Jaguar to build F-Type Project 7

Jaguar chose the annual Goodwood Festival of Speed at the famous track in England to reveal plans for a production run of hand-built roadsters based on the Project 7 concept car that was unveiled at the same event in 2013.

The F-Type Project 7 pays homage to seven overall Le Mans victories by Jaguar, with distinctive design cues inspired by the D-type, which celebrates its 60th anniversary this year, according to John Edwards, managing director of Jaguar Land Rover Special Operations, where the car will be built.

It will be produced in an exclusive, limited-edition run of up to 250 units globally.

With a 575-horsepower, 5.0-litre supercharged V-8 engine, it's the most powerful production Jaguar vehicle ever built. It drives the rear wheels through an eight-speed Quickshift transmission and second-generation electronic active differential and is said to accelerate from 0-to-100 km/h in just 3.9 seconds. Top speed is estimated at 300 km/h.

Other high-performance features include carbon ceramic matrix

(CCM) brakes and torque vectoring by braking (TVbB), to enable extremely precise handling.

The sleek all-aluminum body, which helps limit total mass to just 1585 kg, is complemented by exclusive carbon-fibre aerodynamic aids and a unique suspension set-up.

Key design elements include the D-type-inspired fairing behind the driver, a new front bumper, and downforce-increasing aerodynamic modifications – including a carbon-fibre front air splitter, side skirts, rear diffuser and adjustable rear spoiler. Nort-American-spec cars will feature a full-height windshield and the car's soft top will be fully removable.

First customer deliveries are scheduled to begin in mid-2015.