Jaguar has historically been known for producing ultra-luxury vehicles that were mostly meant to be driven by chauffeurs. However, the company had previously made a transition into offering sportier vehicles that rival other offerings from German and Italian automotive manufacturers. Now, the company has unveiled their first ever track-focused monster, which will officially become the fastest road-going vehicle that Jaguar has ever made.
The fiercest Jaguar yet
The all-new 2018 Jaguar XE SV Project 8 is a product of Jaguar’s Special Vehicle Operations division, which had been tasked to build a truly formidable road carver. According to the company, its team’s hard work has apparently paid off as all of the engineering and Advanced Technology they have incorporated into the vehicle has resulted in an impressive zero to 60 mph time of just 3.3 seconds. The vehicle itself is reportedly hand assembled by specialists at the company's brand new $25 million facility, called the SVO Technical Center, located in Warwickshire, UK.
Under the hood
The car’s impressive performance numbers are all thanks to a brand new powertrain, which Jaguar says is the most powerful they have ever used on a production vehicle. The XE SV Project 8 sports a 5-liter supercharged V8 motor that produces an impressive 592 horsepower and 516 foot-pounds of torque. The numbers make the Jaguar much more powerful than its contemporaries from other manufacturers. To squeeze out some additional performance and nimbleness, the Jaguar features an ultra-light body made of carbon fiber and aluminum, ultra-light magnesium seat frames, and forged wheels.
Built for the track
In order to focus all that power into amazing lap times, the Jaguar Project 8 is equipped with advanced software and hardware that all work together to get the vehicle around corners as fast as possible.
The vehicle’s “Track Mode” for instance, fully changes the vehicle's driving dynamics by adjusting the throttle response, transmission, traction control, ride height, and it electronic rear differential. It also helps that the Jaguar had been aerodynamically sculpted with a function rear wing and front splitters, which both are adjusted during “Track Mode.”
Jaguar had announced that they will only be building 300 units of the XE SV Project 8. All units will be left-hand drive and will only be available with an eight-speed automatic transmission. Jaguar is set to fully introduce the vehicle at the upcoming Goodwood Festival of Speed happening this weekend in the grounds of Goodwood House, West Sussex, England.