Mt Panorama Bathurst 1985 TWR Jaguar XJ-S V12 Qualifying Lap

The qualifying lap that gave Tom Walkinshaw pole for the 1985 Bathurst 1000 race in his TWR Jaguar XJS V12

[@Nvidiaguides]

This is the most underrated video EVER. A magnificent driver complementing a magnificent piece of engineering perfection.

[@Francescodefarlatti]

Der Jaguar XJS V12 war in den 1980er Jahren die ganz große Überraschung im Motorsport, weil die Deutschen sich soooo sicher waren, daß niemand sie schlagen könne. Die Fake News ( Ja, das gabs damals schon ) hörten sich so an: Der Jaguar sei zu groß, zu schwer, zu britisch, zu viele Zylinder. Dann kamen die ersten Rennen der Tourenwagen Weltmeisterschaft, und die Jaguars schlugen die gesamte Konkurrenz, incl. die stolzen BMW. Ich erinnere mich gut wie die Presse vergeblich versuchte, die Jaguar Triumphe zu vertuschen. Und an die dummen Gesichter der Lügenpresse... Aber die von Jaguar eingefahrenen Weltmeistertitel sprachen ohnehin für sich. Es war damals ein Traumerlebnis für mich als Jugendlicher, diese Siege zum Teil vor Ort live mitzuerleben.... Der Sound... ein Wahnsinn.

[@scfMetro]

And the track isn't too bad, either

[@scfMetro]

@@Francescodefarlatti danke für die Schilderung der Erinnerungen, hätte das so gern miterlebt...

[@dznmvrk]

I’ve watched this video many many times. Makes me so happy.

[@66PHILB]

... around a most magnificent circuit too!

[@murf69]

The sound of the V12... Don't know how many times I've watched this video over the years.

[@codprawn]

I agree but if you want to hear even better have a look at the XJ13!

[@freespeech4694]

I owned one of these cars, 1983 model with the HE V12. The crackle from the intakes when accelerating, from 4000 rpm to redline 6500 rpm, was exhilarating. And didn’t it get a move on. Also the most sublime high speed touring car. It’s natural pace was 160 kph, where it was just planted and solid on the road. Suspension compliance was in another league, even at that speed. The good days, when radar detectors were legal.

[@ThePaulv12]

Have you seen the BRM V16 vid at Goodwood?

[@codprawn]

@@ThePaulv12 Which one? I just watched several - all ruined by the commentators! This is the best I found - and yes great sound! kzbin.info/www/bejne/gafWqpSwetGsmNE

[@ThePaulv12]

@@codprawn Try this: kzbin.info/www/bejne/nIuwgXd5g96Erqc This is the unabridged version with some in car sound: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qIOxoIWigdGmepo edit: update link so it doesn't prompt 'leave KZbin' warning

[@iamamodel7]

I was in the pits at Bathurst that year and the two Jags were BY FAR the loudest cars on the track. You'd be watching the TV and see them coming down Conrod and then into ;pit lane and then you'd get the roar from the actual car. RIP Tom.

[@followthesapper324]

What a cool life you've had

[@garethbarnes3680]

They were a V12 weren't they?

[@Scotty70]

​@@followthesapper324i hope your still alive

[@Konformation07]

You've lived a hell of a life

[@Holden308]

I know this is only qualifying but this was an era when the 1000 was a 1000km race, not a series of pace car controlled super sprints.

[@andrewread154]

…and different classes of cars could race together. It was a good way to compare cars..unlike today’s massively controlled two brand rail car debacle…

[@nnoddy8161]

So true.

[@davidewhite69]

no aero aids and 270+ kmh over the humps on the old Conrod Straight, the cars without any aero aids would get airborne over the last hump, balls of steel

[@chasermalloy7406]

Yeah, speed must have been held down because the year before they were doing 290km/h at Macau in the touring car race at the Macau GP Perhaps just because they didn't need the speed. Video is on here somewhere. Cars looked great too in the JPS gold livery like the BMWs

[@gustavmeyrink_2.0]

@@chasermalloy7406 to be honest the Broadspeed XJC from '75 is a much better looking car though.

