If you didn’t know about the British automaker Jaguar, you probably do now. It has been in the spotlight recently after announcing a complete re-brand. Marked by a leaping Jaguar badge, the brand has always been bold, but now, they’re taking it to the extremes – axing its existing lineup entirely in favor of new ultra-luxury electric vehicles. While it may be a stroke of genius, the internet is filled with hatred for the minimalist fonts and new cars that may alienate potential buyers. Regardless, we must not forget the brand’s heritage. Despite only making a few, Jaguar sports cars are timeless. As a farewell to Jag as we know it, we’ve listed some of them below.
Jaguar
Jaguar is a premium car manufacturer from the UK, currently owned by the broader Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) group. Originally a producer of motorcycle sidecars from 1922 (under the name Swallow Sidecar Company), the manufacturer later moved to the production of passenger car bodies under the ownership of SS Cars from 1935. In 1945, SS Cars was renamed to Jaguar Cars. The manufacturer has a historic back catalog of vehicles, notably the XK, E-Type, and XJ220, with modern hits including the F-Type and F-Pace. Jaguar has pledged to become an all-electric automaker starting in 2025, with production of all combustion cars ceasing early in 2024. The brand has launched an all-new identity for its future as an electric luxury automaker.
- Founded
- September 1935
- Founder
- Sir William Lyons, SS Cars
- Headquarters
- Coventry, United Kingdom
- Owned By
- Jaguar Land Rover (JLR)
- Current CEO
- Adrian Mardell
Some of the cars on this list were very limited production, or concept cars recently made road-legal. Jaguar is best known for its luxury vehicles fit for the Royal Family, so there are few Jaguar sports car models. Nonetheless, the marque has some remarkable vehicles in its history books.
We list these models based on top speed, from slowest to quickest. As Jaguar has relatively few genuine, traditional sports cars throughout its history, we have included variations of sporty Jaguars like concepts and high-performance sedans.
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1 Jaguar E-Type
Top Speed: 150 MPH
|
Jaguar E-Type Performance Specs |
|
|---|---|
|
Engine |
5.3-liter V12 |
|
Horsepower | Torque |
272 hp | 304 lb-ft |
|
Top Speed |
150 mph |
|
0-60 |
6.9 seconds |
The E-Type is undoubtedly Jaguar’s sexiest sports car, with Enzo Ferrari famously dubbing it “the most beautiful sports car in the world”. Charming good looks aside, it has the performance figures to back it up. A Series 1 E-Type featured a 3.8-liter six-cylinder engine before being blessed with the V12 in 1971, upsetting some purists. With some pristine examples fetching millions, it’s no surprise many rich and famous faces have owned an E-type, including Steve McQueen and Frank Sinatra.
2 Jaguar XKSS
Top Speed: 150 MPH
|
Jaguar XKSS Performance Specs |
|
|---|---|
|
Engine |
3.4-liter 6-cylinder |
|
Horsepower | Torque |
262 hp | 240 lb-ft |
|
Top Speed |
150 mph |
|
0-60 |
5.2 seconds |
This car wasn’t planned, but it became desirable, then a further accident caused it to be rare, too. When Jaguar stopped racing the D-type in 1956, it had a few extra chassis’ in the factory that were too beautiful to waste. Instead of tossing them, Jaguar added a passenger seat, weather protection, and a few other essential modifications to make it a road-going car. Thankfully, it kept the Le Mans winning engine. While all the chassis were converted, some didn’t leave the factory before a fire ripped through and ruined them. Thus, the 16 survivors are worth a pretty penny.
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3 Jaguar XKR Coupe
Top Speed: 155 MPH
|
Jaguar XKR Performance Specs |
|
|---|---|
|
Engine |
5.0-liter Supercharged V8 |
|
Horsepower | Torque |
510 hp | 461 lb-ft |
|
Top Speed |
155 mph |
|
0-60 |
4.6 seconds |
The Jaguar XKR cleverly combines the best aspects of sports cars and a grand tourer to create a practical and powerful car that looks stunning. It has typical GT styling with a long bonnet, low stance and sloping roofline at the rear. Underneath its long nose is a supercharged V8 producing 510 hp. To the disappointment of many sports car enthusiasts, the XKR was only available with a six-speed automatic. However, there are many automatic sports cars that won’t make you miss a stick shift.
