude or vulgar in some context or to some community I sincerely apologize.

Tom

 

Hi folks,

Haven't been on the forum for a few weeks, and I see no one has replied to my suggestion to look for the reason the Crossfire spins off the track. At about 5:47 he is turning hard and is at the limits of adhesion on his tires. If you listen you will hear him blip the throttle just at that moment. That broke his traction and he then did not correct in time, so physics took him for a ride.

Many blessings,

Tom

 

Glad you had fun at the open track event. Feel bad for the Audi owner. When I was racing I saw quite a few street cars totalled on the open track days. It's all fun until you have to explain to the wife or insurance agent.... Be safe and have fun!

 

Since my last post on this thread I went to another track day at willow springs. Many of my friends have been upgrading their cars to go faster. One fellow sold his Mustang GT and bought a Corvette. I got quite a bit faster on my second track day. I can feel the draw to get a car with more power, but I realize that the limiting factor with my car so far is the driver.
Going really fast takes some getting used to.
I am totally impressed with my XJ8. 300 hp, a six speed ZF transmisssion, good brakes and a sophisticated suspension add up to quite a car. Plus it is drop dead gorgous and a pleasure to drive anywhere.
I have recently driven Dodge Charger SRT, (Incredibly fast but VERY expensive), A Jaguar XF, (powerful but too small), and an Jaguar XJ, (Very nice but not as beautiful as my xj8 especially the interior).
So it looks like the XJ8 will be around a while longer.

Tom

 

Sounds like a great experience, glad to hear the jag ran well. I watched the vid and saw your car go by!
Cheers!

 

Miata, and miata.spec are wonderful ways to actually learn track driving. Light is good

Ditto shifter carts (250cc cart faster on a short track than any streetable car, plus cheap to own and run)

Modding street cars for the track results in a lousy street car (and a mediocre track car)

Check out SCCA - great driver ed, and lots of fun vehicle classes

 

It's an unbelievable automobile!!!The fact that such an advanced auto can have such a terrible resale value, until one realises their resale amounts to NOTHING if you bought it to use. In fact poor resale means great price for the buyer. Would like to be able to own a few, but i'm too broke to afford the one i have but for the fact, the labor so far has been mine, so price of at least that was reasonable.

 

You are of course correct. However, I am not out to become a competition driver. I used to attend sportscar races back in the 1950's and sometimes wished I could participate. However we had our own local Hod Rod culture and I could afford that. It was always something I enjoyed but it was not my big dream. My life went in different directions.

While I never developed the interest in football or baseball that my friends had, I used to follow what was happening with European Grand Prix and Sportscar racing through magazines. The USA had no production sports cars racing on the continent until 1957 or so. The only cars really competing against Mercedes, Ferrari, and Maserati at LeMans were the Jaguars and the Aston Martins. So, I always thought "I'd like to have a Jaguar someday".

When I passed 70 I decided that if "someday" was not now it would probably never come so I bought one. So my interest is having fun with my present Jaguar. I really like my xj8 and enjoy even just sitting in it and looking at all the beautiful wood. So it will do for now.

Perhaps when I hit 80 I'll get another.

Many blessings,

Tom

 

Why wait?