The Jaguar XE SVR project is pretty much dead in the water, after a spokesperson from the company’s Special Vehicle Operations (SVO) division told Car and Driver “the Project 8 will be the only V8-powered edition of the compact sports sedan.”
According to SVO’s senior programmes manager Duncan Smith, the division wants to differentiate itself from the likes of BMW M and Mercedes-AMG, which means that it tailors projects to fit each individual car to the customer’s request.
“The Project 8 was the extreme embodiment of what the XE could do,” he said. How extreme, you ask? Well, under the bonnet you’ll find the most powerful version of Jaguar’s 5.0 litre supercharged V8, tuned to push out a stonking 600 PS. With an eight-speed automatic transmission and an all-wheel drive system, the steroidal cat will blow past the 100 km/h mark in 3.3 seconds, and onwards to a top speed of 322 km/h.
The thing is, the Project 8 is only limited to 300 units (left-hand drive only) worldwide, and C/D reports that nearly all of it have been snapped up. The absence of the XE SVR leaves the XE S as the hottest version of the sedan – it gets a 3.0 litre twin-vortex supercharged engine making 340 PS and 450 Nm, allowing a 0-100 km/h sprint in 5.1 seconds. The engine is also featured in the mid-tier F-Type sports car.
Apparently, the publication thinks that the decision to skip the XE SVR may have something to do with the arrival of the F-Pace SVR, which it suspects received priority due to strong demand in the super-SUV market (like the Mercedes-AMG GLC63 and Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio). Smith said the Range Rover Sport SVR has been a sales success for the company, so it’s easy to assume that the F-Pace SVR, which starts at $80,985 (RM313k), will be, too.
Back home, the XE is offered in three variants, starting from the Prestige 2.0 (RM340,730), R-Sport 2.0 (RM365,730) and S 3.0 (RM582,467). For more details on each of its equipment and specifications, head over to CarBase.my. You can also read our in-depth review of the car from our drive in Spain.
GALLERY: Jaguar XE SV Project 8
I love car particularly Fast car. This Jag XE SVR will make the Jag SVO an alternative to M3/4, C63 AMG & RS4 a run in the compact sports sedan category.
With a 5.0 litre supercharged V8 engine packed with mighty 600 ps & a top speed of 322 km/h, this is going to be a Fast car alright.
Why front like a colander?