High Performance Jaguar XE Variant Spotted Testing

A few months ago, JLR unveiled the Jaguar XE Project 8 - an insane 600 bhp limited edition version of the standard XE that was made by the Special Vehicle Operations (SVO). The XE Project 8 was limited to a numbered 300 units and cost an insane £1,49,000 (Rs 1.25 Crore before taxes) and was meant to be an uber limited offering to serious Jaguar collectors and enthusiasts. And now it seems Jaguar as at it again creating an even more extreme and an even more powerful Jaguar XE. Recently, a Jaguar XE test mule with a set of very wide rear fenders and a massive ducktail spoiler has been spotted testing extensively at the nordschleife Nurburgring. According to videos that we have seen of the car around a set of bends, it seems to be much faster than your average hot sedan too!

(Jaguar XE SVR Spotted Testing)

We expect this to be the rumoured production version of the Jaguar XE 'SVR'. This would explain the gnarly performance quad exhaust system and the added width at the rear. That said, the large ducktail spoiler is slightly confusing. Is Jaguar going back to a ducktail format that used to be a standard feature on racecars (especially Porsches) for decades before moving to a more wing like spoiler? Will this finally be the Jaguar that take the challenge up to the likes of the legendary BMW M3 and the Mercedes-AMG C63? And if so, how extreme and race inspired would the styling need to be to make people sit up and notice?

Jaguar XE SVR Spotted Testing at the Nurburgring

Rumours also suggest that this very car is the vehicle that Jaguar is developing in order to break the nordschleife Nurburgring lap record that is currently held by the Alfa Romeo Giulia QV, which also competes in the same size segment that the XE competes in. Although one expects Jaguar to go all-wheel-drive like seen on the F-Type SVR (first ever AWD sportscar in Jaguar history), from the wider rear track it seems like the power seems to be going only to the rear wheels. That said, we will have to wait and watch what Jaguar has in store - especially with the 2017 Frankfurt Auto Show coming up.

Image Credit: Paul Wallace (SOL)