Skip to main content

Despite looming deadline, Jaguar is still tweaking XE SV Project 8 super sedan

Jaguar-XE-SV-Project 8 InterviewThe utterly bonkers Jaguar XE SV Project 8 super sedan is scheduled to enter production in June, but Jaguar engineers are still making changes. This hot-rod version of Jaguar’s XE small sedan is one of those rare cars that focuses purely on performance, and the team at Jag’s Special Vehicle Operations (SVO) skunkworks doesn’t seem to want to let it go.

In case you need a refresher, the XE SV Project 8 is powered by a 5.0-liter supercharged V8 that produces 592 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque. An eight-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive harness that power, allowing the SV Project 8 to sprint from 0 to 60 mph in 3.4 seconds, according to Jaguar. It will also do 200 mph, and lap the Nürburgring in 7:21, Jaguar says. But only 300 customers will get to experience that performance.

Recommended Videos

“The good thing about building only 300 cars, all handmade, is that you can keep developing the car right up to the start of production. And we’ve done just that,” Project 8 vehicle dynamics manager David Pook said in a statement. Over the past few months, engineers have stiffened the springs and engine mounts to improve handling, tweaked the brakes to improve pedal feel, and made changes to software, Pook said.

On a normal production model, such last-minute tweaks might focus on reducing wind noise or smoothing out a transmission’s shifts. But the Project 8 is no ordinary production model. The only body parts that carry over from the standard XE are the roof and front door skins. SVO replaced the hood and fenders with new carbon fiber components, added a big rear wing, front splitter, and flat underbody to generate downforce, and equipped the Project 8 with a racing-style adjustable suspension system.

The Project 8 will also be the first Jaguar with a driver-selectable “Track” mode, which sharpens throttle response and puts the dampers into their most aggressive setting. Outside North America, buyers will be able to order a Track Pack that deletes the rear seats, and replaces the front seats with carbon fiber racing buckets equipped with four-point harnesses. Jaguar says this saves 27 pounds and increases torsional rigidity by 27 percent, but it kind of defeats the purpose of a four-door sedan.

In the United States, the Jaguar XE SV Project 8 will sell for $188,495. It’s the second so-called “collector’s edition” Jaguar from SVO, following 2014’s F-Type Project 7. SVO also recently cooked up the Range Rover SV Coupe for Jaguar’s sibling brand, Land Rover. It also handles development of more mainstream performance models like the Jaguar F-Type SVR and Land Rover Range Rover Sport SVR.

Stephen Edelstein
Stephen is a freelance automotive journalist covering all things cars. He likes anything with four wheels, from classic cars…
I tried an e-bike for the first time and now I’m hooked
It’s not about being a 'bike person', it’s about finding small upgrades to everyday life
A woman sitting on the Aventon Pace 4

Before this year, I’d never even touched an e-bike before, and the thought of riding one was never on my radar. With life already in constant motion thanks to two toddlers, biking wasn’t something I ever considered adding to the mix.

I’d always assumed e-bikes were for hardcore commuters or serious cyclists, not someone like me. I wasn’t looking for a big lifestyle change. I just wanted a quicker way to get to the park so we’d have more time to play before dinner.

Read more
This week in EV tech: Audi exemplifies auto industry’s EV holding pattern
Close-up of 2025 Audi SQ5 grille, headlight, and badge.

The road to the future runs through the present, and it’s not a straight line. This week, we’re focusing on how Audi is negotiating the twists and turns on the way to an electrified future. EVs are here to stay at Audi, but a gasoline crossover SUV is still the automaker’s bestselling model, and it’s not ready to risk those sales just yet. That’s why the 2025 Audi Q5 received a top-to-bottom overhaul for this model year, bringing its tech features and styling up to date without altering the what has proven to be a very popular package. By maintaining parallel lineups of electric and internal-combustion cars, Audi hopes to give customers more choices. But that doesn’t completely level the playing field. The new Q5 may have yesterday’s powertrain, but Audi isn’t holding back on tech. It features the same electrical architecture, operating system, and three-screen dashboard display as the latest Audi EVs, like the Q6 e-tron. So aside from a little engine noise, there’s little difference in what you can see and interact with from the driver’s seat. It’s not just the infotainment systems. The Q5 and Q6 e-tron are close in size, with similar space for passengers across their two rows of seats. The Q6 e-tron has a bit more cargo space, but not as much as you’d think given the lack of a bulky engine, transmission, and driveshafts. The two SUVs also have similar styling but, having now driven both, we can say that the Q5 is the more pleasant of the two.

More than a difference of powertrain tech

Read more
Take a peek inside the factory making tomorrow’s ride
A Zoox robotaxi.

Amazon-owned Zoox has opened its first facility producing fully autonomous robotaxis. 

A video (above) released by the California-based company offers a peek inside the factory, which, when it reaches full capacity, could roll out as many as 10,000 autonomous vehicles per year.

Read more