Skip advert
Advertisement

2019 Jaguar XE SV Project 8 review – design

Jaguar's XE SV Project 8 takes a rather extreme approach to the supersaloon recipe than most, but has an equally extreme price tag to match

Evo rating
Price
from £149,995
  • Performance, poise and ability on track, usable on road, bombastic soundtrack
  • Cup 2 tyres struggle in the wet, a few levels above the usual saloon price point

The full effect of the Project 8’s styling doesn’t really come across in photographs. The early, liveried Track Pack cars frankly looked a bit naff, but spend some time with a Touring in a decent colour and you’ll learn to love the cocktail of class and brutality, like a character from a gangster movie.

Advertisement - Article continues below

Some angles are better than others – in profile or any view taking in the front of the car, Project 8 looks fantastic, and those rear arches are so wide they can’t help but have an impact on the shape even if you’re staring directly at the profile. From the rear, things aren’t as rosy – neat though it is being able to see the rear tyres poking out either side of the bumper, it looks rather blocky, not helped by the bland rear details from the standard XE.

Some of the detailing is great, though, such as the carbonfibre splitters surrounding the car at its lowest point, many inscribed with an aircraft-style ‘no step’. The honeycomb holes in the front bumper are interesting too.

Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

The new Toyota GR Yaris costs £44,250 – too much for a hot supermini?
Toyota GR Yaris Gen 2 – front
News

The new Toyota GR Yaris costs £44,250 – too much for a hot supermini?

Our early impressions of the Gen 2 GR Yaris suggest that it’s an improvement in every area that counts, but can it be worth £18k more than an i20 N?
27 Mar 2024
The new Mercedes-AMG G63 has arrived, and it still has a V8
Mercedes-AMG G63
News

The new Mercedes-AMG G63 has arrived, and it still has a V8

Some of Affalterbach’s range-toppers are swapping eight cylinders for four, but the AMG G-class retains its V8 for 2024
26 Mar 2024
Land Rover Defender OCTA: twin-turbo V8 and McLaren-style suspension tech for hot off-roader
Land Rover Defender OCTA – front
News

Land Rover Defender OCTA: twin-turbo V8 and McLaren-style suspension tech for hot off-roader

The OCTA promises to be the fastest, toughest and most capable Defender yet when it launches later this year
26 Mar 2024