Into The Big Cat's Den

Jaguar’s XE SV Project 8 has gained significant appeal in new Touring Edition spec, as we find out on a trip to Don Law Racing to get the lowdown on a hardcore ancestor from Jag’s not so distant past

- Adam Towler

I’M NOT SURE WHERE TO GO OR WHAT TO DO with the Jaguar XE SV Project 8 Touring Edition. On paper it’s the same car we drove around 18 months ago, minus a rear wing, and this time with a full road car interior, albeit one you could specify on the bewinged version as an option. With just 15 to be built, there’s a distinct air of desperation about the advent of the Touring: it seems Jaguar is struggling to find homes for its skunkworks saloon on steroids.

Yes, it may be the most powerful Jaguar ever officially built, at 592bhp, but it seems the idea of a four-wheel-drive saloon weighing nearly 1800kg but aimed largely at track use, that’s left-hand drive only, has just two seats, boasts a rear wing and graphics that wouldn’t be out of place in a Fast and Furious film, and is from a brand with a less than stellar track and competition history over the past 20 years, is struggling to compete with 911 GT3s and their ilk at the 150 grand mark. Who’d have thought it?