2019 Jaguar XE SV Project 8

BUILT TO CONQUER THE ’RING … AND YOUR COMMUTE

- Chris Walton

The go-fast boffins at Jaguar Special Vehicle Operations decided to apply an old muscle car template and wedge the company’s largest engine into its smallest sedan. In the resulting XE Project 8, that meant the 5.0-liter supercharged V-8 from the XJR575, which makes 592 hp and 516 lb-ft of torque. For obvious reasons, all-wheel drive was added to the build sheet.

To get the green light for production, Project 8 needed to break the lap record for four-door sedans on the Nürburgring Nordschleife— set by our 2018 Car of the Year, the 505-hp Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio. In a “production-intent” car, Belgian racer and test driver Vincent Radermecker shattered the record at 7:21.23. That’s nearly 11 seconds quicker than the Alfa, and it matches the Ferrari 488 GTB, our 2017 Best Driver’s Car. Record in hand, the Project 8 was a go.

There’s a track in Portugal most people call “Portimão,” for the town where it resides. A tricky 15-turn roller coaster with blind crests, fast sweepers, a tight hairpin, and a 1-kilometer (0.62-mile) straight, Formula 1 teams use it for testing because it provides such a thorough workout. That’s where Jaguar hosted us for a day of hot laps.