One-off manufacturer projects are hard to read into. One one hand, something like the bizarre Honda Civic Type R ute from earlier this year could be seen as a purposeless marketing exercise designed to get motoring media commentators on their keyboards. On the other hand, projects like that represent a rare opportunity for engineers and designers to truly let their hair down and do something silly.
It's Jaguar who are the latest to reveal a new one-off car. And unlike a Civic Type R with a husked out rear lined with diamond plate and housing some lawn mowers, this is actually quite a neat thing with a bit of history thrown in.
It's a Jaguar F-Type, but perhaps not as you know it — as evidenced in the above photo by the gravel spewing out from each corner and the left-front wheel that's cocked in the air, pointing at the clouds.
And unlike most one-off cars, there's ... errr ... two of them.
They don't come with names or anything too fancy attached. Instead they simply carry some paint-scheme design cues from the F-Type Chequered Flag Limited Edition, and a raft of FIA-specification rallying fun bits.
Click here to read our full road test of the Jaguar F-Type SVR
The two cars come equipped with Jaguar's 220kW 2.0-litre four petrol-powered four-popper engine, although now a new limited-slip differential helps the ease in which that power hits the ground. The potent little unit and LSD are supported by uprated brakes (grooved discs with four-piston calipers all round), softened suspension with a 40mm lift and hand-built three-way adjustable dampers, a roll cage with six-point harness, and the inevitable bonnet-mounted light pod. Super cool.
In addition to simply looking like a big bucket of fun on four wheels, these rally cars also pay homage to Jaguar's rallying history. Specifically, Jaguar says, to the history of 'NUB 120' — that being the plate number of the Jaguar XK 120 that completed three Alpine Rallies in a row without fault before winning the RAC and Tulip rallies.
All in the capable hands of rally driver Ian Appleyard. Today, he earns the title for owning the most quintessentially British name.
"The opportunity to design a rally car doesn’t come along very often so I was fascinated to see how we could take our modern day sports car to a similar character," said Director of Design at Jaguar, Ian Callum.
"These models are a fitting tribute to the XK 120 and all the great Jaguar sports cars since its reveal 70 years ago, including the latest F-TYPE Chequered Flag Limited Edition."
Sadly neither rally car is available for sale. Nor will they be used in competition. Alas, Jaguar's press release instead directs attention to the Chequered Flag Limited Edition F-Type as a point of interest.
Maybe my inner cynic was right, and this was about selling cars after all...
