Jaguar’s SVO could make a stand-alone performance car, says division chief

By Alexander Kalogianni March 11, 2015

2016 Jaguar F-TYPE AWD S Coupe — Image used with permission by copyright holder

As much as we get excited about all cars big and small, we’re particularly giddy when an automaker rolls out a vehicle from its performance division. That car will be the one built to its fullest performance potential, straight from the source. The only thing more thrilling, though, is when they’re allowed to cut loose and build their own stand-alone vehicle from the ground up, and it’s something Jaguar is considering for its Special Vehicle Operations unit.

In a conversation with Bloomberg, John Edwards, head of the performance unit that they’re “certainly looking in to that.”

It would be a step in line with Mercedes-Benz’s production of cars like the AMG GT and the SLS before it.

“We’ve got the capability to do that,” He continues. “Is there an opportunity for us to do a completely stand-alone car? Maybe.”

The Jaguar C-X75 — The Jaguar C-X75 Image used with permission by copyright holder

It’s a coy answer to something that could have a lot of potential. While it wouldn’t be a huge boost in sales, it would be an opportunity to “stretch the Jaguar Land Rover brand” with a halo car not derived from an existing vehicle.

A vision of this would be the cancelled C-X75 concept vehicle, a high powered hybrid that would’ve rivaled the likes of the Porsche 918. There’s been a recent resurgence of the car’s profile as it is a featured vehicle in the upcoming new installment of the James Bond film series, SPECTRE.

Perhaps this is what spurred Jaguar to consider its own standalone car. Maybe seeing its former owner Ford unify all its performance cars under one brand and produce the new GT played a part in the decision. There’s no way to know for sure, but we’d love to see what a bad kitty Jaguar’s SVO could put together if given the chance.

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Alexander Kalogianni

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Alex K is an automotive writer based in New York. When not at his keyboard or behind the wheel of a car, Alex spends a lot of…

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