Turns out putting a 592 horsepower V8 in a Jaguar XE makes it mightily fast.
Jaguar Land Rover’s Special Vehicle Operations cooked up the XE SV Project 8 with one goal in mind: create one of the fastest, most extreme production sedans out there. Earlier this year, the car seized the production sedan record at the Nurburgring. In Germany, the SV Project 8 set a lap time of 7 minutes, 21.23 seconds. Now, the car has a new record under its belt at Laguna Seca: 1 minute, 37.54 seconds.
To build the Project 8, Jaguar took to work modifying the already crazy XJR575’s 5.0-liter supercharged V8. Here, it fires 592 horsepower and 516 lb-ft of torque through an eight-speed ZF transmission to the rear wheels. Jaguar also uses a bespoke rear differential, F1-style ceramic wheel bearings, adjustable ride height and adjustable camber. Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires translate all that power to the ground. The upshot? Jaguar’s XE SV Project 8 can hit 60 mph in 3.3 seconds on its way to its 200 mph top speed.
Those looking to buy the nearly $200,000 Project 8 can get it in two different flavors. There’s the most practical four-seater model with performance seats, for a start. However, buyers can also opt for the two-seat Track Pack with carbon fiber front racing seats.
Production is limited, as you’d expect, to just 300 units worldwide. Jaguar will build all of those by hand at their Special Operations plant in Coventry, UK.
