Jaguar F-TYPE Project 7

THE DESIGN STORY

BY IAN CALLUM

IN THE DRIVING SEAT WITH MIKE CROSS

PULL-OUT AND KEEP POSTER

F-TYPE P R O J E C T 7

UNDER THE SKIN OF PROJECT 7

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“THE NEW JAGUAR F-TYPE PROJECT 7 IS THE TYPE OF CAR THAT HOT-BLOODED TEENAGERS AND SEASONED SPORTS CAR ENTHUSIASTS ALIKE FANTASISE ABOUT, WITH THE KIND OF RACINGINSPIRED FORM THAT AUTOMOTIVE DESIGNERS PEN IN THEIR DREAMS. BUT THIS CAR IS NOT A DREAM OR A FANTASY. IT IS A FULLY-FLEDGED, LIMITED-EDITION PRODUCTION CAR, EXCLUSIVELY BUILT TO OFFER STUNNING LEVELS OF PERFORMANCE AND STYLE ON THE ROAD, AND THE PUREST ESSENCE OF A TRULY LEGENDARY JAGUAR RACE CAR.” Ian Callum

Director of Design, Jaguar

JAGUAR

THE SPIRIT LIVES ON What makes a Jaguar sports car talked about for generations to come? The answer is a blend of priceless heritage, cutting-edge capability and unparalleled performance.

Jaguar D-type A design icon that won the famous Le Mans endurance race three times.

2014 is the 60th anniversary of the D-type.

Jaguar F-TYPE Introduced in 2012, the World Car Design awardwinning F-TYPE is available in Convertible and CoupĂŠ form. Fast, agile and intuitive, it is a true Jaguar sports car for the modern era.

Jaguar F-TYPE Project 7 Inspired by the spirit of the D-type, this exclusive new roadster offers benchmark performance and a visceral, exhilarating driving experience.

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IAN CALLUM

Modern, purposeful and with a stance that screams intent: Jaguar's Director of Design explains why the F-TYPE Project 7 is the perfect contemporary embodiment of the iconic D-type.

Where did the idea for the F-TYPE Project 7 come from? It’s not your typical Jaguar, is it?

Part of the Director of Design’s job is to instigate new ideas and even disrupt conventional thinking sometimes. So when one of my design team came up with the idea of evolving an F-TYPE to reveal what a modern-day D-type might look like, I took one look at the designs and just said, ‘We’ve got to build it.’

I never expected the reaction to the Project 7 concept car to be as great as it was. When we took it to the Goodwood Festival and Pebble Beach Concours last year, people just got it immediately, the whole idea just took off. And it wasn’t just an older generation. Young kids got it, too. They saw it as a purposeful driver’s car. That’s the power of creating something without asking too many questions. I’m always of the view that you should ask for forgiveness not permission!

Normally it’s a big leap from concept to production car. This somehow feels very different.

Yes, absolutely. When we designed the concept version we never had any idea that it would be considered as a production car, so we weren’t obliged at that stage to worry about legislative requirements.

I’m glad we didn’t know then we

would build it, however, as those things might have constrained us.

The joy of Project 7 is that it is a pure design and that meant we had a brilliant set of parameters to stick to with the production version. We’ve managed to get it to production stage as close as possible to the original concept. The only obvious cosmetic changes are things like the passenger rollover hoop for crash protection, and we tweaked certain parts of the body to improve the aerodynamic efficiency.

Of course, it’s not your average production car.

What does it represent in terms of its design and presence?

Well, just look at it! I love some of the design touches my team have brought to it. The roundels on the side of the car are a perfect illustration of that. I really approve of the idea of putting something like that on a road car. I think it’s so edgy. There’s something a little bit rebellious about it – the spirit of a race car for the road.

What does Project 7 say about the ambition of Jaguar as a company going forwards?

That’s simple: this is a hugely emotive car – the perfect machine to get out of the garage on a Sunday afternoon and just drive for the sheer joy of it. It has a simplicity and poise to it and I don’t believe Jaguar has had a chance to create a car like this for a long time. It’s a very special car for a special time in our history.

JAGUAR

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Torque Vectoring

by Braking

Unique carbon fibre aerodynamic bodywork

575PS, 5.0-litre supercharged V8 engine

Bespoke suspension hardware/tune

Carbon Ceramic Matrix brakes

JAGUAR

MIKE CROSS

Jaguar's Chief Engineer, Vehicle Integrity, on the advanced, bespoke engineering that makes F-TYPE Project 7 the pinnacle of controlled, rewarding performance.

You've engineered some incredibly dynamic Jaguars. What was the development goal for Project 7?

