Jaguar Project 8
On the road in Jaguar’s wild new Project 8 supersaloon
Thrilling passenger ride in 592bhp, 4WD ultimate XE
THERE is nothing remotely subtle about Jaguar’s 592bhp, £149,995, 200mph XE SV Project 8. It looks cartoonlike in its muscularity from every angle, with swollen rear wheelarches that only just manage to contain a pair of enormous 20-inch alloys shod with Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres.
And when you climb inside it, as we did for a passenger ride at Goodwood last week, the Project 8 has the look – and feel – of a very serious piece of machinery. Albeit one that is designed for use on the road as well as the track.
“Don’t worry,” says the car’s chief development engineer, Dave Spook, as we clamber in beside him. “I’m not here to scare you. And the car isn’t like that. It’s quick, but we’ve set it up not to bite you. We want it to be enjoyed by people who don’t have the skills of an F1 driver.”
So we sit back and (try to) relax. We tear down the pitlane accompanied by an almighty roar from the V8 plus a loud whine from the supercharger, and the level of thrust is palpable.
Over the next five laps Spook pedals the four-wheel-drive Project 8 quite beautifully, and on a wet track, first in Normal mode then in Dynamic mode. The ride becomes much stiffer in the latter setting and the whole car more precise in its demeanour. It feels seriously quick and fundamentally very stiff and sorted from the passenger seat. Not just down the straights, but through corners and under braking as well.
No wonder almost half of the 300 cars Jaguar will build over the next year have already been bought by Porsche 911 GT3 and BMW M4 GTS owners.
We can’t wait to try it from the correct seat next month to confirm how good it feels from the wrong one.
“We tear down the pitlane accompanied by an almighty roar from the V8”