Jaguar has revealed its exciting new XE SV Project 8 ahead of its debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. 

The radically altered XE comes with a 600hp, 516lb-ft supercharged V8 engine and is limited to just 300 examples worldwide. 

The SVO engineers have changed 75% of the XE donor model to create an intense track-focused car that’s capable of over 200mph and does the 0-60mph run in 3.3sec. 

Jaguar XE SV Project 8 revealed

The Project 8 car uses extensive aluminium and carbon fibre throughout construction to reduce weight and improve performance. 

The supercar-baiting XE will be hand-built at Jaguar Land Rover’s Special Vehicle Operations facility in Coventry and will cost from £149,995 in the UK. 

The XE features bespoke aerodynamics, including a rear wing that generates downforce at speed, as well as other modifications including front headlights that have been moved 14mm forward compared with the standard car in order to accommodate the Michelin Cup tyres. 

Jaguar XE SV Project 8 revealed
Jaguar XE SV Project 8 revealed

The rear track has been widened by 110mm and the front by 38mm, creating an aggressive look that features wide flared arches at the back of the car. The back sections of the wheel arches front and rear have been cut away in a bid to aid the aerodynamics.

An optional Track Pack is available on the car, which cuts 12.5kg off the Project 8’s 1,757kg weight, as well as adding race-specification seats and a roll cage in the back instead of the rear seats. 

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The 5-litre petrol engine in the new car is the most powerful motor that Jaguar has ever used in one of its road cars, and is mated up with a titanium exhaust, eight-speed automatic transmission and Jaguar’s all-wheel drive system that can make 400ms adjustments to the power being delivered to the front and rear wheels. 

The Project 8 car is the latest special edition performance vehicle to come out of the SVO workshop since the F-Type Project 7 of 2014, and Jaguar claims a number of superlatives for the car, including its fastest ever gearshift, the highest tuned engine it’s ever produced, and the fast car it’s ever had on the 0-60mph run. 

Jaguar XE SV Project 8 revealed

Indeed, the Project 8 is also the most powerful road car that Jaguar has produced – even the XJ220 supercar only managed a mere 550hp and 475lb-ft from its 3.5-litre turbocharged on its way to a 3.8-second 0-60mph time. 

The new XE SV Project 8 will make its debut at the Festival of Speed and is available to order after Goodwood for delivery in May 2018.

In the meantime, the last-minute changes to the car continue, and Jaguar is set to do a hot lap round the Nürburgring later this year to see whether the Project 8 is a genuine competition beater. We can’t wait to see what happens.

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Gallery: Jaguar XE SV Project 8 revealed

Jaguar XE

Base Price £149,995
Engine 5.0-litre supercharged V8 petrol
Weight 1,757kg
Transmission 8-speed automatic
Top Speed Over 200mph
Speed 0-60 MPH 3.3sec