Jaguar has revealed that it will put the Jaguar F-type Project 7 super roadster into limited production. The announcement from Jaguar comes ahead of the Goodwood Festival of Speed that will go underway in the UK over the coming weekend.
Up to 250 units of the Jaguar F-Type Project 7 will be hand built at the JLR sub-division called Special Vehicle Operations (SVO). It will get the F-Type’s contemporary styling and hardware to create a car like the Le Mans-winning D-type. Jaguar is celebrating the D-type’s 60th anniversary this year. The 7 in the project name indicates the seven times that Jaguar has won the Le Mans championship since the early 1950s. Jaguar has, however, denied any intention of a return to racing.
With an electronically governed top speed of about 300kph and a 0-100kph sprint time of just 3.8sec, the F-Type Project 7 will be one of the quickest production Jaguars ever. The latest, production ready Project 7 looks very similar to last year’s concept at Goodwood, but is different in almost every way to meet production car legislation and to maintain aerodynamic stability up for its governed top speed. The F-type roadster has essentially been relieved of its heavy hood mechanism and has been fitted with lightweight seats that take about 80kg off the kerb weight, and leaves the Project 7 at about 1585kg. The Project 7 gets a new front bumper and a splitter, a cut-down windscreen, a prominent fairing behind the driver’s head, new side skirts and diffuser and a deck-mounted wing.
The interiors adhere to the F-type, but there are all-new carbonfibre-backed quilted seats, Alcantara-covered steering wheel and colour highlights give the car a character of its own. Each unit will get a uniquely numbered plaque located between the seats, signed by Ian Callum. The engine is an improved version of Jaguar’s familiar supercharged 5.0-litre V8, that is capable of making peak power is 567bhp, available at 6500rpm, and peak torque is 69kgm from 2500-5500rpm. Power flows to the 20-inch rear wheels (and their optional fat Continental ContiForceContact tyres) first through a specially modified version of ZF’s eight-speed automatic gearbox and then to a rear-mounted electronic limited-slip differential. Project 7’s switchable exhaust (silenced or straight-through) has four matt-painted tailpipes, ceramic-coated so that they don’t set fire to the nearby diffuser.
The chassis gets special, SVO-manufactured front suspension uprights, modifications to the front top mounts and fatter anti-roll bars front and rear. The height of the entire system, back and front can be adjusted, and Project 7 now has spring and damper rates tailored to its special duties. The brakes consist of carbon-ceramic rotors – 398mm in diameter at the front and 380mm behind – with six-piston and four-piston calipers respectively. These are usually offered as an option on regular V8s, but Project 7 gets them as standard. Compared with a standard F-type V8, drivers should expect firmer damping, more steering weight, and faster gear changes, and quicker throttle response.
As a result of its extensive aero modifications, the production Project 7 develops 177 percent more downforce at top speed than a standard F-type convertible. In production, the car is now a proper two-seater (it was originally proposed as transport for one) and there is even a temporary fabric roof that clips to the convertible’s header rail and can be stowed in the car’s notably shallow luggage compartment of about 200 litres’ capacity.
The Project 7 idea was conceived about 18 months ago when Ian Callum picked up a young JLR designer’s work. Jaguar was then looking for a car to woo the crowds at Goodwood 2013. The huge response from the crowds convinced the company to put the car into production albeit in limited numbers.
Jaguar’s F-Type Project 7 will also be central to the launch of its new Special Operations division. The Special Operations division has been put into place to produce cars and services specifically designed for the Jaguar faithful. The Special Division is lead by former Land Rover brand boss John Edwards, who has been working extensively for the last few months to define the structure, staffing and activities of the division.