Jaguar F-TYPE PROJECT 7 wins the Le Mans Classic
F-TYPE Project 7 – the most powerful and fastest production Jaguar to date – was to make its debut for the Le Mans Classic race meeting over the weekend of 4-6 July. The F-TYPE had made its debut as the D-TYPE, which won Jaguar Le Mans back in the 1950s. Jaguar has won the Le Mans 24-hour race a total of seven times, a record for a British manufacturer: in 1951, 1953 (both with the C-Type), 1955, 1956, 1957 (all D-Type), 1988 (XJR-9) and 1990 (XJR-12)
To celebrate the Jaguar D-Type’s 60th anniversary – a car which won at Le Mans three times and even inspired Project 7’s genesis – F-TYPE Project 7 completed its demonstration laps throughout the weekend alongside the very first D-Type ever built and launched in 1954. F-TYPE Project 7 is the first Jaguar halo product from Special Operations and will be built at its new state-of-the-art Technical Centre in the West Midlands.
The F-TYPE Project 7 will be powered by a 5.0-litre supercharged V8 petrol engine with a peak torque of 680Nm and this engine will come mated to an eight-speed Quickshift transmission. With a weight of 1585 kilograms, the F-TYPE Project 7 is 80 kgs lighter than its conventional sibling. The F-TYPE Project 7 specifications for both exterior and interior will differ for North America and these details will be released in late 2014. F-TYPE Project 7 customer deliveries will begin from mid-2015. F-TYPE Project 7 will be available in EU markets, as well as South Africa, Australia, MENA, Russia, Brazil, Asia Pacific regions and North America – pricing available from markets.
Jaguar Land Rover Special Vehicle Operations has the responsibility within Special Operations to create a range of high performance production models for both Jaguar and Land Rover, vehicle personalisation products and low volume, high value Limited Edition models for both brands. F-TYPE Project 7 is a fully road-legal two-seater roadster, which will be built by Special Operations division. Of all aluminium construction and with bespoke carbon-fibre aerodynamic aids, a unique suspension tune, 80kg weight reduction and 568bhp power output, F-TYPE Project 7 will deliver a truly focused driving experience. Carbon Ceramic brakes, Torque Vectoring by Braking and race-inspired seats are all standard features.
On-track, numerous Jaguars were competing throughout the 24 hours of Le Mans Classic, but the highlight was the victory in Grid 3 (for cars from 1957-1961) by the Jaguar-entered D-type driven by Gary Pearson and journalist Chris Harris.
Being born and brought up in a family that has been a part of the Automotive industry for over seven decades, Rachit has cars in his blood. Four wheelers are his childhood love, and he has grown up playing with bolts and spanners. To add more value to this passion, he studied automobile engineering and even karted at National level competitions.
Soon after that, he got into motoring journalism- where began the process of testing and evaluating cars. He has driven a wide range of cars beginning from Tata Nano to the Aston Martins, most of the cars that are currently sold in the Indian car market. Apart from this, he has also done many long road trips, and shall continue to do so. Rachit was one of the first journalists to take a Nano across the Golden Quadrilateral.
