If you're into classic cars, chances are the XK-E is up there in your favorites list. Some question the appeal and importance of the E-Type, but the 2015 Jaguar LWE Lightweight E-Type is far from the '60s original.
Compared to the Malcolm Sayer-designed E-Type Series I, the Lightweight E-Type is a highly collectible car. An evolution of the Low Drag Coupé, the British manufacturer built only twelve LWE in the 1960s.
An extra six chassis numbers were allocated but were never built for a reason that doesn't matter. This is where the awe-inspiring 2015 Jaguar LWE Lightweight E-Type comes on the scene, with its aluminum body.
Why did Jaguar decide to resurrect a 52-year-old design half a century after production of the LWE has stopped? It's not like modern production facilities and motor vehicle standards mirror those from the 1960s.
The reason Jaguar built six of these beauties is that the company wanted to celebrate the founding of its SVO (Special Vehicle Operations) skunkworks division with a blast, one that can't be mirrored by the rest of the sports car manufacturers, not even Ferrari.
Could you imagine the Prancing Horse of Maranello building a 2015 Ferrari 250 GTO? We can't either. All the more reason we have to hand it down to Jaguar for this awesome initiative.
Building a 52-year-old design today saw Jaguar reverse-engineer many of the components. That's not a joke, even though it is hard to see the differences between the 2,292 lbs (1,039 kg) Lightweight E-Type in the adjacent video and photo gallery and the original from 1963-1964.
And no, this £1 million ($1.5 million) leaping cat isn't a recreation but a bespoke machine with magnificence running through its veins. 114 kilograms (205 lbs) lighter than the production Series 1, this baby is animated by a 3.8-liter all-aluminum XK6 straight-six with a wide-angled head and Lucas mechanical injection.
With 340 horsepower produced at 6,250 rpm, the modern LWE is approved by the FIA due to the fact it's built to period correct specs. Curious how this majestic feline sounds? Then press play and enjoy the splendor of this British time capsule on wheels.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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