Fresh from its world debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in June, Jaguar Land Rover Special Vehicle Operations (SVO) will introduce its latest high performance creation, the Jaguar XE SV Project 8, to North American automotive enthusiasts during this year’s Monterey Car Week.
Following its first public showing just 6 weeks ago in the U.K., the weekend’s activities for Jaguar Land Rover kick off on Thursday with Project 8 making its dynamic debut during the welcome reception for the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.
”Project 8 is the most extreme performance Jaguar ever and the second Collector’s Edition vehicle from SVO,” said John Edwards, Managing Director of Jaguar Land Rover Special Operations. “Our team of engineers and designers are excited to showcase this special vehicle to prospective clients and enthusiasts in North America, where we so many of our valued clients are based.”
“No more than 300 of these special performance cars will be produced for sale worldwide. What better way to debut Project 8 - our most track-focused production car ever, than on America’s most iconic road course?”
Jaguar Land Rover SVO will bring two versions of the Project 8 to show in Monterey; a four-seat car finished in Velocity Blue representative of what U.S. enthusiasts will be able to buy and the other finished in Valencia Orange, featuring an optional two-seat Track Pack – available to customers outside the U.S. – which includes lightweight front carbon fiber racing seats with four-point harnesses fixed to a harness retention hoop in place of the rear seats4.
“Bringing the XE SV Project 8 to North America and debuting it at the events during Monterey Car Week was a natural fit,” said Kim McCullough, Vice President of Marketing for Jaguar Land Rover North America. “The week’s festivities on the Monterey Peninsula bring together the most passionate automotive enthusiasts from around the world each year and we’re excited to share our latest passion project with them.”
JAGUAR LAND ROVER AT THE MONTEREY MOTORSPORTS REUNION
Located along the start/finish straight in the race paddock, the four Jaguar Land Rover pit lane garages play host to a celebration of the brand’s latest vehicles.
The Jaguar Land Rover pit garages will present race fans a special exhibit, “the House of SVO,” showcasing the engineering and design capabilities of SVO in creating high-performance versions of the brand’s most popular cars. Visitors to the space can see the all-terrain Range Rover Sport SVR performance SUV and Jaguar’s all-weather supercar, the 200mph F-TYPE SVR Coupe2. The centerpiece of the display will be the Jaguar XE SV Project 8, where prospective clients can be among first to register their interest for the limited edition model.
Guests to the garages also have the opportunity to try their hand behind the wheel of a Panasonic Jaguar Racing Formula E race car; piloting the vehicle as part of an immersive virtual reality experience housed within the Jaguar display space.
Nestled between turns three and four of Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, fans can explore the off-road limits of their favorite British SUV brand behind the wheel of several different Land Rover vehicles, including the all-new fifth-generation Land Rover Discovery. Visitors will climb and descend steep hills, drive off-camber turns and over obstacles, sampling the latest driver’s assistance aids which help make easy work of even the toughest trails3.
Fresh from its debut at the New York International Auto Show, Land Rover will also have the fourth member of the Range Rover family – the all-new Range Rover Velar – on display, sharing space with the brand’s halo vehicle from SVO, the $200,000 ultra-luxury Range Rover SVAutobiography Long Wheelbase1.
The Monterey Motorsports Reunion at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca runs from Thursday, August 17, through Sunday, August 20; please visit www.MazdaRaceway.com for full event scheduling.
THE QUAIL, A MOTORSPORTS GATHERING
In addition to the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion, the XE SV Project 8 will also be shown on Friday, August 18, at The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering. Flanked by SVO’s first-ever series production Jaguar, the 575hp F-TYPE SVR, the limited-production XE SV Project 8 will join more than 200 other rare automobiles and motorcycles in an exclusive garden-party setting on the rolling greens of Quail Lodge & Golf Club from 10:00AM – 4:00PM.
EXOTICS ON CANNERY ROW
Later in the day, Special Vehicle Operations will show the 2018 Jaguar XE SV Project 8 at Exotics on Cannery Row. As one of the few non-ticketed public events during Monterey Car Week, Exotics on Cannery Row showcases some of the rarest and most exciting supercars of our time against the backdrop of Monterey’s historic downtown. The event is free and open to the public, running from 3:00 – 8:00PM.
XE SV PROJECT 8
Born from SVO’s desire to engineer the ultimate super sports sedan, the XE SV Project 8 builds on the success of the 2016 F-TYPE Project 7 as the brand’s second Collector’s Series vehicle; redefining the capabilities of how a four-door Jaguar can perform on track.
With the project currently under development, engineers are targeting a power output of 592hp; enough to make this the quickest road going Jaguar ever and capable of speeds up to 200 mph2. Along with the dramatic increase in power, a number of functional aerodynamic, suspension and interior enhancements to the XE help make this car the brand’s most powerful, agile and extreme performance vehicle ever4.
Global production for the XE SV Project 8 will be limited to just 300 units, each hand assembled at the SVO technical center in Coventry, England. Senior representatives from SVO will be on hand at events throughout the weekend to answer questions and help potential buyers register their interest. Those not attending can visit www.JaguarUSA.com to keep up to date and register their interest.