The Jaguar Project 7 will make its debut at the 2013 Goodwood Festival of Speed. Based on the F-Type convertible, the single-seat P7, named as a tribute to Jaguar’s seven Le Mans victories, has retro tweaks from the legendary Jaguar D-Type that won the 24-hour in 1955 and ’56.
What’s special about the Project 7 F-type?
The P7’s changes, which were managed by Jaguar design guru Ian Callum, start with a chopped-down front windscreen, as well as a 10mm drop in ride height and 20-inch alloys, painted black. A unique carbon front splitter, side skirts and the retro striping bolster the menacing look, while the vents and louvres are made of the same stuff.
And where does the D-Type come in?
That’s the best part of the design: the single turret that rises from the bodyline behind the driver’s head, ala the D-Type. The F-Type’s roof was completely removed to make way for the fairing, with its integrated rollover hoop, and melds superbly with the F-Type’s rear lamps and chunky carbon diffuser, but we’re not so sure about the rear-wing with its 14-degree tilt – something that D-Jaguar driver Mike Hawthorn didn’t have as he diced trough traffic along the Mulsanne Straight in his D-Type on his way to victory in the 1955 24-hour.
Are there any other serious upgrades?
There are mechanical tweaks, but the P7’s been given Jaguar’s best driveline to begin with. Hawthorn had to make do with six-cylinders in his D-Type, he’d be envious of the P7’s 542bhp 5.0-litre supercharged V8, taken straight from the XKR-S, which has 54bhp more than the regular F-Type V8 S roadster.
The P7 has a ceramic-coated exhaust to belch sound from, while there’s also one-off carbonfibre seat, quilted leather interior and a helmet holder in place of the front passenger seat. The blue paintwork is again tribute to the early Le Mans racecars, which would have envied the P7’s 4.1sec 0-62mph claim and top of 186mph – matching the fastest Jag on sale now, the XKR-S.
Why have Jaguar built it?
Callum says that he was inspired by the idea of a single-seat F-Type. ‘As a team, our challenge was to take this gem of an idea, work within the limitations of production feasibility, and create something worthwhile. So I encouraged Cesar and Alister Whelan, Chief Designer, Jaguar, to take it to the next stage and develop a workable concept, and with the support of key departments, Project 7 was born.
While it’s a one off, you’ll be able to see the Jaguar Project 7 at the 2013 Goodwood Festival of Speed this weekend, where Jaguar engineer, Mike Cross, will drive it.
>> What’s the best part of the Jaguar Project 7? Unleash on the beast below…