Jaguar XJ13 prototype reborn as Ecurie Ecosse LM69
Jaguar’s forgotten endurance racer has been reimagined as a road-legal sports car by the Scottish tuning company, Ecurie Ecosse
The 1966 Jaguar XJ13 prototype racer has been reimagined as a road-legal sports car by the Scottish tuning company, Ecurie Ecosse. Originally designed to take on Ford, Ferrari and Porsche in the 1969 Le Mans 24 Hours race, the XJ13 project was shelved following a lack of funding as other Jaguar projects took priority.
The Ecurie Ecosse LM69 is an “ideal” of what the Jaguar XJ13 could have been, had it raced at Le Mans. It’s built from a combination of aluminium and composite materials and its construction adheres to the principles and regulations of the Jaguar XJ13’s era. As such, it only features design details and technology that entered motorsport no later than 1969.
• Aston Martin DB GT Continuation review
It’s powered by a quad-cam, naturally aspirated 5.3-litre V12 engine, fed by a traditional mechanical fuel injection system and distributors. The engine will be built to the same specification as the original XJ13’s 5.3-litre V12, which provided the racer with 502bhp, 517Nm of torque and a top speed of 177mph.
At the buyer’s request, the 5.3-litre V12 can also be fitted with programmable fuel injection and electronic ignition, for better performance a reliability. In addition, buyers will have the option of specifying a tuned version of the same V12 engine with capacity increased to 7.3-litres.
The LM69’s styling remains faithful to the original Jaguar XJ13’s, albeit with the addition of a curved glass engine cover, a fixed roof and a large rear wing. The Ecurie Ecosse version also features wider wheels and tyres than the original Jaguar racer, as well as a pair of aggressive dive planes for better handling.
The Ecurie Ecosse LM69 will make its debut this September at the Concourse of Elegance at Hampton Court Palace in London. Available to order now at an estimated price of £750,000, production of the LM69 will be limited to just 25 units - a reference to the 1969 FIA homologation regulations.
What are your thoughts on the Ecurie Ecosse LM69? Let us know in the comments section below…
