Jaguar is going to steal the limelight at the Pebble Beach Concours event in California this week with its 1963 Lightweight Jaguar E-Type built using the same chassis as the original E-Types.
The renowned luxury car brand, Jaguar Land Rover is using the latest technology to rebuild some vintage legacy, the Lightweight Jaguar E-Type.
Part of the original project by Jaguar Heritage, the Lightweight E-Types will embrace the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance on August 14. These cars will be built on the same chassis as the original E-Types in 1963 by the brand's Special Vehicle Operations Division at the Browns Lane plant in Coventry, England.
Jaguar started off with the intention to build 18 Lightweight E-Types but ended up with just 12. Putting the remaining six chassis to use, Jaguar will be assigning its special team to hand-build the new "old" E-Types at the same manufacturing plant in England where the first cars were built. The car maker will retain the original specifications, using the same methods and materials used in the first dozen cars.
To mark perfection, Jaguar digitally scanned the original Lightweight E-Types and used the blueprints to build the new cars. The engine will retain the same power from an inline six cylinder XK 3.8-liter engine to burn out 300 horsepower and 280lb ft of torque. The use of lightweight aluminum material sheds 250 pounds compared to the standard E-Type, Yahoo Auto reports.
Jaguar released a video showing new Lightweight E-Type in action. It features magnesium alloy wheels, Dunlop racing tires, push-button starter, wood-trimmed steering wheel, manual four-speed gearbox and aluminum bucket seats.
After the first prototype is shown at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, Thursday, Jaguar will put six of its newly built Lightweight E-Types for sale. Each car is expected to carry a price tag of around $1.6 million (£1 million), Auto Car reported on Monday.
"With the Lightweight E-type, our focus as a design team has been to ensure justice was done to the original work of Sir William Lyons and Malcolm Sayer," Jaguar design head Ian Callum told Auto Car. "I believe the result is a new Lightweight E-type that is as stunning now as the originals would have been when they were new."
