Jaguar XE SV Project 8 at Goodwood Through the Lens of Harry’s Garage
Jaguar XE SV Project 8, everything you ever wanted to know.
Harry Metcalfe of Harry’s Garage, and formerly EVO magazine, is a fantastic petrolhead. His YouTube channel showcases things most folks would otherwise never see. Metcalfe’s insights on anything Jaguar Land Rover are particularly juicy, as he works alongside Jaguar’s Special Vehicle Operations (SVO) unit, consulting with them on future product. So, get ready for everything you ever wanted to know, or didn’t even know that you wanted to know, about the Jaguar XE SV Project 8.
The Project 8 is the most powerful production Jaguar ever. It is a true 200MPH super sedan that will obliterate anything waving a German flag. Making the XE sedan hit the 200MPH mark was no easy task, and there is much more to it than raw power. Though, that said, having 592 of them certainly helps the cause.
It is amazing how many chassis tweaks were done for the sake of speed.
The modifications made to the body work were substantial, but necessary in chasing that 200MPH figure. Custom ducted bumpers feed the revised cooling system. The vented hood relieves the low-pressure zone in the engine bay. Much of the body work is carbon fiber, or carbon composite, including the bumper assemblies, fenders and the bonnet. Naturally, handling 592 horsepower requires some help, so custom suspension components were fabricated, and paired with massive brakes and massive wheels to house them. The front end is 30mm (1.2″) wider, and the rear end is stretched out a massive 55mm (2.2″). Paired with that are the flared out side sills which attach the flat floor. Additional aerodynamic aides abound, with a splitter channeling the air past the flat through and through the rear diffuser. A large rear wing directs “clean” air over the rear, producing appreciable downforce.
Don’t think these are all bolt-on bits and bobs, either. The doors had to be custom built to meet the flared fenders. The widened front end was also stretched, pushing the headlights 15mm (0.6″) forward to make more room in the engine bay and wheel openings. Even the trunk has been redesigned to make room for the diffuser. Naturally, more cooling components, this time a cooler for the limited-slip differential, were also jammed in the diffuser area. Two-for-one effect, getting downforce and forced-cooling for the diff cooler. Talk about brilliant engineering.
Of course, the list goes on, and on, and one. The comprehensiveness of the changes made to the XE are overwhelming if taken in all at once. I’ll let Mr. Metcalfe take it from here.
