Monday 7th March 2011

Limited Run For 21st Century E-Type

Swedish re-imagining of classic coupe set for production

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Anniversaries can throw up all sorts of bizarreness and the 50th birthday year of the Jaguar E-Type is proving no exception, as Swedish firm Visualtech has announced bold plans to build its 21st century take on the E-Type.

It's called the 'Growler' (stop sniggering at the back there), and Visualtech wants to have its first one ready for delivery by summer next year.

The Growler is based on the current Jaguar XKR's running gear, but will use a remapped version of the Jag's 5.0-litre supercharged V8, tweaked to produce 600bhp. That should be enough, predicts Visualtech, to do the 0-60mph sprint in less than 4.0secs.

The chassis will be made from carbon fibre, with metal spaceframes at either end, and a composite body to top the whole thing off.

Getting a Growler in your garage won't be a cheap experience, mind. Depending on how many people want one, the price of the car could range between £420k and an eye-watering £850k.

Currently Visualtech can build up to four cars at any one time, with each car expected to take around six months to complete. If demand is sufficiently brisk, however, the firm could look to outsource production to professional third-party coachbuilders.

[Johnspex]

I'll have the grey one please.

[kambites]

Those wheels look awful. It needs some tyre sidewall.

Quite nice otherwise, though.

[ZOLLAR]

"Growler"

[Roberty]

Johnspex said:

I'll have the grey one please.

I'll take the camoflagued one with the huge Canards!

[W00DY]

THUD.

Euromillions better stop fking me over this week.

[fathomfive]

ZOLLAR said:

"Growler"

quality name.

Those wheels are fecking stupid though. Fecking, fecking stupid.

[JMC1]

Leave it in the past where it belongs as a beautiful classic car and a British world beater of its day.
Or are we going to start making and flying new Spitfire's as well.

[renrut]

I'd never really consider a big cat to growl. Dog or bear yes but cat no. Of course then you end up with the consequence of a pussy never being a growler...

[tonym911]

Just great. They might need to sell 'em quick though if Jaguar ever gets round to doing their own 21st century E-type.

[Podie]

ohpleaseohpleaseohplease...

[team will]

To hairy for me!

[team will]

[DanBMW]

Lines are nice, but the wheels are too big and look stupid and not sure on the front lights.

[Cacatous]

I love the wheels! In fact I like everything but the name.

Why do they have to use such exotic materials? How about hand beaten aluminium or steel bodywork on a tubular chassis?

There is a large movement in the cycling world towards carbon fibre but a lot of hand built bikes are still made of steel or titanium.

[richb77]

If money was no object i'd have one of these sitting next to my "new" Stratos

[bakerjuk]

I think that is a beautiful thing.
I can see styling cues from a Datsun 240z which is no bad thing at all.

If only we had more cars that looked like this.

[ArtVandelay]

Front end looks more like a Bristol Fighter than the E-Type. Don't like it at all actually.

[johnhenry]

POTW at all please?

[Pistachio]

Produce cars in just over one year…be amazing of they can do it when they haven't done it before. Good Luck

[robinessex]

Yea, put original style single headlamps, and I'll buy. Why the hell didn't Jag do this years ago ?