Hardcore super saloon bows out of production by reinforcing its four-door top spot at the Nordschleife
The hardcore Jaguar XE SV Project 8 has broken its own Nürburgring lap record for a four-door production car by 2.9 seconds, lapping the circuit in 7min 18.361sec.
The new time was set by Project 8 development driver Vincent Radermecker, who was also at the wheel when the car initially broke the record with a 7min 21.23sec lap time in November 2017.
The record was previously held by the Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio, which set a time of 7min 32sec in 2016.
No modifications were made to the Project 8’s 592bhp supercharged 5.0-litre V8 for the improved time, but Jaguar said a set of new Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R road tyres were fitted to “maximise performance and steering precision”.
The record was broken on both occasions by range-topping two-seat Track Pack variants of the Project 8.
Jamal Hameedi, Jaguar Special Vehicle Operations’ engineering director, said: “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.”
The news comes as Jaguar prepares to wrap up production of the Project 8 later this year. It remains Jaguar’s quickest current model, with a 0-60mph time of 3.3sec and a top speed of 200mph.
The company recently launched a new Touring edition of the Project 8, featuring more subtle exterior styling. It is the most exclusive variant, with production limited to just 15 units.
Read more
Jaguar XE SV Project 8 review
Jaguar XE SV Project 8 Touring edition proves its pace at Goodwood
Fastest ever Nurburgring lap times – the definitive rundown
Source: Autocar
