Jaguar plans to build just 250 of the Project 7 roadsters.
It hasn’t exactly been the best-kept secret, but a year after showing off its exotic, race-inspired concept Jaguar confirms it will show the production version of its F-Type Project 7 roadster at the Goodwood Festival of Speed this coming weekend.
The launch of the street-legal two-seater marks the 60th anniversary of the formidable Jaguar D-Type racers that dominated at the 24 Hours of Le Mans – and which inspired the new roadster. The British maker plans to produce just 250 Project 7 cars, which will be the most powerful version of the F-Type sports car yet brought to market.
The production model will differ from the concept shown at the 2013 Goodwood Festival in several key ways: it now will provide a second seat for a passenger, with rollover hoops for both occupants now integrated into the design. Meanwhile, Jaguar says that to make the Project 7 legal for use on U.S. roads, the American version will be equipped with a full height windshield.
The roadster is the first product to emerge from Jaguar Land Rover’s Special Operations unit which “exists to develop a suite of products and services that enable our most discerning and enthusiastic customers to indulge their passion for our cars,” explained managing director John Edwards. “F-Type Project 7 is a perfect example of one such product. It’s the most powerful production Jaguar vehicle ever built, and pays homage to seven outright Jaguar Le Mans victories with distinctive design cues inspired by the Jaguar D-Type.”
The name, Project 7, is meant to be an homage to the seven D-Type Le Mans wins. And one could almost imagine taking the limited-edition roadster itself out onto the track.
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The aluminum-bodied 2-seater will weigh in at just 3,495 pounds, 176 pounds less than the convertible version of the Jaguar F-Type V8S. And it can be lightened by removing the off.
The F-Type Project 7 will be powered by an updated version of the maker’s 5.0-liter supercharged V-8, here making 575 horsepower – enough to launch it from 0 to 60 mph in just 3.8 seconds. Top speed is electronically limited at 186 mph. The engine will be paired with Jaguar’s 8-speed Quickshift automatic, torque being routed to the rear wheels through a second-generation Electronic Active Differential.
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To scrub off speed, the roadster will come with standard Carbon Ceramic Matrix brakes which deliver not only more grabbing power but which are more resistant to fade. The brakes will also play a central role in the car’s torque vectoring system.
The Project 7 cars will get a number of aerodynamic enhancements, including a carbon-fiber front air splitter, side skirts, rear diffuser and adjustable rear spoiler.
“F-Type Project 7 is the perfect example of how, as a design team, we can move quickly with our engineering colleagues to go from concept vehicle to production reality – we’ve pushed the boundaries of what’s possible without losing any purity of form,” said Ian Callum, Director of Design, Jaguar.
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The roadster will begin to reach customers by mid-2015. Jaguar has not yet announced pricing.