Jaguar has been a part of the luxury carmaker scene for a while now. But, more often than not, conversations that involve Jaguar almost always end up having the E-Type getting a quick mention. Being badged as Britain’s affordable muscle car, Jaguar oozed a level of class that could only be rivaled by another Brit, Aston Martin. While it’s resident competitor was fairly expensive, Jaguar was relatively affordable and more useable.
As a successor to the E-Type, Jaguar launched the F-Type as a livable sports car that was more accessible than an Aston Martin Vantage. Although the F-Type saw a warm reception, much of its glory was taken away with the likes of the Porsche 911 and Mercedes AMG GT taking the center stage.
However, folks at Jaguar decided to give them a proper run for their money. Jaguar set up a “Special Vehicle Operations” division that was similar to how AMG was to Mercedes. The first car to come off the SVO’s production line was the Project 7.
Introduced in 2015, Project 7 was based on the F-Type but was a collector’s car with a limited production run. Up to that point, the Project 7 was the fastest car ever made by Jaguar and came with a $175,000 price tag.
Jaguar Project 7:A Bespoke Commission
When the F-Type was introduced in 2013, the automotive community was a bit skeptical about Jaguar’s move. Previous cars like the XK never really sparked the finesse of what the old XK-E did in the ‘60s. However, the F-Type turned out to be a stunner and had every right to be called the E-Type’s successor. It had the right proportions, had a fantastic engine inside, and in general, was a cocktail of everything that Jaguar stood for.
The Project 7 concept saw its first public appearance in the 2013 Goodwood festival of speed. Back then the British marque had no plans to make one but upon building an SVO division, they went on with the idea thanks to the overwhelming response it garnered. The Project 7 was a homage to the history of Jaguar and its glory days in racing. The name “Project 7” is meant to commemorate Jaguar’s total of seven wins at the prestigious 24 hours of Le Mans.
The Project 7 has unique design touches like the distinctive hump behind the driver seat that harks back to the D-Type. Other cues include extensive use of carbon-fiber along with revised exterior design and aerodynamics.
Monstrously Powerful V8 Inside
The highlight of the Project 7 was its 5.0-liter Supercharged V8 engine. Unlike the F-Type R that also came with a V8, the Project 7 made 575 horsepower instead of 550. Torque produced was 502 lb-ft and was mated to an 8-speed ZF automatic. Unlike, the regular all-wheel-drive F-Type R, the Project 7 was a rear-wheel-drive platform.
Other structural changes include a revised suspension geometry, standard carbon-ceramic brakes, more negative camber, and positive caster angles. Also, the Project 7 came with a specially developed set of Continental Force Contact rubber and was 80 kilos lighter than the standard convertible. Another important distinction between the F-Type and the Project 7 was the cut-down windshield that’s now 1.2 inches lower. Unfortunately citing legislative concerns, the setup wasn’t available for US-spec Project 7s.
A Practical Sports Car
One of the important positives of the Jaguar F-Type was its ability to provide the best of both worlds. Though the Project 7 was indeed a track-ready car, it was equally capable of long-distance cross-country drives. The interior was a civilized affair with not many squeaks or rattles spoiling the drive. With the open-top experience paired with the intoxicating exhaust note, the Project 7 is a feast for your senses. We’d go out on a limb and say that the Jaguar Project 7 is the best sounding V8 sports car in existence. Helping out with its mile-munching capabilities was a fairly compliant suspension which was heavily revised and now came with helper-springs for a cozier ride.
Jaguar Project 7: Limited To Just 250 Units
Jaguar pitched the Project 7 as a collector’s car, limited to just 250 units worldwide. Out of its extremely low production number, 50 of them found their way to US shores. With a significantly raised MSRP of nearly $100,000 more than a standard F-Type, the Project 7 wasn’t a cheap proposition. Though the Project 7 convertible wasn’t as covetable as the E-Type of D-Type, it’s still a limited-run Jag, and spotting a Project 7 itself is a big deal let alone owning one. Most of the classic Jaguar fetch well over a million dollars and while the Project is not up to that level, it sure will at some point. There are not many examples up for sale, however, a listing in 2018 shows a Project 7 up for sale for an asking price of $250,000. A premium of $80,000 over its original MSRP back when it was new.
Sources: Evo, YouTube