We enthusiasts owe Tata Motors a pat on the back. They have transformed Jaguar and Land Rover from subtle and quirky into fast and reliable cars. It seems their engineers have a love affair with making incredible power, which has led to the SVR versions of the Range Rover and the F-Type. But in an unprecedented move, they have developed a new V8 that happens to be the most powerful engine in the brand’s history. That’s right, it outshines everything, including the XJ220.
The Special Vehicle Operations team had a target of 600 horsepower, so they used a recipe that is gaining popularity among supercars. It involves 5 liters of V8 mixed with a few liters of supercharger. Rated at 600 metric horsepower, it makes 590 using the more common SAE standard. You might assume it would be going into a special edition of the XJ or a new supercar, but we were happy to learn they have crammed it into the compact XE. Big engine in a small car is nothing but fun, but it comes with a catch….Only 300 examples of the 2018 Jaguar XE SV Project 8 will be built. Not 300 for the US, but for the planet. And since Jaguar sells cars everywhere except North Korea, we will be lucky to get a dozen.
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Don’t lament over the small numbers, they wouldn’t go to such trouble to put a great engine back on the shelf. Cadillac did something similar back in 2004, and it really caught on! We’ll probably see this monster motor it in other Jaguar and Land Rover models down the road. A new Jaguar XE is still as fun as a barrel of monkeys, so check them out at your local dealer.
