Tdudrivetime

MICHAEL GAUTHIER wrote:Following a preview last month, Jaguar has officially unveiled the XE SV Project 8.

Created by Jaguar Land Rover Special Vehicle Operations, the XE SV Project 8 is a shot across the bow of the German establishment as it packs a supercharged 5.0-liter V8 engine that produces 600 PS (441 kW). The engine is connected to an eight-speed Quickshift transmission which allows the super sedan to rocket from 0-60 mph in 3.3 seconds before hitting a top speed of 200 mph (321 km/h).

Those performance figures are supercar worthy and the baby Jag has the equipment to backup its position as the "pinnacle of the world’s performance sedans."

Starting with the exterior, the model has been equipped with a carbon fiber front bumper, a carbon fiber hood, and an adjustable splitter. The SVO team also installed a flat underbody panel and a carbon fiber rear bumper with an aggressive diffuser. Other highlights include 20-inch forged aluminum wheels and an adjustable rear wing.

To keep things under control, engineers installed a thoroughly revised suspension with stiffer springs and manually adjustable Continuously Variable Dampers which can lower the ride height by 15mm for track use. The car has also been equipped with an Electronic Active Differential with an oil cooler as well as a carbon ceramic braking system which uses the first application of Formula 1-style silicon nitride ceramic wheel bearings on a road car. Of course, the XE SV Project 8 also comes with all-wheel drive to help transfer all that power to the ground.

The interior has been given a sporty makeover as well as designers installed an Alcantara-wrapped sport steering wheel and gloss carbon fiber trim. The standard model comes with a four-seat interior but the optional two-seat Track Pack adds carbon fiber front racing seats with four-point harnesses and a rear roll cage.

According to JLR Special Vehicle Operations boss John Edwards, “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 great example of what happens when enthusiastic designers, engineers and manufacturing specialists are given the opportunity to create an extreme performance sports car without compromise."

Production will be limited to 300 units and all of them will be left-hand drive. Unfortunately, all this performance doesn't come cheap as U.K. pricing starts at £149,995.

► Show Spoiler

ADRIAN PADEANU wrote:Jaguar Land Rover’s Special Vehicle Operations is at it again. After the special F-Type Project 7 from 2014, SVO is now giving the XE compact sedan a shot of testosterone and is taking “aerodynamics and performance engineering to another level.” Those are indeed some big words used to characterize the supercar disguised as a sedan, but with 600 horsepower coming from a supercharged 5.0-liter V8 engine, the special edition should be able to live up to the promise.

To keep it exclusive, Jaguar has announced only 300 units will ever be made and all of them are going to be hand-assembled by SVO at its Technical Center located in Coventry, U.K. It’s destined to become a global model and will celebrate its premiere at the Goodwood Festival of Speed on June 30. Full technical specifications and details about performance are going to be published two days sooner.

It goes without saying it’s going to be way quicker than the current range-topping XE. With a supercharged 3.0-liter V6 engine, the 380-hp XE S needs 4.8 seconds until 60 mph (96 kph) and maxes out at 155 mph (250 kph). Taking into account Jaguar points out the new XE SV Project 8 will be the brand’s “most extreme performance” car ever, perhaps it will be both quicker and faster than the F-Type SVR. As a reminder, the hardcore coupe does the sprint in 3.5 seconds and can hit a maximum velocity of 200 mph (322 kph).

The all-wheel-drive XE SV Project 8 will prove to be a worthy adversary for the likes of the BMW M3 with the Competition Package and the Mercedes-AMG C63 S, though these two are regular production models. Chances are Jaguar will add a permanent member to the XE family later on by launching an SVR version to take on the Germans permanently, but probably it won’t be as intense as the Project 8.