[@chasermalloy7406]

@@gustavmeyrink_2.0 I was going to say exactly the same. Of course XJCs in general are one of the beat looking cars ever. I biased because I have two. As for the Broadspeed cars, I would have one of those t0o if I'd known how cheaply it was sold. A friend of mine bought it at auction and paid only 15,000 pounds for it. He brought it into Australia.

[@jahnperez5060]

@@chasermalloy7406 guessing your mate has finally solved the age of old fiddle - why did someone bother to put a nice scent into toilet paper?

[@chasermalloy7406]

@@jahnperez5060 I have no idea what you mean.

[@shaantitus1538]

Watched this race when I was a kid, sat on the floor of my grand parents house in Docaster. All these years later I have a British racing green XJ-S in my garage because of the race in 85. Unforgettable.

[@missingremote4388]

Cool car! ( I have a suburban s.u.v.)

[@DandanGallagher]

This is hands down the most amazing motorsport video of all time. Anyone who knows a bit about racing can try to appreciate what's at stake in that lap. It's the absolute peak of raw power transferring to the tarmac, a very very fast and risky lap with a touring car in which just a small mistake lead to immediate death. Sliding everywhere, even with only two wheels on the track. Despite all that, Tom Walkinshaw does not even flinch inside the car. He takes corner after corner ferociously with not even an ounce of hesitation. You can feel the sheer power (461 hp), speed and the kinetic energy of the car which is so heavy (about 1400kg or 3000 pounds, this is 1985). The car reaches up to 290 km/h (180 mph) at the end of the long 2km Conrod Straight. Bathurst has lots of twists and turns and is a remarkably uneven circuit as far as elevation changes go. This proves especially tricky when driving a touring car that powerful that fast. Tom and his partner Win Percy won this race. Absolute MASTERPIECE.

[@wogga8]

Whether you like the guy or not didn't that V12 sound awesome! What a car. I remember this race as a kid and i always liked the XJR's after seeing them at Bathurst.

[@grahamserle7930]

I remember it well as a flag marshal positioned on Conrod Straight. It was awesome at the time because we had never heard anything like that screaming V12 sound before. If that wasn't good enough, the month later we went to Adelaide for the first F1 G.P there and the star of the noise there were the V12 Ferrari's. A sound that would wake the dead.

[@Andyc351]

F1 Ferrari's in from 1981 to 1988 were 1.5 litre turbo V6's

[@nnoddy8161]

No V12 Ferraris in F1 until 1989, this was 1985.

[@grahamserle7930]

@Hagbard Celine Yes you are right. I went to most of the F1 races in Adelaide until it finished in 1995. 85 was the turbo era and Ferrari brought back their V12 in 89. I've been to that many that it's getting harder to remember now being so long ago, but there's one thing I'll never forget and that's the sound of that screaming V12 Ferrari engine. Thanks for the correction.👍

[@colemichae]

You gotta try a tractor pull now that is noise and the engines sometimes are a little bigger :)

[@CC-wk6zn]

@@grahamserle7930 those Ferrari V12’s reverberating around Adelaide were something else!

[@GabrielKish]

Incredible driving and more....

[@joshwebb8871]

I revisit this every couple of months, it's one of the greatest laps anyone's ever put down on the Mountain. Absolutely balls-to-the-wall, and about as fast as the proddies are running today, which is impressive given the giant leaps cars have made in the last 40 years and how brutal Mt. Panorama is at race pace.

[@ianrabbidge1321]

Me too. The V8s sound tame by comparison.

[@justindaley2460]

1:10 - Tom Walkinshaw went up on two wheels just at the point when he was described as an Englishman!!

[@davidewhite69]

the following day the TV commentators were very careful to make sure they called him a Scot, Ol Tom must have had words with them

[@ThunderAppeal]

@@davidewhite69 Yeah, and only a crazy Scot would drive a V12 around Bathurst the way he did.

[@speedymini998]

If you listen carefully, you can just hear Tom yelling "FREEDOM!" over the sound of the V12....

[@rebellion2054]

Thus unleashing yet another man-killing beast upon the Aussies

[@66PHILB]

@@davidewhite69 Nah, he only had to give them that look of his...

[@Spazmo5000]

Mike Raymond saying Walkinshaw wrong and Moffat calling him an Englishman are the only things wrong with this beautiful clip. Watched it live when I was younger.

