Jaguar Land Rover Establishes Special Operations Unit

Jaguar Project 7 (Credit: © Jaguar)

If you are a big fan of Jaguars and Land Rovers, the latest news from the company should put a huge smile on your face. The Special Operations unit will be somewhat like how AMG is to Mercedes, producing crazy bespoke vehicles for customers as well as pushing the performance boundaries of various models by employing various mad scientists. The team of 150 specialists will also work on restoring vintage SUVs and cars, helping build up the legacy of both brands. Heading up the new team is John Edwards, who used to be the brand ambassador for Land Rover.

Oh, and the new unit will also be putting out different “branded goods” if you’re into that sort of a thing.

A prime example of the kind of work that might be coming out of Special Operations is the Jaguar Project 7. The custom F-Type roadster was outfitted with a retro look that hearkens back to the brand’s D-Type race cars, which claimed victory at Le Mans seven times from 1951 to 1990. Like the D-Type, there is only one seat and a fairing sits behind the driver, plus the windshield is lowered and the front fascia was altered. Even the interior comes with a retro racing look.

The company says that the new Special Operations will be housed in a location near the headquarters in Gaydon. The facility will feature different workshops that are patterned after the team garages in Formula One. There will also be an automated paint shop. Well-heeled customers will be able to visit and hang out as their vehicles are modified to the most specific specs. All of the engineers and designers from the new team will be under Paul Newsome, who back in the day was the lead developer for the now-defunct Jaguar C-X75.

The first set of tasks for the new Special Operations team involves creating an array of heritage parts for dealers and direct sales to customers. The team will also be undertaking the bold task of creating a limited run of lightweight Jaguar E-Types. It’s good to know that Jaguar Land Rover is looking to start things off on the right foot.