Jaguar seems to
be flexing its know-how muscle these
days. The Tata-owned company appears
to be growing in confidence and the Project
7 is but one example of this new bravado. Based on the F-Type, the Project 7 is
a type of a single-seater speedster inspired
by the racing D-Type of the 1950s.
“Project 7 is a single-seater sports car based on the
F-Type, with the kind of racing-inspired form that designers dream about,” said
Jaguar Chief Designer Ian Callum. “It
has one purpose: to be driven fast
and enjoyed. Jaguar sports cars are known for exceptional performance and clean design. Project 7 captures that spirit in its purest form.”
Power comes from the same 5.0-litre supercharged V8 from the V8 S, but for Project 7 it’s
been upped to 405kW and 680Nm, the same as the XFR S and XKR S. Jaguar says its 8-speed
Quickshift gearbox will help the rear-wheel-drive speedster to go from 0 - 100km/h
in 4.2 seconds, reaching a top end
of 300km/h.
Differences aren’t just under the bonnet. They are also external. Jaguar cut off the roof (speedsters tend to look this way),
removed the passenger seat, lowered the windscreen,
installed carbon-fibre items like
the front splitter and side skirts,
as well as a rear diffuser and a massive
rear spoiler. Said spoiler is fixed.
Chief Engineer of Vehicle Integrity at Jaguar, Mike Cross, will drive this Project 7
car at the 2013 Goodwood Festival of
Speed this weekend. Whether it will be finally produced or not remains to
be seen. We think it should be, even if it’s only 500 units (with 5 sent to Mzansi
of course).
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