The result of Jaguar Land Rover's Special Vehicles Operation (SVO), and limited to just 300 units all in left-hand-drive, the SV features a tuned version of the familiar 5.0-litre supercharged V8, now producing a mammoth 441 kW (600 PS) and 700 Nm of torque.
Linked to a Quickshift eight-speed automatic gearbox driving all four wheels, the SV, also the most powerful Jaguar ever produced, will get to 100 km/h from standstill in 3.7 seconds and reach a top speed of 322 km/h, making it faster than the BMW M3, Mercedes-AMG C63 S and Alfa Romeo Giulia QV.
In addition to its new heart, exterior differences from the normal XE include a carbon fibre front bumper with expansive cooling ducts, adjustable splitter, vented carbon fibre bonnet scoops, forged 20-inch alloy wheels wrapped in Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 rubber, carbon fibre rear bumper, rear diffuser and an adjustable rear wing.
Tipping the scales at 1 745 kg thanks to extensive use of carbon fibre and lightweight aluminium, changes underneath the SV's already extreme exterior are made up of quad titanium exhausts, double wishbone front and integral link rear suspension, continuously variable dampers, stiffer suspension bushings, recalibrated electric power steering, motorsport specification coil springs, and an electronic differential with oil cooler.
In another first, the SV also gets carbon ceramic brakes with six-piston aluminium calipers at the front and a single piston setup at the rear, but with silicon nitride bearings claimed to have been derived from Formula 1. A new dedicated Track mode which sharpens throttle response is added to the standard drive mode selector.
Inside, the interior gets gloss-black carbon fibre trim, magnesium framed front sport seats trimmed in Jet Black leather with suede cloth centres and boasting Project 8 embossed headrests, black Alcantara sports steering wheel and dashboard, leather wrapped gear lever, aluminium shift paddles and commemorative aluminium number plaque.
Opt for the optional Track Pack however, which saves an additional 12.2 kg, the SV comes with a gloss-black roof, carbon fibre seats again trimmed in Jet Black leather with suede centres, a four-point harness, Project 8 twin stripe decals, a fire extinguisher and a harness retention hoop with Project 8 branded carpeted panel in place of the rear seats.
Standard spec includes Jaguar's familiar 10.2-inch Touch Pro infotainment system with Dual View technology, 12.3-inch TFT instrument cluster, dual USB ports, an 11-speaker 380 watt Meridian sound system with subwoofer and 4G Wi-Fi.
Pricing in the UK starts at £149 995 (R2 498 220, although as earlier mentioned, don't expect the SV Project 8 to arrive in South Africa anytime soon.