We had a very clear idea of exactly where we wanted to get to with Project 7, and very carefully engineered our way there. We wanted to take the ingredients that make the F-TYPE convertible such a success – a small, light two-seater with an extremely stiff body – and use them to exceed the performance metrics of any other Jaguar road car.

The result is a very focused and responsive expression of the F-TYPE, with a real dynamic and visual difference. Project 7 is extremely fast and immensely capable. In fact, it’s the fastest production Jaguar ever. That counts for something.

Take us through the key engineering changes You’ll see plenty of new aerodynamic elements such as the front splitter, wheel spats, diffuser and rear wing, all to create extra downforce and deliver it in the most balanced manner.

We’ve also engineered bespoke suspension for Project 7; the springs and dampers have a unique tune, and there’s more camber in the front knuckle.

The 5.0-litre engine has been tuned for even more power, with fuelling and mapping changes unleashing another 25PS, and the Quickshift transmission shift points have been recalibrated to suit.

The Electronic Active Differential and Torque Vectoring by Braking are also in a unique state of tune; together they maximise stability, traction, turn-in and overall agility. And, of course, the Carbon Ceramic Matrix disc brakes offer all the stopping power you'll ever need, with remarkable fade-free consistency.

How do all these engineering upgrades translate into handling improvements?

The tune and stiffness of the chassis, the aerodynamic modifications and the 80kg weight reduction all make a tangible difference. Less weight means less inertia, so it responds and changes direction more quickly. Plus, the real downforce generated is a control enabler for dynamics. As a result, Project 7 corners flatter, giving you immediate control and a great sense of agility. It feels really connected. It's very precise, you can place the car exactly where you want to.

The big question: what’s it like from behind the wheel?

F-TYPE Project 7 is emphatically not a GT-style road car! F-TYPE is a great sports car, and Project 7 builds on that. The more you demand of it, the more it rewards you. And with that open top and visceral exhaust note, it’s just an exhilarating drive.

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7 F-TYPE PROJECT

Photographer

is not only the most focused derivative of the award-winning F-TYPE range, but is also the fastest and most powerful production Jaguar ever built.

The first Jaguar performance vehicle from Jaguar Land Rover’s new Special Operations team, the fully roadlegal F-TYPE Project 7 will be produced in an exclusive, limited-edition run of up to 250 units.

Its distinctive roadster body, introduced in concept form last summer, pays tribute to one of the most famous and iconic racing Jaguars: the three-time Le Mans-winning D-type, which in 2014 is celebrating its 60th anniversary year. F-TYPE Project 7’s name pays homage to Jaguar’s seven outright Le Mans wins.

F-TYPE Project 7’s power comes from Jaguar’s acclaimed 5.0-litre supercharged V8 engine, now in 575PS/680Nm form, enabling the all-aluminiumbodied car – which weighs in at 1585kg – to accelerate from 0-60mph in 3.8 seconds (0-100km/h in 3.9 seconds) and reach an electronically-limited top speed of 186mph (300km/h).

Power is sent to the rear wheels through Jaguar’s eight-speed Quickshift transmission and second generation Electronic Active Differential. Carbon Ceramic Matrix brakes, available as an option on the F-TYPE R Coupé, are fitted as standard on F-TYPE Project 7, offering powerful, consistent, fade-free braking.

Another standard feature is Torque Vectoring

by Braking, which intelligently and rapidly applies

John Wycherley

precise amounts of braking force to individual wheels to accurately sharpen the car’s line through a corner. Working in conjunction with the Electronic Active Differential and Dynamic Stability Control, it enables extremely precise, agile handling. A bespoke suspension set-up enables F-TYPE Project 7 to deliver a truly engaging driving experience.

The performance-focused engineering by Special Vehicle Operations – the engineering and vehicle division of Special Operations – is complemented by design that has been kept true to the headturning lines of the original Project 7 concept.

While F-TYPE Project 7’s key ‘heartlines’ remain those of the World Car Design Award-winning F-TYPE sports car, new design elements include the D-type-inspired fairing behind the driver’s head, shorter windshield, new front bumper, and aerodynamic modifications – including a carbonfibre front splitter, side skirts, rear diffuser and adjustable rear spoiler – that increase downforce by 177% over the standard F-TYPE convertible.

A Bimini roof has been specially designed for F-TYPE Project 7. It clips on to the convertible header rail, and can be conveniently folded and, when not in use, stowed in the boot area – which offers 196 litres of load space.

The single-seater concept has been transformed into a two-seater, with rollover hoops for both driver and passenger integrated into the design. The occupants of F-TYPE Project 7 sit in lightweight race-inspired bucket seats, which are finished in a quilted racing-style diamond pattern. Each car will sport a specially numbered plaque, located between the two seats, signed by Director of Design Ian Callum.

JAGUAR

“Performance-focused engineering is complemented by head-turning design�

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