Jaguar Land Rover is celebrating its creative aspirations at the Goodwood Festival of Speed July 12-14 with the debut of its Project 7 Concept Car while coaxing consumers to take a closer look at the 2014 Jaguar F-type.
The festival has drawn more than 100,000 fans in the past, making it an attractive event for brands looking to thrill potential consumers with experimental designs. Jaguar loaded the Project 7 car with legacy-based reference points such as its 7 victories at Le Mans and blue paintwork that is redolent of the Jaguar D-type cars of 1956 and 1957.
"Project 7’s Goodwood debut will provide a great stage to showcase the creativity of our design and engineering teams," said Leah Watkins-Hall, corporate communications manager at Jaguar Land Rover North America, Mahwah, NJ.
"Enthusiasts that appreciate Jaguar’s Project 7 will naturally be interested in the F-Type as they have exceptional performance and clean design in common," she said.
Winners take all
The Goodwood Festival of Speed is celebrating its 20th anniversary and regularly spurs automotive brands to design exclusive vehicles for the event.
Jaguar's concept vehicle is based on the 2014 F-type as the brand hopes to promote interest in the vehicle during the race.
2014 Jaguar F-type
Jaguar will be joining several other luxury brands attending the festival that will each be promoting their own vehicles. For instance, Mercedes-Benz is auctioning the Grand Prix winning Mercedes-Benz W196, which has gained attention from car enthusiasts.
Concepts for the Project 7 car took flight after hypothetical designs were sketched out by Jaguar designer Cesar Pieri.
The design team then tried to replicate the original vision as closely as possible.
Modifications to the vehicle included adding a carbon-fiber front air splitter, side skirts, large rear diffuser and a fixed rear spoiler with a 14-degree angle of attack.
To maintain the original single-seat design, the passenger seat has been replaced with a custom helmet holder.
Interior of concept car
Project 7 can be observed on all three days of the festival July 12-14. Mike Cross, chief engineer of vehicle integrity at Jaguar, will drive the vehicle.
Other Jaguar models involved at the festival include the XJR, XFR-S and XKR-S GT.
History in the taking
Storied events that bring together luxury brands provide a chance for friendly rivalry.
Le Mans is another historic event that inspires luxury brands to rise above the ordinary din.
For example, Bentley Motors celebrated its heritage through a short film that traces its role in the development of the 24-hour Le Mans race to educate car enthusiasts and win over new fans.
“Le Mans 24 hours: Les Bentley Boys” coincides with the actual Le Mans race that ran for 24 hours starting June 22. This year’s race marked the 10th anniversary of the British automaker’s previous victory and the 90th anniversary for the race itself, both of which the film discusses in its sweeping panorama of the company’s roots (see story).
These events can be platforms for automakers to showcase their creativity.
"Design director Ian Callum’s team is encouraged to push the boundaries of design," Jaguar's Ms. Watkins-Hall said.
"It is this type of environment that has led to Project 7 as well as some of our most well-received special concept cars and new models," she said.
Final Take
Joe McCarthy, editorial assistant on Luxury Daily, New York