There are two ways to get your hands on a Jaguar Project 7, the British brand’s hardcore version of the F-Type roadster:
- Build a time machine and go back to summer 2014 so you can place an order for one of the 250 sold-out examples of this open-top hellion.
- Point your browser to eBay Motors and bid on one of the first Project 7s to reach American shores.
Why has demand for this green goblin of speed been so red hot? Let us count the ways.
The Project 7 was designed to pay homage to the D-Type race cars that won at Le Mans more than 50 years ago, hence its British racing green paint scheme and the circular number silhouette plastered on the door. Of course, Jaguar has given the Project 7 more than just looks to match up with its historical predecessor, as the car boasts 575 horsepower from its supercharged 5.0-liter V8, giving it a 25 pony advantage over the standard F-Type R.
There are also close to 100 fewer pounds for the mightier mill to motivate due to the decision to permanently remove the automated roof as well as the pop-up rear wing—with the latter being replaced by a permanently-deployed piece of aero that is joined by a new front splitter. A revised suspension setup adds negative camber and stiffer springs to the Project 7’s chassis, giving it a more aggressive character at speed, and it maintains the F-Type’s eight-speed automatic transmission.
We’re not kidding about that time machine, by the way. Wayne Scholes, the owner of the Jaguar Project 7 being auctioned, placed his order last November. After initially being told it would take until March 2015 for the car to make it stateside, delivery occurred last month. Only 50 of these cars have been slated to find homes in the United States out of the 250 total being produced.
Wayne happens to be involved with an ice hockey team in England, one town over from the automaker’s primary assembly plant. It was a former coach who gave Scholes the tip that the Project 7 was making the leap directly from concept car to production, despite repeated denials from his local dealer. A lifelong Jaguar fan, Scholes grew up not far from Birmingham, England, where he watched a neighbor lovingly restore a Jaguar XK120 roadster over the course of a decade, an experience that cemented his passion for the brand. Having promised himself that he would one day make a similarly-beautiful Jaguar his own, even if only for a short while, it wasn’t long before he had a deposit down on of the few Project 7’s allocated to America.
Currently located in Salt Lake City where it’s sitting out the winter as it waits for its new owner, this exceedingly rare example of modern automotive mastery deserves a new warm weather home to save it from being stored until the summer months roll around in Utah.
Can you think of a better way to beat the winter blues than to peel out of the parking lot on a bright, sunny Saturday behind the wheel of this Jaguar Project 7?
