The race amongst auto manufacturers to produce the fastest and most powerful supercars is as intense as ever, yet this need for speed can be traced back even further to the four-door sports sedan segment. BMW may have gotten the ball rolling with the original 282hp M1-engined M5 in 1984 (US cars got a detuned 256hp variant) but since then just about every major car maker, and some minor ones too, have entered the battle with their own super sedans.
Jaguar has long offered indecently quick four-door cars in its range but the release of the XE SV Project 8 in 2017 took things to a whole new level. Thanks to its 592hp 5.0-liter supercharged V8 it became the most powerful road-legal Jaguar ever and claimed the title of the world’s fastest production sedan with an electronically limited top speed of 200mph.
Underlining its dynamic abilities, the Project 8 then went about setting production sedan lap records at the Nürburgring, Dubai Autodrome and Laguna Seca. With its aggressive aerodynamic package, premium price tag of $190,000 (£150,000) and limited run of 300 units it is essentially a four-door supercar with space for the kids. Now Jaguar has announced that they will be offering 15 additional Project 8s worldwide in discrete Touring specification.
Jamal Hameedi, engineering director at Jaguar Special Vehicle Operations, said, “Project 8 has received outstanding critical acclaim since its launch, demonstrating the Special Vehicle Operations team’s ability to create a compact Jaguar sedan with supercar-rivaling performance. Touring specification extends the appeal of Project 8 to performance car enthusiasts and collectors who prefer a more discreet appearance, without compromising its driver-focused on-road dynamics.”
The Touring specification will be made available only in four-seat configuration (there is a two-seat Track Pack available on standard cars) and will have its top speed limited to 186mph. These cars will feature a fixed rear spoiler instead of the standard version’s huge adjustable carbon fiber item and will do without the body decals, making them the ultimate Q-car on the road. Stick to the more subtle Corris Grey Satin and British Racing Green paint finishes instead of the eye-catching Valencia Orange and Velocity Blue to complete the illusion that you are driving just another mildly sporty sedan.
Images courtesy of Jaguar
