TWR Has Returned From The Dead To Make ‘Bespoke High-Performance Automobiles’

TWR is back. And to explain why that’s exciting, we should take you on a quick history lesson.

Tom Walkinshaw Racing’s back catalogue is quite something. For a long time, the British motorsports outfit was extremely chummy with Jaguar, with the two companies coming together to create the legendary, Silk Cut-sponsored series of XJR sports cars, which chalked up numerous World Sportscar Championship titles and a couple of 24 Hours of Le Mans victories.

Away from the track, it also played a key role in making the XJ220 and XJR-15 supercars a reality, and it was involved in plenty of high-profile non-Jaguar projects including the improbable running of Volvo 850 estate cars in the British Touring Car Championship, and the purchase of the Arrows F1 team. 

It’s the latter endeavour which would eventually spell the end for TWR, which shut its doors in 2002. Its founder Tom Walkinshaw died in 2010, but his and his company’s legacy will live on through a newly established company simply called ‘TWR’.

Well, we say ‘newly’ - TWR was actually set up quite discreetly in 2020. It’s only now that the firm - founded by Tom’s son Fergus Walkinshaw and business partner John Kane - is making a bit of noise.

We don’t have a lot of concrete information to go on just yet, although the new TWR has said it “will begin a new life as a bespoke constructor of automobiles”. The press release adds: “The new company is set to channel the same spirit, drive and ethos that helped make the original Tom Walkinshaw Racing an icon.”

Giving further clues, we’re told: “In a rapidly evolving landscape where so many modern performance cars are governed by their electronic systems, TWR seeks to preserve and perfect the analogue driving experience”. It’ll do this “By blending the best of modern materials and innovative design concepts with traditional engineering”.

Consider our interest piqued.