4 Jaguar Project 7
Top Speed: 186 MPH
|
Jaguar Project 7 Performance Specs |
|
|---|---|
|
Engine |
5.0-liter supercharged V8 |
|
Horsepower | Torque |
567 hp | 520 lb-ft |
|
Top Speed |
186 mph |
|
0-60 |
3.8 seconds |
Largely based on the F-Type, the Project 7 is one of the most powerful Jag sports car ever made. Only 250 of these special editions were produced to celebrate Jaguar’s success in 24-hours Le Mans history. Though it looks like an F-type with some stickers, it pays homage to the D-type racing cars through a unique roof styled exclusively for this model. Putting their name on the map, the Special Vehicle Operations (SVO) team unlocked the potential of the supercharged V8 for the Project 7, unleashing a thunderous 567 hp, taking the car to 60 mph from a standstill in just 3.8 seconds.
5 Jaguar XJR-15
Top Speed: 191 MPH
|
Jaguar XJR-15 Performance Specs |
|
|---|---|
|
Engine |
6.0-liter V12 |
|
Horsepower | Torque |
450 hp | 420 lb-ft |
|
Top Speed |
191 mph |
|
0-60 |
3.9 seconds |
Very few of these gorgeous sports cars were ever produced. Looking similar to a ’90s Honda NSX, the XJR-15 was the first car to wear a carbon fiber body. The 6.0-liter V12 produced 450 hp, but anyone who’s wrestled one around a track, notably Tiff Needell, describes it as “nasty” due to poor handling. These Jaguars very rarely come up for sale, but one was listed for £1.45 million (around $1.8 million) in 2022.
6 Jaguar F-Type SVR
Top Speed: 200 MPH
|
Jaguar F-Type SVR Performance Specs |
|
|---|---|
|
Engine |
5.0-liter supercharged V8 |
|
Horsepower | Torque |
575 hp | 516 lb-ft |
|
Top Speed |
200 mph |
|
0-60 |
3.5 seconds |
As Jaguar’s only true sports car for the last few years, the F-type is a modern day E-type. Sharp styling, flared rear wheel arches and bonnet vents are irresistible, with a supercharged V8 in the Jaguar F-Type SVR echoing through a sports exhaust gets the heart pumping for drivers and on-lookers alike. Its timeless design means the last F-type that rolled off the production line recently will always be appealing. More fuel-efficient versions are available with smaller engines, but they’ll still satisfy the most power-hungry enthusiasts.
7 Jaguar XE Project 8
Top Speed: 200 MPH
|
Jaguar XE Project 8 Performance Specs |
|
|---|---|
|
Engine |
5.0-liter Supercharged V8 |
|
Horsepower | Torque |
592 hp | 516 lb-ft |
|
Top Speed |
200 mph |
|
0-60 |
3.3 seconds |
Another magnificent Jaguar sports car from SVR is the Project 8. Though it’s built on the Jaguar XE platform, which we know isn’t sporty, Project 8 is a hardcore, stripped-out track weapon. After setting a new lap record for a four-door production car at the Nürburgring with a time of 7 minutes and 18.361 seconds in 2019, it’s sad to think Jaguar will never build another V8 sedan like this again. It was first launched in 2017 with production limited to 300 models globally.
8 Jaguar XJ220
Top Speed: 212 MPH
|
Jaguar XJ220 Performance Specs |
|
|---|---|
|
Engine |
3.5-liter twin-turbo V6 |
|
Horsepower | Torque |
542 hp | 475 lb-ft |
|
Top Speed |
212 mph |
|
0-60 |
3.6 seconds |
Arguably a supercar, the XJ220 became the fastest production vehicle by achieving a speed of 212 mph, until the McLaren F1 made an appearance. It’s a legend in its own right, helped by technology from Jaguar’s sports cars competing in Le Mans. Though many fans wished the XJ220 received a V12 engine like the E-type did, it stuck with the respectable 3.5-liter twin Garret turbocharged engine.
9 Jaguar C-X75
Top Speed: 220 MPH
|
Jaguar C-X75 Performance Specs |
|
|---|---|
|
Engine |
1.6-liter supercharged turbo hybrid |
|
Horsepower | Torque |
880 hp | 738 lb-ft |
|
Top Speed |
220 mph |
|
0-60 |
Under 3 seconds |
This prototype vehicle starred in the James Bond Spectre movie, chasing an Aston Martin through the narrow streets of Rome. We’re used to movies exaggerating car chase scenes, but the small 1.6-liter engine has a twin-scroll supercharger, turbocharger and electric motors to give it 880 hp. So, this could in fact keep up with a DB10. Just when we thought this Jaguar supercar was dead, Callum brought it back to life with a 5.0-liter supercharged V8 transplant.
Sources:
Jaguar
