10 Things You Need to Know About the 2019 Jaguar XE SV Project 8

2019 Jaguar XE Project 8 hero ・ Photo by Jaguar Land Rover

When it comes to outrageous limited-edition super sedans with vulgar bodywork and obscene amounts of horsepower, we all think German. Such exclusive high-performance machines have been the stomping grounds of BMW’s M Division and AMG at Mercedes-Benz since the 1990s. But here come the Brits. Jaguar has built its own outrageous limited-edition super sedan and it’s called the 2019 Jaguar XE SV Project 8.

This high-performance version of the compact XE is the most powerful Jaguar in history, with considerably more horsepower than the brand’s XJ220 supercar of the 1990s. It’s the work of Jag’s Special Vehicle Operations, and only 300 will be produced for worldwide distribution. Each will be hand-assembled at Jaguar’s SVO Technical Center in Warwickshire, England. The price is $188,495, which also makes it the most expensive Jag sedan ever. We just spent some time in the driver’s seat of this very special machine — and it lives up to the hype. Here are 10 things to know about the 2019 Jaguar XE SV Project 8.

1. It growls.

Most V8-powered big-horsepower super sedans roar and rumble. Not the 2019 Jaguar XE SV Project 8. This beast growls. Yes, like a scalded cat. It is a Jag after all. And it’s loud — racecar loud. You hear it coming from a full quarter mile away, thanks to its lightweight titanium exhaust system with four massive tailpipes. If this isn’t the loudest production car you can buy, it’s got to be close.

Under the hood is a supercharged 5.0-liter all-aluminum V8 that revs to 6,500 rpm. It’s basically the same engine that Jaguar uses in some other sedans and its F-Type sports car, but it's been cranked up to 592 horsepower at 6,500 rpm and 516 lb-ft of torque at just 3,500 rpm. The company says there's enough power to go from 0 to 60 mph in 3.3 seconds and reach a top speed of 200 mph.

Photo by Jaguar Land Rover

2. It's all-wheel drive.

Jaguar says the XE SV Project 8 is the fastest production street-legal sedan to ever lap Germany’s famous Nürburgring, the racetrack widely considered the most challenging and dangerous in the world. Jaguar says the Project 8’s lap time of 7:21.23 is a full seven seconds ahead of the BMW M4 GTS and 11 seconds quicker than the Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio.

Much of that speed is due to the Jaguar’s all-wheel drive system, which improves its traction and road-holding over the rear-wheel drive BMW and Alfa. The Jaguar system sends 100 percent of the engine’s power to the sedan’s rear wheels most of the time, but when necessary it sends 20 percent of that power to the front, or 15 percent in Track mode. The system's operation is so smooth it’s completely transparent to the driver, and there’s enough grip from the Jag’s 20-inch Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires to ripple the asphalt.

Photo by Jaguar Land Rover

3. Its engine isn't as pretty as you'd expect.

When you open the hood of the 2019 Jaguar XE SV Project 8, you might expect its supercharged V8 to be dressed for a night out on the town. You might expect to see some red valve covers, chrome intake runners, and a polished blower case. But there isn’t any of it. Jaguar didn’t spend the money or take the time, and the result is one of the most unattractive engine compartments we’ve seen in quite a while.

This is understandable on a standard Jaguar XE, but it's sacrilege on a limited run of big-buck high-performance sedans like these with such a special powerplant. If you’re lucky enough to own a Project 8, you might want to keep the hood closed at the local Cars and Coffee event.

Photo by Jaguar Land Rover

4. It looks like a race car.

We’ve already mentioned that the 2019 Jaguar XE SV Project 8 sounds like a race car. Well, it looks like one, too. To reduce weight, Jaguar has replaced many of the XE’s body panels with carbon fiber pieces, including its hood, fenders, and bumpers. Only the sedan’s front doors and roof are shared with a standard Jaguar XE, and its wheel wells have been radically flared to house its wider tracks and oversized wheels and tires.

Then there are the aero bits, including that massive carbon fiber rear wing, which Jaguar says pushes the sedan’s rear end to the road with 269 pounds of downforce at 186 mph. Our test car's silly Jag head graphics are optional, but the Project 8 will draw a crowd with or without them. People come over to look at the car like it’s from outer space. One person asked me if it was a race car. Another said it looked like something from the movie "Mad Max: Fury Road."

