E-Type Zero: New Age Resto Or Blasphemy?

Has the future of restoration just been hit with modernization or just get slapped in the face? Whichever it is, Jaguar Land Rover Classic Works has just restored a Jaguar E-type with an electric motor and batteries.

There are going to be many that look at this and feel like it’s a stab in their hearts. How dare anyone, including Jaguar, take a 1968 ‘1.5’ E-type Roadster and even think that putting anything but the original XK inline-six back in it? The thought surely brings the feeling of projectile nausea to true petrol heads everywhere. Anyone who does this should be drawn, quartered, tarred, feathered, and burned at the steak, in that order. Well, Jaguar didn’t care and built this anyway.

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However, to claim this is a bad thing is not looking at what’s been done here. A classic car can continue to live on and has been improved as far as acceleration performance is concerned. The original car could do 0-60mph in about 7.6-seconds and had about 198kW (265hp) coming out of the crank. The new version hits 62mph in about 5.5-seconds with a 220kW motor. Interestingly enough, the motor package (including the battery pack and gear reduction gearbox) fits within the same dimensions of the original 4.2-liter XK engine but weights 46 kilograms less.

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That’s a not so insignificant number for a car that now makes even more power than the original. Tim Hannig, Director of Jaguar Land Rover Classic said, “We have integrated the new electric powertrain into the existing E-type structure, which means a conventional engine could be reinstalled at any point. We think this is essential as it ensures a period Jaguar remains authentic to its DNA.”

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The other crazy part is that this isn’t just a concept or one-off build; the package is being designed so that anyone that wants to replace their own XK can do so with the hardware from Jaguar Land Rover Classic Works. It’s also designed in a way that, if the owner so desired, they could put an XK back in. So, if you’re thinking about changing out that XK in your XK120, Mk2 or XJ6, you can stay all Jaguar as you go EV.

So, is this all kinds of right, or is it all kinds of wrong? Did Jaguar just ruin an E-type in the name of EV conversions, or did they just demonstrate that you can have your classic car and drive it into the future? Sound off below, though I’m pretty sure I didn’t have to ask for this one.

Justin Banner
Instagram: jb27tt
Facebook: racerbanner
Twitter: RacerBanner

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1

Funny stuff. Just refreshed the page and i see this :-)

2

By my opinion, as long as ICE and EV cars remain side by side, without one pushing the other off usage, it will be fun and interesting. But the way EU is pushing thing such EV ideas will be rejected by petrolheads. Btw, we need a name for EV fans. Electroheads?

3

I guess we do have a name for them already, nerds

4

Nah, nerds is a name for everyone who is freaky about every single detail about the car from lenght of the valve opening through geometry of the car to the friction of rear wheels. Just ask Justin about it. In that meaning I'm nerdy too. :-D We won't give that nickname to electroheads. :-P

5

Meanwhile gearheads couldn't give a toss so long as it can spin the wheels!

6

Burned at the steak... hahaha

Fillet, Sirloin, NY Strip?

7

Fillet Minion, of course. Can't eat cheap with all the OEM checks I'm supposedly cashing in.

8

London Broil

9

I can only shout at clouds for so long, so I'll turn my attention to the out of place interior. It's atrocious!
As for the EV conversion, as long as it's reversible, who cares?

10

I noticed you didn't specify the overall weight of the car.

Also the interior is absolutely disgusting, but to each his own.

11

Take the kerbweight of an E Type, a calculator and subtract.... oh, I dunno....... 46 kilograms.

12

There's no mention of the weight change in any other driveline components. Based on that trunk shot there's pretty significant motor hardware sitting over the rear axle.

13

They made it fully reversible so why not.
Even if I still prefer the petrolhead way, when you see the path that regulations take in EU such conversion will allow some classics to go on the roads :). If I had to chose, I'll prefer to see an ev'ed classic than no more classic at all.
But I'm still fear that such a possibility will be limited to costly classic and at a awfull cost :(

14
TheBavarianVolvist

EU plans are to allow new car registrations as EV only from 2030 onwards. To my knowledge, nobody said existing, registered cars would not be allowed to drive anymore. Things might differ for diesel powered cars in major cities though ;-)
To me, there is a bit too much hysteria going on. And also, of course this is just me, I feel a "classic" is not just defined by *looking* classic from the outside. Why do you drive an E-Type then? Just because of the looks?

15

I think it's a great idea, once they get the range of a charge down. I know Paris has outlawed any cars older than a certain year from the city during certain hours of the week to keep down on emissions. The Paris agreement, as you mentioned, is making a lot of countries agree to only EV vehicles being able to be bought new after a certain year. I don't think it'll happen in the next 20-30 years, but eventually I think Europe will outright ban ICE cars. This is going to be THE only option for street-able classics in the next 50 years. It's sad, but you must adapt or die with these sort of issues. I think it's great manufacturers are getting involved early & showing that they can make these classics fun, and ergonomic. Long Live ICE!!!

16

I really like this kind of conversion! EV are a very fun way to see the future I guess. Don't misunderstand me, I like a good piston engine, but driving with an electric motor is quite fun !
Electroheads seems like a good name for electric petrolheads as well

17

Well, they are fun, won't deny that, I was given a ride in Tesla S Model. But it's a completely different story. That's why I don't have anything aginst it as ICE and EV sude by side.
Electroheads it is. :-D

18

I am anxiously awaiting the day when the hardware for a conversion like this is priced similarly to redoing the original engine.

19

I cant tinker my car, without the petrol smell and grease on my hand. Or is it just me....

