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Jaguar XE SV Project 8 full details revealed

322km/h Jag sedan gets to debut on Lord March’s front lawn at Goodwood

Jaguar XE SV Project 8 revealed
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With the engine from Jag’s tyre-munching F-Type, the XE SV Project 8 is a 322km/h track-killing four-door.

But, in an effort to “ensure exclusivity”, a maximum 300 units of the high-powered sedan will be produced from SVO’s Coventry Technical Centre.

Jaguar XE SV Project 8 side profileThe car is the second limited edition ‘Project’ to come from Jag’s performance division, the first being the F-Type Project 7.

The 5.0-litre supercharged V8 produces a bit more power than it does in the F-Type SVR Coupe, with 441kW at the driver’s disposal allowing a run to 60mph (97km/h) in a claimed 3.3 seconds.

It’s also an all-paw setup, meaning more traction via its Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2s, which are wrapped around 20-inch forged aluminium alloy wheels.

Jaguar XE SV Project 8 rearThe front bumper of the 8 is a design that might divide opinion, but Jag calls them “enhanced cooling ducts”, which feature over an adjustable front splitter.

Through extensive use of carbon fibre, Jaguar says the Project 8 will be the “lightest V8 sedan” in its range, not that there are many in the first place.

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Underneath, the XE’s front double wishbones and integral link rear suspension get stiffer springs and manually adjustable continuously variable dampers, with new carbon ceramic brakes and “an industry-first use of Formula 1-style silicon nitride ceramic wheel bearings” nearby.

Jaguar XE SV Project 8 interiorThere’s also a two-seater option, which includes “lightweight front carbon fibre racing seats with four-point harnesses fixed to a harness retention hoop in place of the rear seat” saving 12.2kg.

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The Project 8 isn’t electronically limited to 300km/h like the Project 7, making it the fastest production Jag so far (according to Jaguar, though we recall the XJ220 being a tad quicker), but that won’t matter to Aussie hopefuls, as the XE Project 8 won’t be sold here)

Jaguar XE SV Project 8 mirrorsAccording to Jaguar, the super sedan will be available in the following countries:

Austria, Bahrain, Belgium, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Cyprus, Denmark, Egypt, Finland, France, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Hungary, Israel, Italy, Ireland, Japan, Jordan, Kuwait, Malta, Mauritius, Netherlands, Norway, Oman, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, UK, UAE and USA.

If you want a Project 8, you’d have a better chance getting one if you lived off the coast of Madagascar than you do in Australia.

Chris Thompson
Contributor

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