Photo by Jaguar Land Rover

5. It feels like a race car.

Run it hard through its eight gears or through a series of tight corners, and the 2019 Jaguar XE SV Project 8 also feels like a race car.

Its suspension is that locked down and its reactions are that quick. Full throttle pins you to the seat as the transmission snaps off gears hard and fast. The ride is seriously firm, even in Comfort mode, and the sedan’s structure feels like it was carved from billet aluminum. The Jag’s tires thump-thump over every rut and irregularity in the road, and they’re so sticky that all four are constantly peppering the sedan with stones, which you can hear ping-pinging off its shiny new paint. Also like a race car are the Jag’s steering, which is quick and direct, and its massive carbon ceramic brakes, which save weight, resist heat, and cost a small fortune to replace.

Photo by Jaguar Land Rover

6. Watch out for that front spoiler!

To improve its aerodynamics, the 2019 Jaguar XE SV Project 8 also has a flat undertray, which smooths the air as it travels under the car, and a massive front spoiler, which creates downforce and improves the sedan’s handling.

The problem is, when you’re not on the racetrack, that front spoiler scrapes on everything. EVERYTHING. Driveways. Parking lot blocks. Even some speed bumps. The Jaguar’s front spoiler takes some abuse, and it will look beat after just a few months, if it lasts that long. Chances are you’ll rip it clean off long before it starts looking too worse for wear. If you plan to drive your Project 8 on the street, you may want to buy a few spares.

Photo by Jaguar Land Rover

7. It has an Eco mode.

We thought it was a joke when we first saw it, but the 2019 Jaguar XE SV Project 8 really does have an Eco mode. It’s right there on the menu, along with Comfort, Dynamic, and Track. The other three make sense on a car like this, but Eco? Really? In a 600-hp super sedan?

But the Project 8 isn’t as fuel inefficient as you might think. It’s rated at 16 mpg in the city and 22 mpg on the highway. So it’s no Toyota Prius, but those numbers look pretty good for a car with this kind of power and performance. Plus the Jag has a 16.6-gallon fuel tank, so its range per tank is respectable. But don’t kid yourself: Drive it like you stole it, and this beast will drain that supply in less than an hour.

Photo by Jaguar Land Rover

8. It's only a four-seater.

Unlike a standard XE, which seats five, the 2019 Jaguar XE SV Project 8 is a four-seater. Jaguar has eliminated the middle spot in the rear. Surprisingly, however, the XE’s two rear air conditioning vents remain.

The Jag’s rear seat is firm as are its two front seats. This is something we’ve mentioned before when reviewing the Jaguar F-TYPE. The brand’s racy sport seats are just harder than they need to be. They’re shaped well and they’re comfortable enough, but a bit more padding would be appreciated. The XE’s trunk also remains unchanged, it still offers 15.9 cubic feet of space, which is considerable for this class.

Photo by Jaguar Land Rover

9. Its infotainment system has a built-in lap timer.

Although better than it ever has been, Jaguar’s infotainment system still frustrates with slow response time and clunky menus. But its touch screen is big, its graphics are respectable, and it offers Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

In the 2019 Jaguar XE SV Project 8, the system also has a few new features, which can be fun to play with as you exploit the sedan’s performance. The first is a g-meter, which measures the forces produced as the Project 8 accelerates, brakes, and corners. And the other is a lap timer, so you can take the sedan to a track day and record your lap times accurately from inside the car. Pretty cool.

Photo by Jaguar Land Rover

10. You could drive it every day.

After driving the 2019 Jaguar XE SV Project 8, we wrote this in our notebook: “You could drive it every day, but you probably wouldn’t want to.”

There are some hardcore enthusiasts out there who would drive this super sedan every day and thrive on its racecar-like qualities. They would revel in its loud exhaust, hard seats, low-hanging bodywork, and rough ride. But for the majority of enthusiast buyers, the Project 8 would be better suited as a weekend toy and a track day plaything. They’ll continue to drive their Mercedes C 63 S or BMW M5 or Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio to work come Monday.

Photo by Jaguar Land Rover