Jaguar Land Rover’s Special Vehicle Operations (SVO) has unleashed its most potent and agile road-legal creation to date: the Jaguar Xe Sv Project 8. This limited-edition sedan redefines the boundaries of performance, injecting supercar DNA into the award-winning Jaguar XE. Following in the footsteps of the acclaimed F-TYPE Project 7, the XE SV Project 8 is SVO’s second Collector’s Edition, a hand-built marvel designed to ignite the passions of driving purists. With a production run capped at a mere 300 units worldwide, this four-door sedan delivers an intoxicating blend of explosive power, razor-sharp dynamics, and tenacious all-wheel-drive grip. Each Project 8 will be meticulously assembled at the SVO Technical Center in Coventry, England, ensuring exclusivity and unparalleled craftsmanship.
John Edwards, Jaguar Land Rover Special Operations Managing Director, encapsulates the essence of Project 8: “SVO’s raison d’être is to produce halo vehicles that push the boundaries in terms of luxury, performance, and all-terrain capability. Project 8 is a perfect illustration of what transpires when passionate designers, engineers, and manufacturing specialists are empowered to create an uncompromising extreme performance sports car. Hand-assembled at the new SVO Technical Center, we are confident that our discerning clientele will derive as much exhilaration from driving Project 8 as we have in creating it!”
Supercar Performance Unleashed
At the heart of the Jaguar XE SV Project 8 roars the most formidable iteration of Jaguar Land Rover’s celebrated 5.0-liter Supercharged V8 gasoline engine. This powerhouse churns out a staggering 592HP, channeled through a Titanium Variable Active Exhaust system, ensuring a visceral soundtrack to match its breathtaking performance. Complementing this potent engine is a standard All Wheel Drive (AWD) system and motorsport-derived aerodynamics, enabling the Project 8 to achieve a blistering 200mph top speed and catapult from 0-60mph in a mere 3.3 seconds. This makes the Project 8 the fastest-accelerating Jaguar ever conceived, a true testament to its unbridled performance capabilities.
Engineering and Design: A Symphony of Performance
The Project 8 stands as the most track-focused vehicle ever to emerge from SVO’s skunkworks. To achieve this pinnacle of performance, the engineering team implemented a series of significant modifications to the lightweight aluminum architecture of the Jaguar XE. These enhancements include:
- Carbon Fiber Bumper with enhanced Cooling Ducts: Optimizing airflow and cooling for sustained high-performance driving.
- Vented Carbon Fiber hood: Reducing weight and extracting hot air from the engine bay, improving both aerodynamics and thermal management.
- Flared bodywork: Accommodating wider wheels and tires, enhancing grip and stability.
- 20-inch forged aluminum alloy wheels: Reducing unsprung mass for improved handling and responsiveness.
- Adjustable Front Splitter: Fine-tuning downforce and aerodynamic balance.
- Flat Underbody: Minimizing drag and maximizing aerodynamic efficiency.
- Rear Carbon Fiber Bumper: Further reducing weight and enhancing aesthetics.
- Rear diffuser: Managing airflow at the rear of the car, increasing downforce and stability at high speeds.
- Adjustable Rear Aerodynamic Wing: Providing significant downforce, crucial for track performance and high-speed stability.
Mark Stanton, SVO Director, emphasizes the engineering team’s dedication: “We have truly been able to unleash the potential of our engineering and design teams in specifying Project 8. We are at the beginning of a very challenging and exciting development program which will see us focus on ensuring Project 8 delivers track performance on a level previously not targeted by Jaguar. The SVO team is comprised of performance car enthusiasts who are now tasked with imbuing motorsport science and soul into what is essentially a four-door supercar.”
Track-Honed Dynamics and Technology
To ensure exceptional performance both on public roads and demanding race circuits, the Project 8 builds upon the already impressive double-wishbone front and Integral Link rear suspension of the standard XE. Stiffer springs and manually adjustable Continuously Variable Shock Absorbers are incorporated, allowing for a 0.6-inch/15mm reduction in ride height for optimized track use. The Project 8 also pioneers a new Carbon Ceramic Braking system, featuring Formula 1-style silicon nitride ceramic wheel bearings. A rear Electronic Active Differential (EAD) with an oil cooler further enhances traction and handling prowess.
The high-performance theme extends to the interior, with subtle Gloss Carbon Fiber trim accents and Alcantara adorning the Project 8 Sport Steering Wheel, instrument panel, and door panels. The eight-speed Quickshift® transmission can be controlled via aluminum paddle shifters or the central Pistolshift lever – a first for the XE model line. Furthermore, the Project 8 debuts a dedicated Track Mode, which meticulously calibrates driveline and stability control systems for circuit driving, sharpening throttle and steering responses for ultimate driver engagement and feedback.
Bespoke and Exclusive
Globally, the Project 8 is offered in both two-seat and four-seat configurations. In North America, the model is exclusively available as a four-seater, equipped with Jaguar’s latest front Performance seats featuring magnesium frames and enhanced rear seat cushioning for superior support. For select global markets, an optional two-seat Track Pack is available, replacing the rear seats with lightweight front Carbon Fiber Racing Seats and Four-Point Harnesses anchored to a Harness Retention Hoop. All Project 8 examples are produced in left-hand drive configuration.
Project 8 owners can further personalize their vehicles through the Bespoke by SVO team, with options including a palette of 10,000 exterior paint hues, custom accent colors for brake calipers and aerodynamic components, unique racing-inspired decal packs, anodized paddle shifters, personalized tread plates, and special commissioning plaques. The standard color palette comprises Fuji White, Narvik Black, and Caldera Red, with five enhanced SVO Design options from the SVO Premium Palette: Valencia Orange, Velocity Blue, Meribel White, Verbier Silver, and Corris Grey (satin matte). The extended SVO Premium Palette offers an additional 19 colors in tri-coat, tinted clear coat, pearlescent, ChromaFlair™, and satin matte finishes.
World Debut at Goodwood Festival of Speed
The Jaguar XE SV Project 8 made its global debut at the prestigious Goodwood Festival of Speed in West Sussex, UK, from June 29 – July 2. The dynamic world premiere took place on the renowned Goodwood Hill on Friday, June 30, showcasing the car’s breathtaking performance capabilities to a global audience.
The Jaguar XE SV Project 8 is more than just a high-performance sedan; it’s a statement of intent from Jaguar SVO, a testament to engineering passion and design excellence. It represents the pinnacle of Jaguar performance, delivering an unparalleled driving experience for the fortunate few who will own this exclusive and extraordinary machine.
