Jaguar only build 300 examples of its wild XE SV Project 8, and soon a batch of them will be tapped for a new one-make race series.
Top Gear reported in October that a privately run series known as Series Elite will be run with the XE SV Project 8 as the star car. Oh, and it's exclusively for "high net worth individuals" who happen to be over 50 years old.
Yes, this race series is only for "the mature driver," it seems. In all, 20 drivers will be handed the keys to lightly modified XE SV Project 8s, which can also be turned back into road cars once the series is finished.
Jaguar XE SV Project 8
Recall, the Jaguar XE SV Project 8 is no parking lot cruiser. A 592-horsepower 5.0-liter supercharged V-8 engine resides under the hood, while an eight-speed automatic transmission works to send power to all four wheels. Mashing the right pedal will cause the sedan to sprint from 0-60 mph in 3.3 seconds.
Series organizers don't expect professional drivers to show up ready to race. They said it will provide "all the relevant training, testing and race experience needed to compete in the new series." The cars will also be prepared and stored and a central facility.
The series will kick off in May and run 12 races across the United Kingdom and Europe. Organizers didn't mention the cost of entry, but we'd assume it's rather pricey to participate. Just the car alone will set a buyer back $192,000. Organizers plans to entice drivers with other experiences, such as dinners with racing legends, a Formula E race weekend, ice driving, and even an African safari.