The competition in the top class at Le Mans is about to heat up, with Porsche vowing to return in 2014, and rumors even swirling of a Toyota comeback. Now, Autosport reports that Jaguar is also getting ready to pounce on the LMP1 field, with the UK publication saying the British marque’s parent company, Indian automaker Tata Motors, is evaluating a return to prototype racing. Although Jaguar currently races in the GT class with an XKR, firing up its prototype program again would bring the brand back to the top tier of sports car competition after an absence of 20 years.
According to Autosport, Jaguar’s management has already made the decision to compete in the LMP1 class. However, the target date Jaguar and Tata are working toward is unclear. Speaking to Autosport, a Jaguar spokesperson said, “We are monitoring developments in motorsport around the world.”
This could mean Jaguar is just waiting to see what other manufacturers join the fray, as it seems several other OEMs are looking to get back into prototype racing. The new rules published by the Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO), the sanctioning body that governs the 24 Hours of Le Mans, have brought significant changes to the class structure – possibly explaining the recent surge in manufacturer interest regarding sports car racing.
Under the new rules, the LMP2 class would now favor privateers, as teams are now required to run production-based engines and are subject to development-prohibiting cost caps. That makes LMP1 practically the only class where manufacturers can race prototypes. But that class is made more attractive for OEMs with the institution of the “Adjustment of Performance” clause, which grants the ACO permission to change the minimum weight, air restrictor size, or fuel tank capacity of any competitor to keep performance within two percent of the rest of the class. Such a rule might reduce any advantage the diesel-powered cars of Audi and Peugeot enjoyed in previous years.
As for what kind of prototype Jaguar will field, your guess is as good as ours. With more emphasis placed on efficiency and reliability in modern prototype engines, it’s doubtful we’ll see the same Earth-shaking raw power of the XJR-12 that last won Le Mans in 1990. But that doesn’t make the prospect of a hybrid or diesel-powered Jag LMP any less exciting.
