Jaguar announced a spin-off to the F-TYPE family called the F-TYPE Project 7. Previewed last year in the form of Project 7 Concept, the car pays homage to the iconic 1954 D-type racer which is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year. Named in honor of Jaguar’s seven wins at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, production of the Project 7 will be limited to only 250 units worldwide.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nXJ2wY0JjzM
Project 7 will be Jaguar’s most powerful and fastest production car to date, courtesy of a 5.0-litre supercharged V8 under the bonnet. The powerplant lifted right off the F-TYPE R, has been further tweaked to produce 567hp (25hp more than the “standard” F-TYPE R) and 680Nm of torque. Recalibration to the 8-speed gearbox allows the Project 7 to hit 100km/h in just 3.9 seconds (4.2 seconds in the F-TYPE R). Top speed is electronically-capped at 300 km/h.
Project 7 gets a new suspension setup with new front and rear anti-roll bars, and revised damper and spring rates, while the front suspension gets a more negative camber. Damper rates is constantly adjusted by the Adaptive Dynamics system to deliver optimum stability on the road at all times.
Project 7’s cornering ability is enhanced by Torque Vectoring by Braking (TVbB) that works together with the Electronic Active Differential (EAD) and the car’s Dynamic Stability Control. Carbon Ceramic Matrix (CCM) brakes measuring 398mm up front and 380mm at the back are fitted as standard on the Project 7.
Most of the design elements stay true to the last year’s concept car designed by a team lead by none other than Jaguar’s Director of Design, Ian Callum. The fairing behind the driver’s head is inspired by the D-type but unlike the Project 7 Concept which is a strict single-seater, the production Project 7 adopts a more conventional two-seater layout. Compared to the F-TYPE Convertible, the windscreen is shorter by 114mm on the Project 7, and the automatic folding fabric hood is ditched for a Bimini roof that has to be fitted manually.
Carbon fibre is used everywhere on the Project 7 including the front splitter, bonnet vents, side vents, side mirror caps, side skirts, rear diffuser, adjustable rear spoiler, and the rear deck. The aerodynamic bits not only make the car look good, they also generate 177 percent more downforce at 300 km/h than the F-Type Convertible. Special 20-inch gloss black Storm alloy wheels is wrapped in Pirelli P Zero or the optional Continental ForceContact tyres.
Inside, the Project 7 features more carbon fibre on the dash, while the steering wheel is wrapped in Alcantara with aluminium shift paddles. Four-point racing harness is an option for the diamond quilted leather-wrapped lightweight bucket seats. A numbered plaque signed by Ian Callum can be found between the seats too.
Each of the 250 F-TYPE Project 7 will be hand-built by Jaguar Land Rover’s Special Operations team with its own dedicated state-of-the-art Technical Centre that reside in the West Midlands. Offered in Ultra Blue, Caldera Red, British Racing Green, Ultimate Black, and Glacier White, Project 7 will debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed on 26th of June 2014. Customers can expect their cars to be delivered from mid-2015.
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