After the seeming debacle that was Jaguar’s brand reveal, on which I provided my thoughts this week, I started wondering whether all the buzz might lead to a slight surge of interest in older Jags. Since our focus is on collectible cars at Wolf and Mare, I wondered what cars might be considered “peak Jaguar” and therefore worthy of modern collectible status. In today’s Good Find Friday, I’m highlighting two cars that I believe qualify for this title and are on the market to buy right now.

Jaguar has a heritage of performance, with its XK120 being the fastest production car at the time of its introduction, its C-type taking 1st at LeMans, and its D-type race car dominating LeMans 3 years in a row. And those are just my top of mind examples.

While Jaguar of late has followed the necessary trend of focusing on SUVs to drive sales, that didn’t stop them from releasing a number of high-performance versions of sports cars and sedans to engage enthusiasts. Below you’ll find my choices for the most desirable modern Jags (excluding continuation models of the C-Type and E-Type, which may be arguably the most desirable of all).

The Jaguar F-Type Project 7, introduced in 2014 to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the D-Type race car, is a limited-edition roadster inspired by Jaguar’s racing heritage. Powered by a 5.0-liter supercharged V8 engine with 575 horsepower, it can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 3.8 seconds and reach a top speed of 186 mph. Featuring a unique design with an asymmetrical roll hoop, advanced suspension, and lightweight materials, the Project 7 delivers thrilling performance on both road and track. Only 250 units were produced, making it a rare collector’s item.

The Jaguar XE Project 8 is a high-performance, limited-edition version of the XE sedan, developed by Jaguar’s Special Vehicle Operations (SVO) division. It is powered by a 5.0-liter supercharged V8 engine delivering 592 horsepower and 516 lb-ft of torque, enabling a 0-60 mph time of 3.3 seconds and a top speed of 200 mph. The Project 8 features advanced suspension, carbon fiber body elements, and a rear-wheel-drive layout for optimized performance on both road and track. Only 300 units were produced, making it a rare, exclusive model.

The Jaguar XKR-S GT is a track-focused, limited-edition version of the beautiful XKR. Powered by a 5.0-liter supercharged V8 engine producing 550 horsepower and 502 lb-ft of torque, it can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 3.9 seconds and has a top speed of 186 mph. The XKR-S GT features advanced suspension, carbon ceramic brakes, and an enhanced aerodynamics package, including a prominent rear wing for increased downforce. With only 175 units produced, it’s a rare cat.

The Jaguar XJR575 is a high-performance version of the XJ luxury sedan, powered by a 5.0-liter supercharged V8 engine producing 575 horsepower and 517 lb-ft of torque. It accelerates from 0 to 60 mph in 4.2 seconds, with a top speed of 174 mph. The XJR575 features a sport-tuned suspension, unique exterior styling with “575” badging, and a refined interior with advanced technology. It was the most powerful and dynamic model in the XJ lineup, blending performance with luxury.

For this week’s Good Find Friday post, I performed a wide search to see if any of these special high-performance models are currently available in the United States. I was successful in finding one of them currently on offer via auction. While no XKR-S GT cars are currently on the market, I did find the next best thing. Read on till the end for that one.

Today’s Good Find Friday car is one of only 32 Jaguar XE Project 8 cars imported to the United States out of the 300 total built, making it a rare sight on the road and an infrequent listing in the marketplace. This car is currently on auction with Bring a Trailer with 4 days remaining on the listing.

Painted in Velocity Blue, this example shows 14,000 miles on its odometer and its exterior condition appears to be in very good nick, as the Brits say. It is unclear whether the front fascia of the car is simply dusty or is exhibiting light wear in the form of small chips from road use.

The interior appears to be immaculate, with the Alcantara surfaces in fine unblemished condition. Deviated stitching accents an otherwise black interior. There is some light wear on the door sill plastic. The rear of the beautiful sport seats appear to be in very nice condition. 

The underside of the car including the alloy multi link suspension components appear relatively clean with a few scrapes here and there. Plastic brake ducting, a very cool feature, also appears to be intact and uncracked on all four corners. My understanding is that the Eibach sport springs are a factory installation, but if someone out there knows different, let me know in the comments. Much of the chassis is covered by aerodynamic paneling.

The car’s 20 inch black alloy wheels appear to be clean with no curb rash, but could probably use a detailing as they show some halos from cleaning.

While I’ve never had the opportunity to drive a Jaguar XE SV Project 8 myself, I have watched countless videos of these cars and they are incredible performers. At the time, they set the fastest Nürburgring time for a 4-door sedan. One might consider the interior to be a touch staid, the rear wing a bit ostentatious, and the BMW shift lever does appear a little lifted from the parts bin.

Harry Metcalfe, of Harry’s Garage fame, famously owns a Merlin Purple Project 8. He’s done a number of track visit and long tour videos with that car, proving it’s an enjoyable car to own and drive in addition to being a collectible.

Values for Jaguar XE SV Project 8 cars seem to be holding relatively steady over the last 4 years, with an average price of $126,000 or so. In general, cars in the USA seem to bring a little more money due to their overall rarity here, but you can still find cars with big retail price tags in Europe, such as this one listed by CarJager for €169,000.

Update 12/2/24: This 2019 Jaguar XE Project 8 sold on Bring a Trailer for $141,000 or $146,000 after the platform’s buyer’s premium.

While searching for interesting Jags, I came across this very pretty Jaguar XKR-S in Italian Racing Red for sale in Utah. It’s currently listed for $58,000. The same car sold for $54,000 on Bring a Trailer two years ago, and prices for these cars are generally in decline rather than rising or staying flat, as for the Project 8.

This particular car has just 10,000 miles and is one of less than 1000 built for the entire world, making it a rare variant of one of Jaguar’s most beautiful and potent sports GT cars. If you are looking for a rare Jaguar but can’t pull together the $100K+ needed for a project 8 or the $150K+ needed for a Project 7, the Jaguar XKR-S might be a nice choice. Just be aware that you’re probably looking at an asset that may still be depreciating, at least in the near term.

Have a great Thanksgiving weekend, everyone.

Wolf and Mare provides car finding, appraisal and auction services for sellers and buyers of collector European cars. We also provide importation services. Give us a call or drop us a line!