Jaguar XE SV Project 8 First Test: Exclusive and Extreme
The Jaguar XE SV Project 8 has an insatiable appetite for breaking records. First, it shattered the four-door production sedan lap time at the Nurburgring with a time of 7:21.23. That’s 11 seconds quicker than the Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio, the former record-holder and our 2018 Car of the Year. Then, just last year, MotorTrend pro racer Randy Pobst set a production sedan lap record of 1:37.54 at WeatherTech Laguna Seca, eclipsing the 1:38.52 set previously by a 2016 Cadillac CTS-V.
What else would you expect from a Jaguar XE that looks like it’s been injected with massive amounts of steroids and carbon fiber? With a supercharged 5.0-liter V-8 cranking out 592 horsepower, the Project 8 is also Jaguar’s most powerful roadgoing car to date.
But in light of these accomplishments, Jaguar insists that it’s a worthy roadgoing car as well. That’s right—despite the bespoke bodywork, the pavement-sniffing splitter, and the massive wing out back, “compromise was not in the nature of this product,” according to one of the Project 8’s lead engineers. And you know what? They’re right. Out on the road, the Project 8 is comfortable—even practical. Although EPA estimates fuel economy to be 16/22 city/highway, we observed an indicated 25 mpg during extended stints on the freeway. This fearsome cat is also a cuddly kitty.
Then again, it had better be. The base price of the Project 8 is a blood-chilling $188,495. That’s far more than such four-door performance heavyweights as the BMW M5 ($104,595), the Mercedes-AMG E 63 S ($105,395), or the Porsche Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid. It’s more than twice the price of the aforementioned Alfa, which starts at a comparatively thrifty $75,590. None of these models, however, can boast a claimed 200-mph top speed. So there’s that.
Our Velocity Blue tester featured a slew of options that were thoughtfully included at no cost. Some were appreciated, such as the 825-watt Meridian sound system and the trick 20-inch wheels, whose design resembles reverse five-spokes. We could have done without the giant cat vinyl decal gracing the flanks of the sheetmetal, however. And for a record-breaking sports car, the front seats are a letdown. While the upper portion cradles the torso nicely, the bottom offers no lateral support to speak of. Outside of North America, buyers can choose a two-seat Track Pack option that offers carbon-fiber shells with four-point harnesses. Lucky.
