Jaguar E-Type specialist Eagle has unveiled what it's calling the ultimate iteration of the classic British sports car. Called the Lightweight GT, it’s the result of 8,000 hours of painstaking work just to build – and that’s not including the “analysis of every component [to identify] no compromise design improvements” that took place beforehand.
It’s inspired by the E-Type Lightweight, a version of the Jag that’s considered by many to be the ultimate, only 12 of which were made. “Noisy, brutal, exhilarating and exhausting, these brilliant race cars were intoxicating on the track and visceral on the road,” says an Eagle press release.
Eagle began by stripping back an original E-Type Series 1 (the most sought-after version) then upgrading most if it including the body panels – they’re hand beaten from aluminium – and the interior.
The sleek, de-chromed look that Eagle has achieved is based on the Lightweight racer, and includes aero vents on the boot lid, wider wheel arches, a re-shaped tail, and deeper sills, which not only look better but allowed Eagle to fit the seats lower, improving space, comfort and handling – by lowering the centre of gravity. The wheels are 16 inches and a classic single-piece ‘peg-drive’ design, fashioned from magnesium alloy.
It’s very well equipped too, as befitting a car that Eagle reckons can be used as a daily driver. Each comes with full leather upholstery, comfy seats, air conditioning and a suspension setup with dampers tuned specifically for comfort.
The engine is the same 4.7-litre six-cylinder unit found in the original Jaguar E-Types, as well as the C- and D-Type race cars. It’s an engine of the old school, albeit thoroughly modernised, featuring an aluminium block and triple carburettors. It too has been properly overhauled, including a custom crankshaft and pistons, and a new cylinder head. And what a beauty it is.
It develops 380bhp and 580Nm, all sent to the rear wheels via a five-speed manual gearbox – and given how light the car is (a shade over one tonne), that means it has some serious pace: 0-62mph in under five seconds, with a 170mph top speed.
Much of the drivetrain has been upgraded to cope with the power (an original E-Type had around 260bhp), including swapping out much of the steel used for the driveshafts and things for stronger, lighter magnesium parts.
The price for all this, then? Well we don’t know, but we can guess…a lot. Eagle will only make two of these per year, and a quick scan of the company’s website shows that it’s selling restored Series 1 models for around £300,000. There’s a good chance you could add a couple of hundred thousand more to that. Yikes.
Keyword: Eagle creates “the most comprehensively upgraded E-Type ever built”