Jaguar Unveils Its Most Powerful Production Car Ever: Project 8

[Tornado]

With how heavy these cars tend to be and how much power they push out to make them go so fast, it's really long been that the weight increase over the already hefty tonnage is worth the traction benefits.

 

[Clark]

I just think a RWD V6 with around 400-450bhp and then try to make it at least sub 1500kg would've been good.

 

[lancia delta hf]

https://www.gtplanet.net/jaguar-unveils-powerful-production-car-ever-project-8/

I was aware, but it has 2 seats with the roll cage. Even with 4 seats it looks silly with that wing. Imo.

 

[SlipZtrEm]

I just think a RWD V6 with around 400-450bhp and then try to make it at least sub 1500kg would've been good.

I wonder if that's part of the plan after this? It does seem strange that the XE has no M3/RS4/C63 fighter.

 

[Dsavage27]

Maybe the Aston Martin gt12 and bentley continental gt3.R is a rival for it?

 

[Eunos_Cosmo]

Jaguar is so boring right now. Even the F type is a little meh apart from the exterior design.

 

[Famine]

I wonder if that's part of the plan after this? It does seem strange that the XE has no M3/RS4/C63 fighter.

The problem is (as I mentioned when the XE launched and everyone was talking up an XE-R or XE-RS with the supercharged V8), the V8 doesn't fit in the XE.

That might seem like something really bizarre to say given that Project 8 literally is a V8 in an XE, but it's the old engineer's caveat that anything will fit into anything else with enough work - and it's exactly what SVO has done. Part of the reason this costs £150k, is limited to 300 cars and is LHD only is because so much work has had to be done, including moving the front bulkhead, to get the V8 into an engine bay it just does not fit in.

If Jaguar is going to make a D-segment super saloon, it'll need to do it with a blown V6 turned up to eleventy, because if it uses a V8 the car will instantly be far too expensive and a left-hitter which will severely damage domestic sales.

 

[Disco_Volante]

If Jaguar is going to make a D-segment super saloon, it'll need to do it with a blown V6 turned up to eleventy, because if it uses a V8 the car will instantly be far too expensive and a left-hitter which will severely damage domestic sales.

I don't think using a V6 would be a problem; the Alfa Giulia uses one and has a good enough power output to rival BMW, Mercedes and Audi.

And, since the hard part of fitting the V8 is already done, developing an 'standard' S or RS model with it might not necessarily make the car that expensive. I'd say they'd be fine even if it ends up a bit more expensive than its rivals.

 

[Famine]

I don't think using a V6 would be a problem; the Alfa Giulia uses one and has a good enough power output to rival BMW, Mercedes and Audi.

The Giulia QV has 503hp. Jaguar's most powerful V6 has 394hp, and that's in a special edition that's already 20hp more than the high-output version of that engine. Only Jaguar's V8s are powerful enough to match the Germans.

And, since the hard part of fitting the V8 is already done, developing an 'standard' S or RS model with it might not necessarily make the car that expensive.

Ah, no. This isn't a modification which can be fed back into a computer to build V8 chassis to order. These are cars taken from the production line as a chassis and then significantly reworked by hand to get the engine in. To get the V8 into an XE Jaguar would either need a new production line making a V8 chassis (which will cost tens of millions to set up) alongside the regular car, or they hand them over to SVO to rework by hand (which will cost tens of thousands per unit), just as with the Project 8. Or they could entirely replace the XE with SVO's design, but then the car would have to be rehomologated (which would cost tens of millions again). And then they'd all be LHD.

In essence, to get a V8 XE, the 'hard part' would have to be done every time.

There are more than a few other reasons why the Project 8 costs £150,000, but a hand-made XE-R or XE-RS with a V8 would be no less than £80,000, if not £100,000 - and you'd need your head felt at either price. And even if you've got enough people in the UK wanting to spend £80k on a car that only just matches the £60k German trio for pace, they will take one look at it being left-hand drive and go get a Porsche instead. It's okay for a limited run car like Project 8 - curiousity value - but living with LHD day-to-day in a RHD country is too much for most.

 

[Disco_Volante]

The Giulia QV has 503hp. Jaguar's most powerful V6 has 394hp, and that's in a special edition that's already 20hp more than the high-output version of that engine. Only Jaguar's V8s are powerful enough to match the Germans.

In essence, to get a V8 XE, the 'hard part' would have to be done every time.

Oh, ok. Thanks for clearing that up. I didn't think every Project 8 had to be hand-built. It certainly makes sense why it's just a limited edition.

 

[Dsavage27]

Why is everybody leaving out the Cadillac ats-v...its part of the comparisons too and it's right behind the Alfa in terms of overall performance.

 

[GT Kelv]

This is a cry for attention of a Model thats a Flop....

I agree with that statement as well.

 

[LMSCorvetteGT2]

Why is everybody leaving out the Cadillac ats-v...its part of the comparisons too and it's right behind the Alfa in terms of overall performance.

This isn't Alfa territory either so I'm not sure why that is the target if the M4 GTS is comparable

 

[mustafur]

Why is everybody leaving out the Cadillac ats-v...its part of the comparisons too and it's right behind the Alfa in terms of overall performance.

Because GM doesn't really sell Cadillac properly outside North America, apart from a few countries.