20

I like everything about this modernization. Especially so knowing it could be converted back if so desired.

21

The massive, massive plus side to this is that it gives an E-Type true, everyday usability. Yes the old 6 would be nice but let's be real here, they can't exactly be replied upon to get you to work and back every day without fault. With this conversion suddenly you can enjoy the car without the worry of a major breakdown. For the rest of us peasants, this also means that hopefully we'll get to see more E-Types on the road, and that can't be a bad thing!

22
TheBavarianVolvist

Sure, an E-Type was always intended to be your daily driver. Never was it meant as a dream car to be enjoyed on sunny weekends. Its sole purpose is to look good from the outside, while the XK engine does not look good. All in all, for sure a massive, massive plus.

23

This mentality has always confused me. People drove these to work every day when the cars were still within a decade old. It's not like you can't own one that's reliable and gas powered, you just need to take proper care of the original mechanical platform. As far as I'm concerned, making one into an EV is just an unknown entity to most anyone that would want one. It's not like we're all chomping at this bit to learn how to wire up electric motors and maintain an electric driveline. Something small volume like this is bound to have problems, and unlike a gas powered XK motor you can't un-strand yourself on the side of the road with a small tool kit and a couple fuses.

24

“We have integrated the new electric powertrain into the existing E-type structure, which means a conventional engine could be reinstalled at any point. We think this is essential as it ensures a period Jaguar remains authentic to its DNA.”

sooooo... what's the issue lol?

25

Lame. This just gives way to people sucking up classic cars and making them electric. Gasoline cars are disappearing at a high rate thanks to programs that encourage dumping your old leaker for a new hybrid or full electric. Even parts are getting more expensive or hard to find depending on the car. I say if you want electric then "stay in your lane" and don't invade the petrolheads. History is being erased as we speak, please don't let these historic cars be a prat of that.

26

I wholeheartedly agree with this. I believe it would be better to develop a fuel that has the same properties of gasoline/diesel, but puts out less emissions than gasoline or diesel. Bosch I heard in the news was developing a synthetic fuel that is pretty much carbon neutral, but it's prohibitably expensive, but it shows it's possible to have cheap synthetic fuel. It would be so much better because then at least 99.8 percent of the gasoline cars on the road today can still run with reduced emissions. Petrolheads win because they can still enjoy their roaring and screaming engines for generations to come and environmentalists win because less pollution is being shoved into the atmosphere. Besides, car pollution dwarfs how much pollution is outputted by heavy machinery like boats, trains, and airplanes. Electric cars are a very small bandaid to a larger problem.

27

"Hey, look at all this instantaneous torque and nearly twice the horsepower of the original motor! Maybe we should put wider wheels and tires on it?"

"Nah."

28

If it was more like the Eagle Roadster, or the David Brown Speedback sure, yeah.

This though, no. Visually, it's more of a missed opportunity to me.
I'm no purist. 1jz, 20b rotary, ls1? I'm fine with it. Bigger wheels, carbon brakes? Sure, go for it.

My main issue isn't related to the conversion itself. It's the fact they kept the rest of the car looking stock, which just rubs me the wrong way. Adding to the fact it's too quiet, that "cutting edge" dashboard just looks entirely out of place. Like it's added on. (which it is) At least go a bit further with the rest of it! Narrow wire wheels and bias ply tyres do not belong on a hight torque electric car.

I'm all for a reversible conversion, but theres no reason suspension and brakes can't be a reversible conversion either.

29

I like this example because the modern technology blended very well while keeping the original styling without ruining it.
It's a very wonderful thing that if one day there's no more gasoline for your classic cars but you can still enjoy driving it as usual.

30

This is awesome and I hope we see more of this in the future. ICE are dying whether we accept it or not.

31

Just wait and see. It may not be in your life time that the emergency services switch over nor heavy transport nor the military. You may know a bit about ICE and about electric but I contend that we are yet to understand the implications of electric. Just imagine 2035 and the world reverting to alternate fuel ICE due to the issues with battery disposal or some other issue.

32

"burned at the steak"? Seriously, you guys need to invest in an editor if you want to take this site to the next level... On a positive note, the stories themselves and the photos have few equals on the interwebs... Just try a little harder to not sound like you never made it out of high school English/grammar.

33

But, I want Fillet Minion.

34

That there is a real fancy golf cart.

35

Exactly!

36

I saw this coming, but I didn't hear it coming. Not something to get excited about.

37

I would love to have a ride in one of those, thats for sure! And i have to say that i celebrate that speedhunters keep posting ev stuff, not afraid of the future, and showing gearheads/petrolheads/whateverheads there still would be fun with ev's around.

38

looks kooel under the hood for an electric what the F--k did they do to the interior

39

Having driven 3 E-Types in my life I would never buy an EV version. You miss the entire purpose of the car. It's not about 0-60 times with these things and it's not about being environmentally friendly (which is a load of BS). It's about the sound, smell and feel of the engines that were in these cars.

40

Completely agree. This looks great except for the missing straight six, triple-carbed sound and the driving experience of the non-linear, 'real' engine.

And I hope those interior changes are reversible! How can the same people who kept the exterior authentic to the original decide that looks good? There must be ways to incorporate modern tech but keep the original look.

41

If I blow up my motor in the e type and could replace it with ev for the same cost as a new gas engine I might go for it.

42

Totally misses the point of an E-Type, one for the Passionless Generation.

43

So the car is full-on electric?
Jesus. oke
That;s something new tbh

44
Miles Hayler-MacMillan

Interesting... I'm not against EVs so long as there are still performance varieties.

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