Jaguar Land Rover through its performance division, Special Vehicle Operations (SVO), has revealed its most powerful road car ever, the XE SV Project 8 sedan. The Project 8 is a four-door sedan with supercar performance and to ensure its exclusivity, no more than 300 examples will be created, each assembled at SVO’s Technical Centre in Coventry.
Project 8 features the most highly tuned version of the company’s 5.0-litre Supercharged V8 petrol powertrain. The 600 PS power unit, which has a titanium variable active exhaust, is complemented by an All-Wheel Drive (AWD) system and motorsport-derived aerodynamics to deliver a 200 mph top speed and 0-60mph in 3.3 seconds, making Project 8 the fastest accelerating Jaguar yet.
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A number of modifications to the Project 8 over the XE’s lightweight aluminium body panels includes carbon fibre bumper with enhanced cooling ducts, vented carbon fibre bonnet, flared bodywork covering 20-inch forged aluminium alloy wheels, adjustable front splitter, flat under-body, rear carbon fibre bumper, rear diffuser and adjustable rear aerodynamic wing. The Project 8 is also the lightest V8 sedan in the Jaguar range.
To ensure the best performance on road or track, Project 8 endows the XE’s double-wishbone front and integral link rear suspension with stiffer springs and manually adjustable continuously variable dampers (giving a 15mm lower ride height for track use). The model is also equipped with a new carbon ceramic braking system, Formula 1-style silicon nitride ceramic wheel bearings, and a rear Electronic Active Differential (EAD) with oil cooler.
Inside, the Jaguar Project 8 features subtle applications of gloss carbon fibre trim as well as Alcantara, on the rim of the sport steering wheel, instrument binnacle and door cards. The eight-speed Quickshift transmission can either be operated by aluminium paddle shifters behind the steering wheel or by a central Pistol-shift lever.
Jaguar’s Project 8 is also the first model to feature a dedicated track mode which tailors driveline and stability control systems for circuit use, and sharpens both throttle and steering responses for ultimate precision and driver feedback.
The Jaguar Project 8 will be available in two specifications at launch. The standard four-seat model features Jaguar’s front performance seats with magnesium frames and a heavily contoured rear squab to maximize support. The optional two-seat track pack includes lightweight front carbon fibre racing seats with four-point harnesses fixed to a harness retention hoop in place of the rear seat. All Project 8 models will be built in left-hand drive configuration only.
