The storming Jaguar SV Project 8 XE wins the showstopper award at this years Goodwood.

• New Jaguar XE SV Project 8, designed, engineered and assembled by SVO, makes its world dynamic debut at Goodwood Festival of Speed
• Supercar-performance four-door Project 8 sedan beats world-class opposition to win the second annual Michelin Supercar Paddock Showstopper Trophy
• Showstopper award is presented following a four-day online public vote, with the overall winner selected by a panel of judges live at the Festival of Speed
• 600PS 5.0-litre Supercharged V8 makes Project 8 the most powerful, agile and extreme performance Jaguar road car ever – capable of reaching 200mph and 0-60mph in 3.3sec*
• Drivers for Project 8’s dynamic debut on the Goodwood hillclimb course included Panasonic Jaguar Racing Formula E team driver Mitch Evans

Making its global dynamic debut among the most powerful and extreme performance cars in the world at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, the new Jaguar XE SV Project 8 claimed the hotly-contested Michelin Supercar Paddock Showstopper Trophy – just four days after the car was officially unveiled.

As the only four-door car in the Michelin Supercar Run, the Jaguar faced formidable competition in the 50-car paddock, but voters in an online poll hosted by Michelin UK singled-out Project 8 as one of the six most popular cars of the weekend, qualifying it for the overall Showstopper final on Sunday afternoon. 

This shortlist of six cars was judged live on stage by a panel of motoring experts, headed by Michelin Supercar Paddock presenter and former BTCC Champion, Tim Harvey. Joining him were British automotive journalist and broadcaster, Jon Quirk, American drift racer Vaughn Gittin Jr, Supercars of London channel star Paul Wallace, Seen Thru Glass channel star Sam Fane, and London-based custom car aficionado Jason Pelosi.

Chief Judge, Tim Harvey, said: “Jaguar’s Project 8 really took everyone by surprise at the Festival this weekend. Not only was it the car’s world debut – but the sheer extremes of the car, and the way it’s pushed the boundaries in every single way, made it an absolute stand out in the Michelin Supercar Paddock.

“This shone through in the online vote, and when it came to our judging panel, we were all pretty quickly won over by the Jaguar as a true star of the short-listed six. It really does it for me as a former touring car racer, and the car’s uncompromising looks and performance secured the rest. Congratulations Jaguar.”

John Edwards, Jaguar Land Rover Special Operations Managing Director, said:

“We are absolutely delighted to receive the Showstopper award for Jaguar XE SV Project 8 on its world dynamic debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, and to see the fantastic reaction it’s had from car enthusiasts.

“With spectacular looks, supercar performance, and a soundtrack to match, Project 8 was always intended to turn heads on and off track.”

The second Collector’s Edition by SVO, following the successful F-TYPE Project 7 of 2014, Project 8 is a road-legal hand-built four-door sedan with an extraordinary combination of V8 power, dynamic agility and All-Wheel Drive traction.

Project 8 exclusively features the most highly tuned version of Jaguar Land Rover’s 5.0-litre Supercharged V8 petrol powertrain. The 600PS power unit, which has a Titanium Variable Active Exhaust, is complemented by Jaguar’s All-Wheel Drive (AWD) system and motorsport-derived aerodynamics and carbon fibre panels to deliver a 200mph top speed and 0-60mph in 3.3sec*, making Project 8 the fastest accelerating Jaguar yet. 

To ensure exclusivity, no more than 300 examples of Project 8 will be hand-built at SVO’s Technical Centre in Coventry, priced from £149,995 in the UK.

Building on the award-winning lightweight aluminium Jaguar XE compact sedan, Project 8 features a number of purposeful modifications that are fundamental to the performance of the most track-focused car SVO has ever produced, including height-adjustable suspension, the first application of Jaguar’s ultimate new Carbon Ceramic Braking system, and an industry-first use of F1-style silicon nitride ceramic wheel bearings on a road car.

The high-performance theme continues inside, with subtle applications of Gloss Carbon Fibre trim as well as Alcantara, on the rim of the Project 8 Sport Steering Wheel, instrument binnacle and door cards. The eight-speed Quickshift transmission can either be operated by aluminium paddle shifters behind the steering wheel or by a central Pistolshift lever.

Project 8 is available with four seats or an optional two-seat Track Pack. It’s also the first Jaguar to feature a dedicated Track Mode, which tailors driveline and stability control systems for circuit use, and sharpens both throttle and steering responses for ultimate precision and driver feedback.

Full details of Project 8 are now online at www.jaguar.com.

*Performance figures are manufacturer’s estimates and subject to final confirmation ahead of production

The super fast Jaguar XE SV Project 8 gets its world debut this week at Goodwood.

