Paying homage to racers past with an exclusive model.
Last summer, Jaguar unveiled their F-Type Project 7 Concept for the Goodwood Festival of Speed. The concept paid homage to the seven 24 Hours of Le Mans wins for the brand, while taking its design inspiration from the Jaguar D-Type racer. The positive reception helped give the British automaker that extra nudge it needed to put the new F-Type Project 7 into a limited production through their new Jaguar Land Rover Special Operations division.
At the 2014 Goodwood Festival of Speed, the new Jaguar F-Type Project 7 will make its global debut and be the first model produced by the exclusive Jaguar Land Rover Special Operations team. The new model will be the most powerful and fastest production model ever produced by the British automaker and the pinnacle of the F-Type model range.
“Special Operations exists to develop a suite of products and services that enable our most discerning and enthusiastic customers to indulge their passion for our cars,” said John Edwards, Managing Director, Jaguar Land Rover Special Operations. “F-TYPE Project 7 is a perfect example of one such product. It’s the most powerful production Jaguar ever built, and pays homage to Jaguar’s seven outright Le Mans victories with distinctive design cues inspired by the Jaguar D-type which celebrates its 60th anniversary this year.”
The same focused and driver-oriented minimalist design of the concept car is retained in the Jaguar F-Type Project 7. The muscular stance, cut-down windscreen, and D-Type inspired design by Ian Callum has been retained with the production model and are combined with the special ‘heartlines’ on the F-Type. New aerodynamics such as a front splitter, carbon fiber side skirts, rear diffuser, and adjustable rear spoiler help the sports car generate 177-percent more downforce than the F-Type Convertible at 186 mph. The lightweight material is also used to construct the rear trunk, hood vents, side vent louvres and mirror caps.
The classic roadster look is achieved with a windscreen that has been reduced by 114 mm in length and 30.5 mm in height, paired with matching rear windows. The shape of the Jaguar F-Type Project 7 gracefully flows to the rear like the classic D-Type it was modeled after with the rear fairing section with integrated rollover hoop. A Bimini roof is used to cover the roadster and clips onto a convertible header rail and folded and stowed in the trunk when not in use.
Inside, the Jaguar F-Type Project 7 sports a pair of lightweight race-inspired seats boasting a quilted racing-style diamond stitching pattern. Passengers can be held in place by four-point harnesses as an option. The driver-focused cabin is filled with carbon fiber veneer inserts, a grippy alcantara steering wheel with machined aluminum gearshift paddles, and custom bespoke door sills with the Project 7 logo.
Just the design alone is enough to inspire enthusiasts to drive all-out, and the newly-tuned engine is just the cherry on top. The 5.0-liter supercharged V-8 engine has been retuned and boasts 25 more ponies over the F-Type R Coupe for a total of 567 horsepower and 502 lb-ft. of torque. This increase was achieved through some Special Vehicle Operations engine engineering and a switchable Active Sports Exhaust system with quad, matte black, ceramic-coated tailpipes. The system uses electronically-controlled bypass valves to open and close depending on throttle position, driving modes, and other parameters.
All 567 horsepower is sent through a new Special Vehicle Operations-calibrated eight-speed Quickshift transmission and second-generation Electronic Active Differential (EAD). The more sport-oriented setup enables the Jaguar F-Type Project 7 to accelerate to 60 mph in just 3.8 seconds and hit an electronically-limited top speed of 186 mph.
Dynamics were a major focus for the Special Vehicle Operations team. A custom front suspension with new knuckles for more negative camber are featured alongside new top mounts and anti-roll bars, and height-adjustable spring and damper units at both axles. This is paired up with Jaguar’s Active Dynamics system that constantly monitors the vehicle and adjusts damper rates up to 500 times per second. For optimum traction, the Jaguar F-Type Project 7 uses Torque Vectoring by Braking (TVbB) and the Electronic Active Differential.
Shedding weight was one of the goals in the new F-Type Project 7 and the Special Vehicle Operation team was able to cut more than a few pounds in the chassis to get the overall weight down to 3,494 lbs. New lightweight carbon fiber ceramic matrix brakes (CCM) serve up some fade-free stopping power with their 398 mm front and 380 mm rear discs with six- and four-piston monobloc calipers. The brakes also utilize a pre-fill system that applies a slight brake pressure to all four calipers whenever the throttle is released to provide consistent brake feel. Those massive brakes peek through 20-inch Storm alloy wheels wearing a glossy black finish paired up with Pirelli P Zero or optional Continental ForceContact tires.
The Jaguar F-Type Project 7 will be hand-built to customer-specification by Special Vehicle Operations and be limited to just 250 units, globally. Five metallic colors: Ultra Blue, Italian Racing Red, British Racing Green with white decals, and Ultimate Black, and Glacier White with grey decals. Pricing has not been released.
Jaguar F-Type Project 7 Specifications
Engine:
Displacement: 5.0 liters
Number of Cylinders: V-8
Aspiration: Supercharged
Maximum Horsepower: 567 / 575 PS / 423 kW at 6,500 RPM
Maximum Torque: 502 lb-ft. / 680 Nm from 2,500 to 5,500 RPM
Transmission:
Type: Eight-speed Quickshift ZF 8HP70
Drive: Rear-wheel
Differential: Second-gen Electronic Active Differential
Performance:
Acceleration 0-60 mph: 3.8 seconds
Acceleration 0-62 mph: 3.9 seconds
Top Speed: 186 mph / 300 km/h
Wheels, Tires, and Brakes:
Wheels: 20-inch Storm alloy in gloss black
Tires: Pirelli P Zero or Continental ForceContact (optional)
Front Tires: 255/30/20
Rear Tires: 295/30/20
Front Brakes: Six-piston monobloc calipers with 398 mm CCM discs
Rear Brakes: Four-piston monobloc calipers with 380 mm CCM discs
Dimensions:
Length: 178 in. / 4519 mm
Width excl.: 75.7 in. / 1923 mm
Height: 50.3 in. / 1277 mm
Wheelbase: 103.2 in. / 2622 mm
Fuel tank capacity: 15.8 gallons / 72 liters
Weight: 3,495 lbs. / 1,585 kg
Jaguar F-Type Project 7 Gallery
Source: Jaguar
Is the Jaguar F-Type Project 7 the ultimate Jaguar on the market?
