When one thinks of car manufacturers with a strong motorsport history, Jaguar is often one of the first names to come to mind. Even within the victorious halls of the Coventry based manufacturer, some wins stand out more than others and there are few more significant than Jag’s sweep at Le Mans in 1988. Even if you’re not familiar with the brand’s history, you will instantly recognize the ‘Silk Cut’ liveried XJR-9 LM that won the race.
Le Mans is one of the most prestigious races in all of motorsport so to win here takes something special! And that’s exactly what the XJR-9 did, completing 394 laps of the Circuit de la Sarthe in the process. 34 years later, Jaguar announced a special nod to its famous victory via the F-Pace SVR. Introducing the Jaguar F-Pace SVR Edition 1988. Only 394 were made to match the number of laps completed by the winning car.
If I seem like a dullard so far then forgive me but I cannot stress how unique this car is. I vividly recall writing the news release back in 2022, marveling at the intricate details and exquisite paintwork that decorated this special edition. So when I heard that Jaguar Archibald & Shorter North Shore had secured not one but two of these cars, I had to go take a look! As you can probably tell from the photos, Harry also came along to marvel at this masterpiece.
As car enthusiasts, we tend to have a certain fondness for those cars which apply the old “if you know, you know” philosophy. Meaning that the details on these cars of interest are subtle but loud enough for the well educated enthusiast to pick out. And this Jaguar very much follows that school of thinking. From a distance, the Edition 1988 presented just like any other F-Pace SVR, featuring all the performance enhancements that make the large Jag so revered. Yes, it still has that 5 litre supercharged V8 and that mind boggling 0-100 time of 3.8 seconds!
However, things change as soon as a ray of sun catches the paint, casting a spotlight on the Midnight Amethyst Gloss paintwork. This is a shade that took over 40 iterations to perfect because the boffins at Jag were so obsessed with getting the “correct depth of colour.” Depth being a feature which this car has in bucket loads, shifting colours from black to purple depending on the lighting. Once you’re drawn in to inspect the paintwork, the details begin to make themselves known.
Finished in Sunset Gold Satin, the rear badge was the first thing that caught my eye, the leaping Jaguar pointing me towards the side of the car where you are treated by the wheels, also painted in the same shade. A stroll around the car will take you on a tour of the way that gorgeous Midnight Amethyst paint interacts with light, finally drawing you towards the small Edition 1988 badge on the side. A discreet statement that pays tribute to the marque’s history.
Getting inside the car offers much of the same detail driven goodness and the experience begins as soon as you open the door. The sill itself is etched with Edition 1988 which also lights up but in doing so distracts from the most subtle detail of the car’s significance. Look closely to the edge of the dashboard and you will note a Champagne Gold panel that features the text ‘One of 394’. By now you should know the significance of this number!
Once inside, the slim Ebony leather bucket seats hug you, instantly putting the driver in the mood for performance driving. Looking straight ahead, it is then that the ‘Sunset Gold Satin’ details make themselves known. The steering wheel trim, Jaguar badge and paddles all painted in the same.
Think of this Edition 1988 then as the magnum opus of the Jaguar F-Pace SVR. It offers all of the performance with exclusive paintwork, intricate details and a nod to one of the most famous Le Mans winners of all time! It is one of the finest works to come from the Jaguar SV Department.
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Words by Matthew D’Souza, pictures courtesy of Harry de Souza.