• New Jaguar XE SV Project 8 sits at the pinnacle of the world’s performance sedans, with a thrilling mix of explosive power, dynamic agility and all-wheel drive traction
• Significant SVO enhancements made to award-winning XE include lightweight aluminium and carbon fibre exterior panels to meet extreme performance targets
• 200mph and 0-60mph in 3.3sec – supercar performance from Jaguar’s most compact four-door sedan
• Limited-run of just 300 examples worldwide – exclusively left-hand drive
• Project 8 is the most powerful Jaguar road car ever – and first road-legal Jaguar with a 600PS 5.0-litre supercharged V8
• Project 8 will be the first car completely hand-assembled by SVO’s expert craftsmen at the new £20m SVO Technical Centre in Warwickshire, UK
• Prices for Project 8 reflect the high-value engineering content and hand-built assembly process of this specialist car. Priced from £149,995 in UK
• Project 8 will make its world debut on 30 June at Goodwood Festival of Speed

Jaguar Land Rover Special Vehicle Operations (SVO) has revealed the most powerful, agile and extreme performance Jaguar road car ever – the 200mph, 600PS XE SV Project 8 sedan.

The second Collector’s Edition by SVO, following the successful F-TYPE Project 7 of 2014, Project 8 is a hand-built four-door sedan with supercar performance – designed to thrill driving enthusiasts, with an extraordinary combination of explosive power, dynamic agility and all-wheel-drive traction. To ensure exclusivity, no more than 300 examples will be created, each assembled at SVO’s Technical Centre in Coventry.

John Edwards, Jaguar Land Rover Special Operations Managing Director, said: “SVO's raison d'être is to produce halo vehicles that push the boundaries in terms of luxury, performance and all-terrain capability. Project 8 is a great example of what happens when enthusiastic designers, engineers and manufacturing specialists are given the opportunity to create an extreme performance sports car without compromise.

“Project 8 will be assembled by hand in the new SVO Technical Centre, and we're confident that our enthusiastic and demanding clients will love driving Project 8 as much we do!"

Project 8 exclusively features the most highly tuned version of Jaguar Land Rover’s 5.0-litre Supercharged V8 petrol powertrain. The 600PS power unit, which has a Titanium Variable Active Exhaust, is complemented by Jaguar’s All-Wheel Drive (AWD) system and motorsport-derived aerodynamics to deliver a 200mph top speed and 0-60mph in 3.3sec*, making Project 8 the fastest accelerating Jaguar yet.

Fundamental to the performance of the most track-focused car SVO has ever produced, Project 8 features a number of purposeful modifications to the award-winning XE’s lightweight aluminium body panels, including: Carbon Fibre Bumper with enhanced Cooling Ducts, vented Carbon Fibre Bonnet, flared bodywork covering 20-inch forged aluminium alloy wheels, adjustable Front Splitter, Flat Underbody, rear Carbon Fibre Bumper, rear Diffuser and adjustable Rear Aerodynamic Wing. Project 8 will be the lightest V8 sedan in the Jaguar range.

Mark Stanton, SVO Director, said:“We have really been able to unleash the potential of our engineering and design teams in specifying Project 8. We are at the beginning of a very challenging and exciting development programme which will see us focus on ensuring Project 8 delivers track performance on a level previously not targeted by Jaguar.

“The SVO team is full of performance car enthusiasts that are now briefed to deliver motorsport science and soul in what is effectively a four-door supercar.”

To ensure optimum performance on road or track, Project 8 endows the XE’s double-wishbone front and Integral Link rear suspension with stiffer springs and manually adjustable Continuously Variable Dampers (giving a 15mm lower ride height for track use), debuts a new Carbon Ceramic Braking system, an industry-first use of Formula 1-style silicon nitride ceramic wheel bearings on a road car, and incorporates a rear Electronic Active Differential (EAD) with oil cooler – a first for XE.

The high-performance theme continues inside, with subtle applications of Gloss Carbon Fibre trim as well as Alcantara, on the rim of the Project 8 Sport Steering Wheel, instrument binnacle and door cards. The eight-speed Quickshift transmission can either be operated by aluminium paddle shifters behind the steering wheel or by a central Pistolshift lever – another first for XE.

Project 8 is also the first Jaguar to feature a dedicated Track Mode, which tailors driveline and stability control systems for circuit use, and sharpens both throttle and steering responses for ultimate precision and driver feedback.

Project 8 will be available in two specifications at launch. The standard four-seat model features Jaguar’s latest front Performance seats with magnesium frames, plus a more heavily contoured rear squab to maximise support. The optional two-seat Track Pack includes lightweight front Carbon Fibre Racing Seats with Four-Point Harnesses fixed to a Harness Retention Hoop in place of the rear seat. All Project 8s will be built in left-hand drive configuration only.

Full details of Project 8 are now online at www.jaguar.co.uk, including eight body colour choices – three eye-catching standard colours: Fuji White, Narvik Black and Caldera Red, plus five enhanced SVO Design options incorporating colours and finishes from the SVO Premium Palette: Valencia Orange, Velocity Blue, Meribel White, Verbier Silver and Corris Grey (satin matte).

Project 8 owners will also be able to personalise their car by opting for further colours and finishes from the SVO Premium Palette range, which includes 19 colours in tri-coat, tinted clear coat, pearlescent, ChromaFlairTM and satin matte finishes. Race-inspired decal packs, accentuating Project 8’s high-performance attributes, are also available.

The Jaguar XE SV Project 8 will make its world debut at Goodwood Festival of Speed in West Sussex, UK, which runs from 29 June – 2 July. Project 8 will make its dynamic world debut on the famous Goodwood Hill on Friday 30 June.