Jaguar XE SV Project 8 | PH Auction Block

Less perfect Project 8s are available - but if you're after the cat's pyjamas, look no further

By Matt Bird / Wednesday, 11 November 2026 / Loading comments

The potential was there for all to see, back when the Jaguar XE launched, for a proper performance variant. Here was a rear-drive junior Jag, at last, the 3.0-litre V6 S drove brilliantly, and from Giulia to AMG there was ample competition. That a fast XE happened was not a surprise - the shock came from just how mad it was…

Nobody really expected Jaguar to make anything quite like the Project 8, which made its confirmation all the more brilliant. To call it a £150k XE still was to do the engineering effort a disservice, really; the Project 7 was miles closer to being an F-Type than the 8 was a normal Jag saloon. The headlights were moved forward to accommodate the huge front wheels and tyres, bespoke panels feature throughout (including new doors at the back because of wider rear tracks), four-wheel drive was made to fit, the dampers were competition grade, ceramic brakes were included and so on. From machined billet knuckles to the flat underfloor (to assist with actual downforce), Jaguar claimed that 75 per cent of the Project 8 was unique. For a run of 300 cars (and it’s reckoned that not even that number were made), it was an extraordinary effort. Totally mad, in fact, but that’s what makes it such a fascinating machine.

Probably Jaguar would have sold more cars if the Project 8 wasn’t so extreme (or, criminally, LHD-only), but as a demonstration of just what SVO could achieve the brief was absolutely nailed. Here was a 200mph Jaguar saloon that was also the fastest four-door on the Nurburgring; making another super-skiddy supercharged one wouldn’t have had the same impact. This was proof that Jaguar could make limited-run machines that were just as spectacular as anyone else’s.

With so few made (some estimates say not much more than 200), such an unhinged driving experience on offer and absolutely nothing like it from Jag (or any other manufacturer) ever again, Project 8s don’t come up for sale very often. Owners are too busy enjoying them - or clinging onto one of the greatest things Jaguar ever made. After all, what on earth would replace one of these?

So to have a Project 8 on offer through PH Auctions is a big deal. Especially when it's one that’s never really had its circuit-honed hardware extensively tested: this is a one-owner car, showing just 1,500 miles since first registration at the start of the decade. As good as new basically, without blemish or imperfection. If there’s a lower mileage version of the most exciting Jaguar since the XJ220 out there, we’ve not seen it.

It’s also the four-seat version, which is ideal for showing off 600hp to friends. (The two-seat one may have claimed the record, but it always felt strange to have a four-door car with no rear bench.) Some may prefer the look of the Touring, but don’t forget that version was speed-limited on account of its missing rear wing. For the full 200mph experience, this is the one to have. Along with a full Jaguar service history, this XE has had the rear suspension issue sorted under warranty and has always been kept in climate-controlled storage. At 1,531 miles, it’s as close to factory fresh as you’re going to get; an exciting prospect at any point since 2020, and never more so than now. Bidding starts on Tuesday; interest is guaranteed, the last hurrah for the supercharged Jaguar saloon signing off in epic fashion. And if miles need adding immediately, don’t forget the final Sunday Service of the year is next month…

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