[@ianrawlings2546]

Best looking car ever made. Not normally seen driving on two wheels. Walkinshaw flogged that lap.

[@timhancock6626]

I've only just watched this for the first time and it's fantastic to see an XJS going so fast. RIP the great Tom Walkinshaw.

[@pbeardmore]

Wonderful, wonderful moments, this is what motorsport should be about, "Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away."

[@trackerrrr]

That's a lot of car to be throwing around the track. Sounds awesome.

[@BanjoLuke1]

Never seen this. What a remarkable conversion from fast GT to track mauler. They didn't look like that on the M4 at rush hour. Never a pretty car, but in this guise and with this driver, a purposeful car. Thorough, brave, fast. On what they say is a tricky circuit.

[@andymartinez767]

This is real racing era, not what we have now.

[@Tirasoudain]

RIP Tom Walkinshow. Truly a legend of motorsport.

[@MrFiveLeeeta]

love the sound of the V12 jag

[@darrenbrailsford6809]

What a wonderful car!! Just love how TWR took the XJ-S team to Bathurst and shown them all how to do it. Great performance

[@scmorton8]

V12 sounds glorious. Just discovered this track in iRacing. Became an instant favorite. Technical and fast.

[@goodshipkaraboudjan]

It's a terrifying circuit in person. Very intimidating to lap but also hugely rewarding.

[@davidewhite69]

TV does not do the circuit justice, just how steep and narrow it is and how close those concrete walls are, some corners up the top you have to be on the gas without being able to see what is around the corner, can be terrifying at full noise

[@mabamabam]

@@davidewhite69 Its pretty hairy at 60 in the work ute

[@redreuben5260]

I’ve done a few laps of Bathurst in road cars and motorcycles, technical ? yeah you could say that. Brutal would be more honest though !

[@laurencew5220]

@@mabamabam no doubt loaded with tools and materials

[@Arthurzeiro]

Seeing a racing XJ-S is like seeing a man in a tuxedo fighting in a boxing match.

[@eddieandrews3335]

I think I held my breath the whole lap. Fuck I miss Bathurst when they had such a mixed variety of both cars and personalities

[@VliegerNL]

This may just be the hardest charging clip, badass v12 sound that I have ever seen. A Jaguar XJS? Really? magnificent!

[@jamarward8437]

I don't know how I'm now coming across this but I thank the motorsport gods

[@garykish8951]

God what a Beast! I mean the driver and that V-12. No one built a V-12 like Tom.

[@66PHILB]

If life is getting you down, play this video at full volume. That lovely V12 sound will chase the blues away!

[@yungnietzsche2302]

Thank you so much for uploading this gold! I’m only 31 and I feel like I was born too late, I missed so many golden years of Motorsport which is now so clinical and boring

[@ElTio.45-70]

These cars were awesome. Modern WTCC cars just feel lame, when you know what was before, not only Jag, but BMW M635 Csi and M3, Rover Vitesse, Sierra Cosworth, Supra, Skyline, Commodore etc...

[@codprawn]

I had a TWR Rover Vitesse - the suspension was incredible. The car is wider than a Range Rover but lower than the old mini - incredible grip and handling. None of the modern cars I have driven have even come close. They all seem too soft.

[@geoffdeller7747]

I have said before in other videos comments that I reckon that grpA was the best era in touring car racing for the very reason you mentioned, all the different manufacturers and all the different models.

[@ZIGZAG12345]

Paris-Dakar had all manner of properly screwy machinery back then too. Go check out the vid of a twin-engined DAF truck puffing its chest out and muscling past Ari Vatanen's, (himself absolutely no slouch as a driver) Peugeot 405 T16, which was a great machine at that time too. The same combination of Vatanen/405 held the Pike's Peak record for a long time.) in a straight line drag...

[@scandaljones3097]

I went to the Clipsal in South Australia in the early 2000s, a Ferrari , vs Diablo( weighted with lead) vs newish Monaro vs m3 vs Cobra replica. (Best of3 x 5 lap races) from memory. Afterwards you could walk thru the pits. Brilliant racing, drinks to your table, public-ish road track. After 6 years of Indy on the Gold Coast it was an epiphany.

[@markgriffin4888]

MINIMUM SAFETY BARRIERS, OLD CONROD STRAIGHT, REAL CARS, PLUS FANTASTIC RACING!!!!!!

