Arden AJ24 RS Could Be The Next Best Thing To A Jaguar XE SV Project 8

Want a high-performance version of the Jaguar XE? The SV Project 8 boasts 600 horsepower and will lap the Nürburgring in 7:21.23. But Coventry’s only making 300 of them, each carrying a price tag approaching $200k. And we’re told that there’ll be no XE SVR more readily available.

So what’s a Jag enthusiast to do if he (or she) can’t get a Project 8? Arden may have the answer. It’s called the AJ24 RS, and it may be the next best thing to Jaguar’s own compact super-sedan.

It may not have 600 horsepower or a V8, but Arden has managed to coax the 3.0-liter supercharged V8 up to 463 horsepower (345 kW) and 430 lb-ft (583 Nm) of torque. That’s 84 more horses (62 kW) and 98 lb-ft (133 Nm) more than stock. And while the German tuner hasn’t released performance figures, you can bet it’ll beat the 4.2 seconds in which the standard XE S can hustle to 62 mph (100 km/h) from a standstill – even if it doesn’t quite match the SV Project 8’s quoted time of 3.3 seconds to 60.

Along with the upgraded engine, Arden has fitted a full aero kit, including new front splitter, rear apron, rear spoiler, side sills, hood, and wheel arches. Into those enlarged apertures, it’s fitted a new set of 20-inch forged alloys. And the interior, as is often the case with these custom mod-jobs, can be outfitted to the customer’s specifications.

The end result looks like a compact Jaguar sedan utterly transformed. A Project 8 it may not quite be, but it strikes us as a pretty compelling alternative… and one you may actually be able to acquire.