Jaguar to Build 567 HP Retro-Styled Custom Roadster

Last year Jaguar showed off the F-Type Project 7 concept car at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, and this year the brand is back with the production version.

Jaguar will build just 250 Project 7 F-Types, each of which will sell for £135,000. This will be the very first vehicle to arrive from Jaguar’s new Special Operations division, a tuning arm of the company that is looking to take on the likes of the AMG brand from Mercedes and M from BMW.

Under the hood, a 5.0-liter supercharged V8 that makes 567 hp is fitted, offering about 20 more horsepower than the standard F-Type R. Power is routed through an eight-speed automatic, allowing a 0 to 62 mph sprint in 3.9 seconds. Top speed is limited at 186 mph, and Jaguar says that while running flat out, the Project 7 has 177 percent more downforce than the F-Type convertible.

SEE ALSO: Jaguar F-Type Project 7 Concept Video, First Look

That added downward pressure comes courtesy of new bodywork on this car, including a new front splitter, rear diffuser, fixed rear wing and larger side skirts. Unlike the concept car, the production version features two seats and a removable fabric roof that can be clipped on or off. Some things do carry over directly from that concept car though, including the large hump behind the driver’s head and the four-point racing harness. The windshield is also made slightly lower.

To help this car handle, Jag’s Special Operations have revised the spring and damper settings along with adding torque vectoring by braking and adaptive dampers. Carbon-ceramic brakes come as standard fare on this car, while unique front suspension knuckles and anti-roll bars are also fitted.

The Project 7 pays homage to Jaguar’s past. The 7 in the name represents Jaguar’s seven wins at Le Mans, while the looks are taken from the brand’s classic D-Type.

The head of Jaguar’s new Special Operations division, John Edwards, expects to sell the car all over the world, including in the U.S. However, when the car arrives here, the specifications may differ slightly from the British model.

Deliveries will start in mid-2015.