Jaguar Land Rover Special Vehicle Operations will only produce a maximum of 300 of the 591-horsepower super sedans.
The era of the F-Type SVR being the most powerful Jaguar is almost over. Jaguar Land Rover Special Vehicle Operations’ 600-horsepower XE SV Project 8 is coming.
As the name implies, the juiced-up Jag won’t be a long, sleek two-door like the XJ220 from the 1990s or a taut, erotically curvy coupe like the F-Type. Jaguar is going to stuff a super-high-output version of its familiar supercharged 5.0-liter V8 in its smallest sedan and hook it up to all-wheel drive. The extreme XE will be a hand-built follow-up to SVO’s first Collector’s Edition vehicle, the Le Mans D-Type-inspired F-Type Project 7.
Jaguar is currently testing a camouflaged prototype version of the XE SV Project 8 at the Nürburgring Nordschleife, as the above video shows. The production XE SV Project 8 should go on sale sometime next year. If you want one, get on the phone with your dealer now because SVO won’t make more than 300. As for pricing, take the following statement from John Edwards, Managing Director of Jaguar Land Rover Special Operations, as a hint:
“Our clients worldwide were thrilled by the F-TYPE Project 7. The new XE SV Project 8 takes aerodynamics and performance engineering to another level – it is conceived for enthusiasts and the most discerning collectors. The price for such an extreme performance sports car available in strictly limited numbers will reflect that.”
Watch this space for more details about the XE SV Project 8. Jaguar will release them on June 28, shortly before it reveals the ferocious four-door at the Goodwood Festival of Speed on June 30.
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
