‘World’s Fastest’ Jaguar E-Type For Sale

By John Coyle - February 22, 2021

There’s not much stock E-Type left, but the power and pedigree make this Jaguar one special cat.

This is most definitely one of those “if you have to ask, you can’t afford it kind” of deals. But if you’re a car collector with an eye toward the wild and wonderful world of racing, this 1971 Jaguar E-Type is likely right up your alley. Now, Hampson Auctions over in the United Kingdom has billed it as the “world’s fastest” version of Coventry’s adored masterpiece. And while I can’t speak to how accurate that is? The specs certainly suggest it’s the case.

As eagle-eyed fans of the brand — or basically, anyone with even a mild interest in classic cars will be able to tell — there’s not much stock E-Type left on this baby. But it was all done in the pursuit of speed and lower laps times, so I happen to think it’s pretty cool. Honestly I didn’t identify it as an XKE, or even a Jaguar product, when I first saw the lines. Initially, I pegged it for a some kind of weapons-grade Viper. Even with all the custom kit, however, the car remains a kitty to its core.

While it was converted for track use in 1977, a nasty crash in 2001 sent it into storage, where it was gradually reconstructed into ferocious beast seen in these pics. At the heart of the machine is a Jaguar V12 which has been bored to 2.0-liters over stock, and there’s a whopping 7.3-liters of displacement under the hood. All that extra space in the combustion chambers means there’s 750 horsepower and 680 lb-ft of torque on tap — or about three times what it left the factory with.

If the wheels look familiar, that’s because they’re been sourced from an XJ 220, so forget about picking up spare rubber at your local tire shop. A few years back, the folks at Bridgestone actually had to design new tires for it, as original-spec options are unobtanium. Yup, more money, more problems.

An unsynchronized Hewland gearbox sends power to the rear wheels, and a custom suspension from performance experts Rob Beere Racing was designed to ensure it corners like a cat on carpet. The extensive aerodynamic bits are comprised of a witches’ brew of aluminum, fiberglass, carbon fiber, and titanium. Now, given the extreme one-off nature of the build, maybe some more savvy readers wouldn’t be surprised to learn the that the front air dam is constructed from plywood — but I sure was.

With all that poke and a curb weight of just 2,800 pounds, this E-Type will sprint from zero to 150 in less than nine seconds, and top out at around 180 mph, meaning you should forget about getting anywhere near it if you don’t have a serious need for speed.

There’s more history — though unfortunately, not any better imagery — over on the auction site. So if you’re in the market for a killer piece of Jaguar history, or just want to add to your knowledge about the brand, head over and check it out!

Photos: Hampson Auctions