 

[VXR]

I wasn't aware it had flopped, as Britain is fairly well covered in modern Jaguars, but the XE is one boring attempt at a small saloon. Adding wings and scoops does it no favours, either.

 

[psntomaz]

Jaguar should have sold more than 4528 units thus far for a Vehicle that have been available since May 2016.

 

[VXR]

Oh wow, that's abysmal.

 

[Disco_Volante]

Yeah, I'm surprised that they've sold so few. And I've actually seen two in a town of around 5000 people.

PS: The Project 8 will consist of aproximately 6% of the XE's sales. Kinda ridiculous given it's a limited edition.

PSS: Here's a tip on how to be rich in a few decades: buy several XEs, and wait until they're as rare as a Carrera GT!

 

[Famine]

Jaguar should have sold more than 4528 units thus far for a Vehicle that have been available since May 2016.

Oh wow, that's abysmal.

Yeah, I'm surprised that they've sold so few.

Yeah, no.

The XE sold 3,359 vehicles in March 2017 just in the UK, from a total of 9,484 UK Jaguar registrations. I haven't got worldwide model figures to hand, but Jaguar sold 27,820 cars in total in March 2017, so you're looking at nearly 10k XEs just in March.

Annual figures are nearly an order of magnitude more than that (Jaguar sells 170k cars a year worldwide). And it came out in May 2015, not 2016.

I can phone them to check (if the press office isn't at GWFOS right now), but I reckon it's the best-selling car they make - the F-PACE is probably selling faster, but it's considerably newer - and there are probably around 40,000 XEs on the road worldwide, not 4,000.

 

[Disco_Volante]

Yeah, no.

The XE sold 3,359 vehicles in March 2017 just in the UK, from a total of 9,484 UK Jaguar registrations. I haven't got worldwide model figures to hand, but Jaguar sold 27,820 cars in total in March 2017, so you're looking at nearly 10k XEs just in March.

Annual figures are nearly an order of magnitude more than that (Jaguar sells 170k cars a year worldwide). And it came out in May 2015, not 2016.

I can phone them to check (if the press office isn't at GWFOS right now), but I reckon it's the best-selling car they make - the F-PACE is probably selling faster, but it's considerably newer - and there are probably around 40,000 XEs on the road worldwide, not 4,000.

Oh for God's sake! Well, at least this time I'm not the only one wrong

 

[Michelin Man]

I was going to say, as the one Jag I've seen the most is the XE, followed by the F-Pace near me, certainly not lacking in numbers, out of all the current Jaguars on sale.

 

[RocZX]

https://www.motor1.com/news/149908/jaguar-xe-project-8-goodwood/

 

[Vegard]

XE Project 8

That looks more like an Evo X than a Jaguar. What an abomination.

 

[Tornado]

Jaguar should have sold more than 4528 units thus far for a Vehicle that have been available since May 2016.

Worldwide, first quarter 2016:
http://europe.autonews.com/article/...osts-record-march-sales-on-jaguar-xe-and-suvs

Jaguar Land Rover reported a 29 percent rise in global sales to a record 75,303 cars last month, buoyed by strong demand for its Jaguar XE and Land Rover Discovery Sport models.

Jaguar recorded its best-ever March with 15,175 deliveries, a rise of 62 percent. The best-selling models were the XE, with a volume of 6,521, followed by the 5,331 sales of the all-new XF.

United States, full year 2016:
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-rele...th-24-percent-increase-in-2016-300385612.html

- For 2016, the Jaguar brand outpaces industry with 116 percent increase, driven by breakout performance of three new models: F-PACE, XE & XF

Full year sales were led by the brand's new volume leader F-PACE with 10,016 sales. The XE hit 6,656 units sold.

"cry for attention of a Model thats a Flop"

 

[Eunos_Cosmo]

I don't think I've even seen an XE in San Francisco in the 2 years I've been here.

 

[Rossell2]

My commute in the UK cuts across some well used corridors and the Jaguar XE is just as regular if not more then a BMW 3 or Audi A4.

 

[SlipZtrEm]

I think I see them regularly, but since they're practically impossible to tell apart from the new XF at a distance, who knows.

The problem is (as I mentioned when the XE launched and everyone was talking up an XE-R or XE-RS with the supercharged V8), the V8 doesn't fit in the XE.

That might seem like something really bizarre to say given that Project 8 literally is a V8 in an XE, but it's the old engineer's caveat that anything will fit into anything else with enough work - and it's exactly what SVO has done. Part of the reason this costs £150k, is limited to 300 cars and is LHD only is because so much work has had to be done, including moving the front bulkhead, to get the V8 into an engine bay it just does not fit in.

If Jaguar is going to make a D-segment super saloon, it'll need to do it with a blown V6 turned up to eleventy, because if it uses a V8 the car will instantly be far too expensive and a left-hitter which will severely damage domestic sales.

Yeah, I probably should've specified that I think an XE-R would run a six cylinder. Not the V6 though, but the new Ingenium straight-six. IIRC, that new engine is set to run right up to 500 hp...

I do wonder how that would be an easier fit than the V8, though.

 

[grandtourismo]

can't they put a properly integrated looking spoiler on it instead of something from halfords?

 

[FT-1]

Jaguar XE SVR Spotted

I ran the number plate through MyCarCheck and "VN17OHK" shows up as a Jag with a 5000cc engine - Points towards the XE SVR using a supercharged V8.