Jaguar XE SV Project 8 Takes a 1,000-mile Trip Across Europe
Can the most track-focused Jaguar ever built also serve as a credible grand tourer?
Under the hood, the XE SV Project 8 gets a 5.0-liter supercharged V8 engine that makes 592 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque. The 0-60 miles per hour sprint takes 3.3 seconds and the top-speed is 200 mph. Additionally, the XE SV Project 8 is also the fastest four-door sedan around the Nurburgring race-track in Germany, and the Laguna Seca race-track in the United States.
Moving on, YouTuber, Harry Metcalfe, bought a Project 8 last year and he recently embarked on a 1,000-mile road-trip across Europe to explore the vehicle’s performance dynamics. Surprisingly enough, apart from exhibiting ferocious levels of acceleration and speed on the Germany’s Autobahn, the Project 8 also showcased admirable GT capabilities. “You always learn new things [about a car] when you do a trip like this … and one thing I have learned [about the Project 8] is that it is very good at munching miles,” says Metcalfe. “You’re not [sitting very] low-slung … there is just no wind noise whatsoever … [and you can do] 300 miles on a tank.”
He also praises some of Project 8’s comfort features. “Sounds ridiculous but I really like the sat-nav … [and] you’ve got an enormous boot so you’re never gonna run out of space,” he said.
However, the low ride-height can be an issue, especially in the absence of front parking sensors (Metcalfe himself scrapped the carbon-fiber front-splitter during the trip). Additionally, some drivers may not like the overtly sharp steering response and the stiff suspension characteristic during long journeys.
All said and done, we definitely watching Metcalfe’s video: it’s more of a lifestyle video log rather than an outright automotive review, but still an interesting clip nonetheless.