[@OMSRUK]

What a car what a sound I love jaguar xjs they my dream cars and it's just amazing to watch old videos what a driver Tom walkinshaw love it proper racing

[@scanspeak00]

The good old days when racing was about real entertainment and admiration for driver skills.

[@lukewise1227]

I was just in awe of the Jaguars when they took part in this race. Later in the year I saw John Goss's winning No.10 on display at a car show in the old Sydney Showground Complex. It still had the smashed bugs on the front bumper. I actually got to put a hand on it and get some pictures next to it with my ancient camera. It was even more awesome in real life. Great memories.

[@jackcurtis9002]

0:30 Gawd, this sound!

[@spruland]

mate that jag sounds nice.

[@secretagentbloke]

You wouldn't want to get in his way, on track or off it !!! Great lap Tom, hope you're putting in a few more up there........ R.I.P.

[@shazmeister2005]

@fritzski22 Its not just in Aus mate, its world wide. 80s - mid 90s were the best times for motorsport

[@conseated3616]

Tom and Win Percy great duo.

[@TheJoko016]

Fantastic car control!

[@sailingkarma6772]

Australian motor racing came of age! Tom set up the first super professional team,

[@kieranh2005]

Aaaahh the Symphony of Cylinders

[@ThunderAppeal]

Every time I saw one of these Jags around my area they were always just putting around quietly. I didnt know how massively angry they could sound. I feel like I missed out on so much.

[@sparkplug1018]

Its what I think a lot of people would call a gentleman's sports car. Quiet and refined, but had the goods to do the business when desired. That being said, they can sound pretty mean when you swap the mufflers out for something a bit less refined.

[@dennisf1020]

One of the best sounding engines

[@connorlane5272]

best race of touring cars

[@shimmeister1062]

Loved Bathurst back in those days. A true 1000klm race. Great car, Tom a great driver. Best bit is that the commentators consumed a lot less sugar and energy drinks than today muppets.

[@billoddiea]

100% agree about the commentators...its become truly ludicrous.

[@ianrabbidge1321]

Except Moffitt called Walkinshaw and Englishman !

[@thomassantos8470]

titanium balls to drive something like this in that way!!

[@dujedcv1]

TOM WALKINSHAW FOREVER! Reast in Piece, Mate

[@berwhaletheavenger]

It's a pity William Lyons didn't live to see the XJS do its thing. They really were spectacular and a worthy winner.

[@adamr9313]

Sensational sounding engine... like F1 we have destroyed true racing...

[@braindrain8922]

How chassis have changed , that big ol beast is all over the road. Fair play Mr W.

[@FeiBenZhu]

Listen to that V12 going down the original conrod :D

[@bduddy55555]

Now this is a Great Race right here... I saw some modern "highlights" and didn't get what all the fuss was about, but now I know...

[@Mile-long-list]

The fact a jaguar was able to drive that far without breaking down is impressive.

[@Mind-your-own-beeswax]

Oh do shut up. 🙄🙄.

[@crazyleesonic]

I've said it before and I'll say it again. If you can't keep an old British car on the road, you're a shitty mechanic.

[@brianmorecombe2726]

Them Jags beat any coupe or saloons off the track.

[@chasermalloy7406]

LMAO... 25 idiots endorse a stupid comment. From the mid 70s to the mid 80s Jaguar V12 engines were dominating car racing and boat racing. They were then expected to leave the class after dominating dor a couple of years.

[@sirdigbyminge1639]

@Mark Qball They were impressive enough to win Le Mans seven times.

[@TrevorHeathPhotography]

Love it, what a beastly tuned V12 - I owned a 75 XJS over the ditch here in NZ around 20 years ago - midnight blue 5.3. V12 - sold it for 5k...ahh what a mistake! I currently own a 2004 XKR which is much more powerful being 400hp but that torque from the V12 was lovely. Great video this is mate! 👌

[@RolloZx]

Wow - that was stupendous! Outrageous skill and talent from TW there

[@jjharson7344]

Wow what a lap - proper old school racing lifting both wheels off the track - awesome stuff from an awesome driver!

[@Jsleazzyyyyy]

R.I.P what a great driver he was

[@Designandrew]

what a BEAST!

