• Published On: 27 March 2018
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We get to sample the fastest road-legal Jaguar in production, the F-Type SVR.

Introduction

The F-Type SVR is produced by the manufacturer’s SVO (Special Vehicle Operations) brand. This variant of the already-fast F-Type only makes it faster. The car has been available to purchase in India for quite a while now, however we only got to drive one recently. This particular car is the 2018 model and we got to take it for a spin at the British car maker’s track in the United Kingdom.

The F-Type SVR was made after the SVO team built the extreme Project 7. The company realised that there was a market for a car of this nature. The company took the tweaked V8 engine from the Project 7 to begin with; this engine produces 575hp and 700Nm of torque. SVO also went ahead and tweaked the suspension at the front and rear for better performance. This model of the F-Type also features a differently tuned steering and gearbox. Furthermore, the bodywork was also made more aerodynamic to suit its more sporty nature. The SVR also comes standard with carbon fibre bits and a high performance exhaust system.

In terms of styling, the 2018 model gets minor changes in the form of revised DRLs, a new bumper and redesigned taillights.

How does it drive?

As soon as one gets into the car, you begin to notice the new light-weight seats which are decently supportive. The next thing one will notice on the inside is the InControl Touch Pro system which has much higher-resolution graphics. We headed out onto the track in Dynamic mode and pushed the accelerator pedal to the floor. This mode makes the car considerably sharper and it goes through the gears quicker. We were quite surprised by just how quick this car and the way it reached 140kph. This performance was paired nicely with a roar from the loud exhaust.

As we went off the throttle there the exhaust began to pop and crackle resulting to nice aural drama. The car is also equipped with carbon brakes which helped slow down the car extremely quickly. As soon as we were done with the first corner, we realised that model has sportier driving dynamics than the regular F-Type. The steering feels heavy and gives larger amounts of feedback. As soon as we were one lap, we began to feel unstoppable in this car. We began to carry higher speeds lap after lap and we began to realise that almost anyone can get in and drive the car on its limit.

Interestingly, the track also had section where we could test situations which included rough terrain, potholes and open manholes. The SVR managed to handle all of this with ease and this was surprising for a car with such sporty handling and dynamics.

Should I buy one?

The team at SVO have told us that they wanted to make a performance car which can also be used on a daily basis. To give them their due, they have managed to pull this off mechanically with a good balance of performance and comfort. However, the two-seater configuration does limit its everyday car capabilities to some extent.

Yes, the car isn’t as aggressive as the R, but it is a lot more composed. That doesn’t mean it is unexciting, it surely isn’t. The SVR is a fun and exciting car and the best bit is one doesn’t need to be a professional driver to get the most out of it.