Jaguar I-Pace SVR: 'We Can Make It Do 0-60mph in 1.8 Seconds'

Sam McEachern
by Sam McEachern

A high-performance, pure electric Jaguar I-Pace SVR could be on the cards, and if Jaguar wanted to, they could make it do 0-60 mph in under two seconds.

But when it comes to electric cars, torque and acceleration are the easy part. If Jaguar’s Special Vehicle Operations division were to apply its performance know-how to the electric I-Pace crossover, they’d be more concerned about making it fun to drive than they would be about acceleration.

“We have asked ourselves how you would ‘SVR’ an electric car,” Jag’s product planner, Hanno Kirner, told Autocar in a recent interview. “Yes, we can make it do 0-60mph in 1.8sec. It’s a good headline, but once you’ve done it once or twice, and lost your eyes in the back of their sockets, you might not want to do it again.”

SEE ALSO: Jaguar i-Pace First Drive: 5 Things I Learned After 3 Minutes Behind the Wheel

He went on to say that a quickly accelerating car could be dangerous if it were to land in the wrong hands, so he’s apprehensive to build something so wildly fast. The I-Pace has 50:50 weight distribution, making it the perfect jumping off point for an SVR with a for a more handling-focused setup. The automaker is also launching the I-Pace eTrophy racing series next year, a support series for Formula E that will include a field of up to 20 I-Pace eTrophy race cars – or race crossovers, if you will.

Jaguar is also open to building an off-road version of the I-Pace, which would receive the company’s ‘SVX’ badge, or a more luxury tailored model that would fall under the ‘SVA’ portfolio.

“There is probably more than one route we could take,” Kirner said. “But there is definitely space for a performance electric car or cars.”

ALSO SEE: Where Is Jaguar Made?

[Source: Autocar]

Discuss this story on our Jaguar I-Pace Forum.

Sam McEachern
Sam McEachern

Sam McEachern holds a diploma in journalism from St. Clair College in Windsor, Ontario, and has been covering the automotive industry for over 5 years. He conducts reviews and writes AutoGuide's news content. He's a die-hard motorsports fan with a passion for performance cars of all sorts.

More by Sam McEachern

Comments
Join the conversation
 1 comment
Next