• The Project 7 pays homage to former Jaguar racing models. Picture: NEWSPRESS UK

  • It will be a rare sight on racetracks in SA. Picture: NEWSPRESS UK

  • The interior has a few bespoke elements but is mostly regular F-Type. Picture: NEWSPRESS UK

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JAGUAR’s SVO (Special Vehicle Operations) wing, which offers bespoke Jaguar and Land Rover models, has brought its limited edition Jaguar F-Type Project 7 to SA. Only 250 units will be built and five of them have found new homes in SA.

It pays homage to the D-Type racer that inspired its design cues. The D-Type won Le Mans seven times, hence the 7 in Project 7. The ultimate F-Type derivative is the company’s most powerful production vehicle to date, with a 5.0l V8 with 423kW and 680Nm via an eight-speed automatic transmission. Power goes to the rear wheels and there is an electronically locking differential to exploit all that fiery power on the road.

Offering a 0-100km/h time of 3.9 seconds and a 300km/h top speed, the roadster features extensive carbon fibre trim including the front splitter, side skirts, boot spoiler and rear diffuser. There is a fabric roof tucked under the humped cover which, in the interests of shedding weight, manages to save 85kg over an aluminium unit.

As we have come to expect of the model, the engine sounds incredible and we had a chance to hear it being revved up at the unveiling event.

Exclusivity comes at a price and the model retails for $165,000 (R2,508,000 before import duties) in the US market, so the model is likely to cost close to R3m once all the tax and duties have been tacked on. A local spokesperson would not be drawn on the actual price tag of the model in SA, saying that the five lucky customers are not keen on publicising what they had paid for their examples.

What we do know, however, is that the first example shown at the event in Centurion, Gauteng belongs to automotive businessman and racing driver Colin Lazarus, who also runs a Jaguar Land Rover dealership, among other interests.

The Project 7 will definitely be a rare sight — in fact, I believe the cars will spend most of their time in a temperature regulated garage rather than being driven, which is a great pity. However, there is the likelihood that one will spot the vehicle at Jaguar events at some point.

If you were planning on getting your grubby paws on one of these, I am afraid the local allocation has already been accounted for. At the very least, you can place an order for the F-Type SVR, which will be the fastest regular production Jag yet with a 3.5 second 0-100km/h sprint time and a 322km/h top speed. Pricing for that model will announced closer to launch, which is earmarked around the third quarter of this year.