JAGUAR XE SV PROJECT 8, THE WORLD’S FASTEST SALOON CAR, BEATS ITS OWN NÜRBURGRING NORDSCHLEIFE RECORD

24 July 2019

 

  • Jaguar’s 200mph, 600PS performance sedan lowers the fastest Nürburgring time for a four-door production car to 7min 18.361sec on 20.6km Nordschleife lap
  • Project 8 development driver Vincent Radermecker returns to legendary German circuit and cuts 2.9 seconds off his previous fastest time, set in November 2017
  • Brand-new official record also set for the whole 20.832km Nordschleife lap: 7min 23.164sec
  • Officially-verified records achieved using off-the-shelf Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R tyres
  • Experience a 360-degree onboard view of XE SV Project 8’s record Nürburgring lap here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=8fDwCaAgb3Q 
  • For more information on the limited-edition Project 8, visit: www.jaguar.com/project8

Fen End, UK – 24 July 2019: The Jaguar Special Vehicle Operations-developed XE SV Project 8 has demonstrated its breadth of performance capability by setting the fastest Nürburgring Nordschleife lap time for a four-door production car again: 7min 18.361sec.

This new officially-verified time on the 20.6km (12.8-mile) lap is 2.9 seconds faster than Project 8’s previous benchmark set in November 2017 and 7 seconds faster than any other four-door production car has achieved.

Project 8 is also the first vehicle to set an official whole lap record in the Nürburgring’s mid-range production car class, lapping the 20.8km (12.94-mile) circuit length in 7min 23.164sec.

Returning to the legendary German circuit in a production-specification two-seat Track Pack version of Project 8 was development driver Vincent Radermecker. The car’s height-adjustable twin-spring coil-over suspension was set in ‘track’ ride height, with adjustable front splitter and carbonfibre rear aerodynamic wing positioned for maximum downforce and stability.

To maximise performance and steering precision, for the final record runs Project 8 was fitted with new off-the-shelf ultra-high performance Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R tyres. Tested and chosen by SV engineers for their capability on the track, the road-legal tyres use rubber compounds directly transferred from Michelin’s competition tyres.

The original Nürburgring time set by Jaguar XE SV Project 8 demonstrated the extreme performance envelope of the world’s fastest production sedan, but the SV team is driven by a motorsport mentality and we knew Project 8 could go even faster. This new official record time is a fitting reward for everyone who has played a part in pushing the boundaries for our customers with Project 8.”

Jamal Hameedi
Engineering Director, Jaguar Special Vehicle Operations
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JAGUAR XE SV PROJECT 8, THE WORLD’S FASTEST SALOON CAR, BEATS ITS OWN NÜRBURGRING NORDSCHLEIFE RECORD
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JAGUAR XE SV PROJECT 8, THE WORLD’S FASTEST SALOON CAR, BEATS ITS OWN NÜRBURGRING NORDSCHLEIFE RECORD
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JAGUAR XE SV PROJECT 8, THE WORLD’S FASTEST SALOON CAR, BEATS ITS OWN NÜRBURGRING NORDSCHLEIFE RECORD

Powered by the most highly tuned 600PS version of Jaguar’s 5.0-litre Supercharged V8, the all-wheel-drive Project 8 is capable of 0-60mph in 3.3 seconds (0-100km/h in 3.7 seconds) and a top speed of 200mph (320km/h). Project 8 also features a fully-enclosed flat underbody for enhanced aerodynamics, which is key to its performance.

Production of the limited-edition Project 8 will finish this year. There are three distinct four-door specifications available:

  • Lightweight two-seat Track Pack* – as used for the record lap times
  • Four-seat configuration with same aero package and performance as Track Pack
  • Touring specification with discreet fixed rear spoiler – the ultimate Q-car, limited to 15 examples worldwide and 186mph.

Prices for the Jaguar XE SV Project 8 start from £149,995 in the UK. For more information, and to find your nearest Jaguar Retailer, visit: www.jaguar.com/project8

Notes to Editors

About Nürburgring Nordschleife lap records 

Jaguar XE SV Project 8’s previous four-door production sedan lap time of 7min 21.23sec was set in November 2017 on the so-far industry-recognised 20.6km course length (lap timing starts at the end of the Nordschleife start/finish straight at T13, lap timing ends at the start/finish line at the beginning of the start/finish straight at T13).  

Since 2019 the Nürburgring officially scrutineers, supervises, records, confirms and publishes lap record times it measures over a whole lap length of 20.832km (lap timing starts and ends at the start/finish line of the Nordschleife). 

New officially-verified Jaguar XE SV Project 8 lap times set on 8 July 2019: 

  • 20.6km lap – 7min 18.361sec  

  • Full-length 20.832km lap – 7min 23.164sec 

About Vincent Radermecker 

Belgian racing driver Vincent Radermecker has played a key role in the dynamic development of Jaguar XE SV Project 8 with Jaguar’s SV engineering team. In addition to setting the Nürburgring record times, in September 2018 he also established a production saloon lap record of the original 8km Circuit de Charade, Clermont Ferrand, with a Jaguar XE 300 Sport. He is represented by Top Line Development (topline.be). 

 

About Jaguar 

Jaguar’s heritage of elegant design and breathtaking performance has excited and delighted the world for 80 years. Today’s world-class Jaguar family comprises the award-winning XE, XF and XJ saloons, the dramatic F-TYPE sportscar, the F-PACE performance crossover – the fastest-selling Jaguar ever, the new E-PACE compact performance SUV and now I-PACE, the all-electric performance SUV that puts Jaguar at the forefront of the electric vehicle revolution. 

 

About Jaguar Special Vehicle Operations 

Special Vehicle Operations’ specialist team of Jaguar designers, engineers and technicians are dedicated to amplifying the performance and luxury attributes of Jaguar vehicles. The current Jaguar SV range includes F-TYPE SVR, F-PACE SVR and XE SV Project 8. 

 

*Track Pack not available in Japan, USA or Canada 

 

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