We couldn’t possibly omit the Jaguar F-Type Project 7 from our series on road cars derived from GTs raced at Le Mans. The car evokes the British marque’s outstanding sporting past and pays tribute to its seven outright Le Mans victories (hence the 7 in its name). However, it is not strictly speaking a spin-off of a Le Mans car because the F-Type has never taken part in the world’s greatest twice-round-the-clock race. Nonetheless the Project 7 version has some distinct motorsport traits, clearly inspired by endurance racing.

Mention Jaguar race cars and the D-Type instantly comes to mind. It is the car that took Mike Hawthorn and Ivor Bueb to the top of the podium at the 1955 24 Hours. The feat was repeated the next year by Ninian Sanderson and Ron Flockhart, and again by Ron Flockhart and Ivor Bueb in 1957, thus completing a hat-trick of wins. Jaguar went on to produce the Jaguar XKSS, derived from the D-Type with the XK 3453 cc engine delivering 250 bhp and a top speed of 149 mph. A car that certainly wouldn’t have looked out of place on a starting grid…

60 years after the D-Type’s launch, Jaguar felt it was time to revive this spirit. Cue the Project 7 concept, first unveiled at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in 2013. The next year, Jaguar commissioned its Special Vehicle Operations division to take the F-Type and come up with a modern car evoking the D-Type. The outcome is a simply astonishing two-seater coupé in sharply designed all-aluminium package. The fairing that swoops rearwards from behind the driver’s head is an obvious tribute to the D-Type, while under the bonnet we find a 5-litre V8 engine with output of 567 horsepower. The car dashes from 0 to 60 mph in just 3.8 seconds, making it the most powerful production Jaguar to date.
 

Inspired by the iconic #Dtype, the #FTYPE #Project7 is #Jaguar’s fastest and most powerful production model to date. pic.twitter.com/YQHm04zBTw

— Jaguar (@Jaguar) 22 décembre 2015

Only 250 units of this contemporary embodiment of the ultimate race car were produced. Customers were able to personalise a number of features and were given a choice of five colours: Ultra Blue, Caldera Red, British Racing Green (all with white decal options), Glacier White and Ultimate Black, (both with grey decal options). It is an extraordinary car that will no doubt become a collector’s item in the future. In the meantime, both AC/DC singer Brian Johnson and David Beckham have added one to their already enviable fleets.
 

Our distinctive design runs deep. #Project7 #Dtype pic.twitter.com/DwWGSqOP0w

— Jaguar (@Jaguar) 20 juillet 2015

Geoffroy Barre | Translated from French by Clair Pickworth

Photo: the Jaguar F-Type Project 7 is the spiritual successor to the legendary D-Type that took three consecutive wins at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.