Michael Angel Vazquez
Jaguar unveiled at the end of last summer the prototype of the new E-Type Lightweight, of which another five units will be manufactured and sold. The mission of the Special Operations department is to satisfy the passion of the most demanding and enthusiastic customers for automobiles, including those of the past, and this explains the existence within the historic Jaguar Heritage division and the production of the new lightened E-Type.
The E-Type is an iconic car, and the Lightweight is the most attractive of all its variants. "Being able to complete the initial production of 18 units of the 1963 Special GT E-Type program, when fifty years have passed since the last copy was manufactured, was an opportunity that we could not miss", stated John Edwards, Managing Director of the aforementioned Special Operations department. The truth is that it is a pleasure to hear you speak like that.
For who does not know, Jaguar announced in May 2014 that he would wrap the blanket around his head and produce six official replicas. Each will be built to the exact specifications of the last E-Type Lightweight produced in 1964, and will be handcrafted in the same Jaguar facility where the quintessential feline was first assembled: the Browns Lane plant. , in Coventry, England.
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The replicas will be sold as vintage racing cars and all of them may be homologated by the FIA for sporting purposes. All six chassis numbers have lain dormant until now, assigned but not used. Winner of several competitions in the hands of prominent pilots during its short sporting career, the lightweight version of the Jaguar E is internationally famous and the original copies are currently valued at several million euros.
Body, essential
The main component of the E-Type Lightweight is its aluminum body, a material used instead of steel to reduce weight and thus achieve a saving of 114 kilos compared to the series model.
Despite enormous advances in technology since the early 1960s, it has been decided not to incorporate modern fastening materials or methods. While the seamless structures of high-strength aluminum alloys would have been invisible, they would not have been faithful to the original design and would not have met the homologation requirements required by the FIA for vintage car racing.
Instead, today's advanced technology has been dedicated to ensuring the highest quality and exact reproduction of the components that make up the structure. Using the most advanced scanning technology, the exterior and interior surfaces of the original body were digitized, allowing dimensions and shapes to be recorded with the precision of a fraction of a millimeter.
Even the panels that remain hidden inside have been faithfully reproduced. To ensure absolute symmetry, one side of the digitized body was used as a reference point and then reversed to achieve exact results on the opposite side.
About 75 percent of the parts are made in Whitley, and only a few large presses are supplied by outside specialists who nonetheless use tooling designed by Jaguar. The qualities of the aluminum of the panels of both the lower structure and the surface have mechanical properties practically identical to those used in 1963 for the construction of the original E Lightweight.
Subsequently, the bodywork is completed with the addition of the hood, doors and boot lid, all made of aluminum. As in the case of vintage vehicles, the hardtop (can't you guess what it is made of?) Is part of the standard equipment. A roll cage has also been included as part of the standard equipment, and the bodywork is provided with mounting points for a removable front extension which is offered as an option.
Jaguar engineers created a specific database like those used during the development of new production vehicles. This internal document sets out the quality standards required in terms of body trim and finishes, and guarantees a uniform build quality across all six new cars.
The legendary XK engine
The E-Type Lightweight was equipped with a highly developed version of Jaguar's XK inline six-cylinder engine, which, thanks to its chain-driven double overhead camshaft and aluminum cylinder head with hemispherical combustion chambers, It was still advanced in 1963 although in 1948 it had already been used in the XK 120 model.
This engine was responsible for the victory of the C and D-Type in five editions of the 24 Hours of Le Mans during the 1950s; Specifically, the E-Type Lightweight's powerplant is based on the 3.868 cc engine with which the D-Type won the famous endurance race in 1957. Although it uses a very similar, open-angle, valved aluminum cylinder head large, Jaguar introduced a new block of aluminum that allowed to substantially reduce the weight supported by the front wheels.
Another fundamental characteristic inherited from the D-Type and from racing cars in general is the dry sump lubrication system, consisting of a scavenging pump that is responsible for collecting the oil from the sump and returning it to a second, narrower tank that guarantees engine lubrication. This prevents a fluctuation in the oil level during cornering and the consequent risk of mechanical damage.
The compression ratio is 10: 1 and the cars will be fitted with three Weber 45DCO3 carburettors as standard, as well as a Lucas mechanical injection system that is offered to customers as an option and that the first prototype incorporates. The exhaust manifold is made of steel and conducts the gases to two parallel pipes that guide them through a central silencer to the rear of the car, where the system ends in the classic polished double outlet.
Both in the case of carburettor feeding and injection, the power far exceeds 300 CV and, with a torque of around 380 Nm at 4.500 rpm, the Lightweight's propeller has great elasticity. The electrical system used is 12 volts and the propeller benefits from a modern inertia starter motor. The water and oil radiators are made of aluminum alloy. There is also an aluminum expansion tank for the coolant. The fuel tank contains a screen for safety reasons.
Power is transferred via a lightweight flywheel, single-disc clutch, and Jaguar's short-gear ratio four-speed synchromesh manual gearbox - just like the vintage E-Type Lightweight. Various final drive ratios are available, all with the Powr-Lok limited-slip differential, although the standard equipment is 3.31: 1.
Suspension, steering and brakes
The deformable parallelogram front suspension and independent rear suspension are tuned to fifty-year-old racing settings, with upgraded dampers controlling the front axle's torsion bar and the rear axle's four coil springs.
The steering is the standard rack and pinion of the E-Type, topped by a traditional wooden steering wheel. Regarding the brakes, the front discs are somewhat larger, 311 mm in diameter, while the rear ones are standard. Servomechanisms have not been included. The 15-inch diameter wheels correspond to those of the time and, like the originals, are made of magnesium alloy. They fit Dunlop Racing CR65 tires.
Final assembly and design
The monocoque body is built at Whitley, where it is attached to a reinforced tubular subframe and then shipped to Jaguar's Gaydon facility for the painting process. From there it is transported to Jaguar Heritage on Browns Lane, where the car is assembled. This process takes place in an exclusive area, close to where the original E-Type Lightweight were assembled in 1963/1964 and, at this stage, a personal consultation with the customer dictates the final specifications for each of the vehicles. It is therefore not expected that there are two identical ones.
The Jaguar Advanced Design Studio has participated in the project since its inception and has had the mission of achieving the right level of interior trim for the new Lightweight, by choosing materials and the type and color of the finishes, among other tasks. The design gurus who work there have opted for Connolly leather, with leathers produced to the same specifications as those used by Jaguar in the 1960s and which, offered in seven different colors, is used to line the base of the leather. aluminum sports seats and center console.
Logically, the interior interior lining is minimal; the customer, however, can opt for a full cladding and even custom upholstery kits, which may include the door panels, hardtop, removable saddle leather mats, and a saddle cover. transmission tunnel.
The Advanced Design Studio has also selected a palette of six recommended paint colors heritage for the exterior: Carmine Red, Opalescent Gray Metallic, Silver Metallic, Blue Metallic, British Competition Green and Old English White. However, a variety of color alternatives are available as each unit is built to the customer's personal specifications, who can discuss various options directly with Ian Callum, Jaguar's Director of Design, in person.
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