Skip advert
Advertisement

2019 Jaguar XE SV Project 8 review – design

Jaguar's XE SV Project 8 takes a rather extreme approach to the supersaloon recipe than most, but has an equally extreme price tag to match

Evo rating
RRP
from £149,995
  • Performance, poise and ability on track, usable on road, bombastic soundtrack
  • Cup 2 tyres struggle in the wet, a few levels above the usual saloon price point

The full effect of the Project 8’s styling doesn’t really come across in photographs. The early, liveried Track Pack cars frankly looked a bit naff, but spend some time with a Touring in a decent colour and you’ll learn to love the cocktail of class and brutality, like a character from a gangster movie.

Advertisement - Article continues below

Some angles are better than others – in profile or any view taking in the front of the car, Project 8 looks fantastic, and those rear arches are so wide they can’t help but have an impact on the shape even if you’re staring directly at the profile. From the rear, things aren’t as rosy – neat though it is being able to see the rear tyres poking out either side of the bumper, it looks rather blocky, not helped by the bland rear details from the standard XE.

Some of the detailing is great, though, such as the carbonfibre splitters surrounding the car at its lowest point, many inscribed with an aircraft-style ‘no step’. The honeycomb holes in the front bumper are interesting too.

Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

Is Porsche really pulling the plug on the all-electric Boxster?
Porsche Cayman EV
News

Is Porsche really pulling the plug on the all-electric Boxster?

Reports by Bloomberg suggest the new CEO is considering ditching the all-electric Boxster and Cayman for hybrid power.
3 Feb 2026
Singer turns to Red Bull to fix the Porsche 911
Singer Classic Turbo Cabriolet
News

Singer turns to Red Bull to fix the Porsche 911

The restomod masters Singer are calling on Red Bull Advanced Technologies to help stiffen its upcoming open-top 911 restorations
3 Feb 2026
Four modern classic sports cars that cost a fraction of their modern equivalents
Cheap sports cars
Best cars

Four modern classic sports cars that cost a fraction of their modern equivalents

A new 911 is over £100,000, a new Lotus Evora just under, a new Vantage just over £160,000. Save a fortune and buy their modern classic ancestors
5 Feb 2026