[@brianhoffman4861]

Pace, grace and.. Dam these things move....

[@Viking562]

Superb driving!

[@truthseeker8483]

I will never forget this Walkinshaw V12 Jag howling around an amazing car. I got the opportunity to work for HSV later hoping it would be as great as this V12 but alas it was not......

[@bjmullan]

Englishman? A great and proud Scotsman! Fantastic footage :)

[@pcmetro23ify]

Great vid…brings back memories

[@racketman2u]

Impressive engines, I always did fancy one of the XJC coupes with the same engine that were also raced by Broadspeed in the seventies.

[@MrKiwiJC]

I remember this - that's when gear changes were gear changes! what an amazing b$lls out drive!

[@murrayfurze]

John Clarkson Old track layout too! Full length Conrod straight.

[@hikertoes916]

I get goosebumps watching this. Amazing.

[@AmericasChoice]

XJS, whether in TWR or Group 44, was a great race car. Fast, stable and power steering.

[@brunocarvalho267]

very good xj 12

[@kerrykelaher2607]

" put the boss in the drivers seat and no one " fucks up " ( I'll show you boys ) lol

[@jstoli996c4s]

This is first time I’ve seen Conrod Straight before the chicane was added, man that’s fast 😳

[@Ozsmallbore]

Worst thing they ever did.

[@jstoli996c4s]

@@Ozsmallbore still very fast, so not a big deal to me.

[@sexygirlove20]

they changed it after a driver died....... i saw a charger go down conrod and had no brakes at the bottom... it went straight ahead,,, scary

[@jstoli996c4s]

@@sexygirlove20 yikes 😳

[@Jeremysf1.]

That V12 sounded stunning, Tom thrashing it round Bathurst. To think he had no aero, no ceramic brakes and the window open. Be interesting to see a modified version today and thrown round the same track, see how close it would be a modern Aussie V8.

[@niclaswelander4509]

That v12 is angry!

[@SonicBoone56]

Amazing sound

[@Jim-ok9zi]

This was at a time when the car’s and drivers were far more interesting than today’s crap.

[@MrTubbymarshall]

Absolutely.

[@spadgm]

Wow i love these old bathurst vids!

[@stevemurrell6167]

That V12 sounds awesome! What a motor.....

[@dougseag67]

That brings back some memories. I was camping at the top of mountain that year to watch the Jags win.

[@per-hakansvahn8044]

Coolest car ever on this glorious track.

[@codprawn]

What a car. What a driver and what a sound!

[@BruceLee-sw4ms]

What most people don’t realise is Tom somehow convinced FIA ( fisa at the time) to use a Formula 1 development Cosworth high lift valves which gave to Jags an extra 40-50 hp with reliability.

[@sn8277]

Must have been an evolution part in the H papers.

[@BruceLee-sw4ms]

@@sn8277 what ever it was : it was very smart and it worked .

[@jesusrocknroller6805]

YEEEAAAHHHH - what a beautiful racetrack - and very safe, just a few trees right side of the track at 1:47 :-)))

[@tonyhayes837]

Great car

[@ndh641]

Bob tullius and group 44 were the true pioneers.

[@clutchkicker392ison5]

Back when conrod straight was still conrod ! Amazing how different this track is now.

[@brianhoffman4861]

Pace grace.. And so under powered... it's unbelievable

[@2000tc88]

When Conrod straight was Straight. 👍😛

[@skippyskater]

R.I.P mate... say hello to Brock for us :)

[@fuzwa]

Brilliant.

[@chrisel2286]

This is what the kids call a "full send"

[@brunobezerra5747]

Nice drive!!!!

[@kochikoi8931]

this is the first time ive actually seen one of these moving

[@r7coo]

RIP Tom ....

[@mikknaylor1046]

Heeeeelt rått..., både bil og fører. Fantastisk

[@marcomaserati]

V12 the best!!!

[@JAB771]

Takes me back, the TWR Xjs, what a car 👍

[@Iswhatitisssss]

Kerry packer had one if these era jags with 2 big turbos bolted on to the v12. Crazy

[@mavicmaltarc]

Sensational driving! Man with his machine, and she's a Jag!

[@TheCymbalProject]

WOW.... what...a... sound....