The End Is Nigh For The Glorious Supercharged Jaguar V8

Perhaps we’re ultimately telling you something you easily could have guessed yourself, but to hear it from Jaguar’s chief designer is heartbreaking in itself: the supercharged V8 isn’t long for this world.

The engine that graces Alex’s long-term F-Type as well as the mighty Project 8 is on the way out, excepting a couple of final hurrahs. In an interview with Car Magazine, Ian Callum has voiced the fear most of us have harboured:

“Internal combustion, V8 in the nose, sheer horsepower, mechanical drive: I think Project 8 is the last of its kind.”

It’s not happening yet, with an F-Pace SVR scheduled for 2018 and at least one more life cycle likely across various Jaguar products. But contrasting the tired resignation with which Callum seems to speak of the V8 with the excitement he clearly feels about the all-electric I-Pace SUV, it’s clear where his heart – and Jaguar’s direction – lies. He told Car:

“The I-Pace – what a project. The most fun the company has worked on. It’s a car I’ve had in my mind for a long time; a cab-forward family car resembling a supercar, you couldn’t do it with a conventional drivetrain.

“With a short front end you can move the masses and the people forward. Jaguar and height don’t go together, but with I-Pace being an SUV gave us permission for the height.”

We’d keep the V8s if we could, frankly. Enjoy them while they last!