2011 Jaguar E-Type Speedster
Price: Unknown
Engine: 4.7-Liter Inline 6
Torque: 340 lb-ft.*
Horsepower: 310 bhp*
0-62 MPH: Sub-5 sec.
Top Speed: 160 mph (est.)
EST. MPG: Uknown
Available: Contact Eagle Engineering
*Not final output as Eagle tailorseach car to customer desires.
A Legend Relived
Written by Nicolas Bates
The days of true, iconic-era automobile styling seems to have been all but killed off by automobile manufacturer’s need to show the public that the “future” is here—and, apparently, design is tacky in the future. I don’t want “the future”—I just want authentic style back. For me, the ’60s and ’70s represented authentic artistic touch when it came to car design. Manufacturers realized the potential in a market for those that wanted more than just a grocery-getter or a way from point A to point B. One manufacturer, British-owned Jaguar, created an iconic and truly recognizable automobile with which the likes of people still pay top dollar for: The E-Type Roadster. Long gone are the years these cars rolled off the assembly line, but thanks to Eagle Engineering, a fully restored and modified genuine Jaguar E Type Roadster can be yours.
Eagle calls their Roadster version (also available as an E-Type Coupe and V12) the E-Type Speedster, and base it off the Jaguar E-Type 4.2 Open Two Seater. When I say “base it off,” I mean they take an actual E-Type, tear it down to its utter skeleton and rebuild it from the bottom up; only this time, with cornering, braking, acceleration, reliability, and, what I’d like to think, overall sexiness in mind. The actual process of rebuilding a seemingly perfect E-Type is one of serious nature. Each car takes approximately 4,200 man-hours to complete, and customers are encouraged to spend time at Eagle while their car is being crafted. Each car is also built with the specific customer in mind; there are four series (Classic, GT, Sport and Super Sport) a customer can choose based on their use of the vehicle and desire of performance.
The Eagle E-Type Speedster’s long, sprawling hood hides an Eagle 4.7-liter inline 6 producing 310 bhp and 340 ft/lb of torque. The power is transferred to the larger-than-stock rear wheels via an Eagle aluminum 5-speed transmission with locking differential. The horsepower and torque numbers are not off the charts by any stretch of the imagination; however, the Eagle E-Type weighs a mere 2,223 lb. (Eagle claims that power-to-weight ratio is in line with today’s newest Porsche). Eagle states their E-Type will sprint from 0-60 mph in under 5 seconds and have a top speed of roughly 160 mph. Among these alterations is: a lowered and raked wind screen, lowered floor pan, a more sculpted cockpit, concealed handbrake, widened rear track and wheel arches and wide alloy spoked rims, among a myriad of other modifications.
Eagle has not released a dollar amount on any of their E-Type Speedsters, but then again, with how varied their cars can be, I don’t blame them. You can find the price of an Eagle E-Type being compared to that of a new Ferrari or Porsche in the FAQ section of Eagle’s website, and it’s obvious that they defend their work—price comparison notwithstanding. But what exactly can you expect? One is purchasing the style and reputation of an iconic Jaguar, but with the advancement of today’s technology. Eagle has specialized in E-Types for over 25 years now, and because of them, you may be able to see an icon lost…on a street near you.