THE LIGHTWEIGHT E TYPE IS REBORN

[Heuer]

Looks like 'car zero' may be the prototype after all. Wonder which LWE they scanned?

ENGINEERING

Body
The core component of the Lightweight E-Type is its aluminum body shell, which reduced the weight by 250lbs (114kg) versus the production steel bodywork. When tasked with recreating the aluminum body, today's Jaguar engineers could relate at once to what their predecessors had achieved 50 years before. Even though enormous advances in aluminum technology have been made since the 1960s, the decision was taken not to incorporate modern materials or build methods. While high-strength aluminum alloys and bonded structures would have been invisible, they would not have been true to the original design ? nor would they have conformed to the FIA?s homologation requirements for historic racing.

Advanced technology was deployed to ensure the highest quality and most faithful rendition of the Lightweight E-Type. Using advanced scanning technology, the inner and outer surfaces of a Lightweight body shell were digitally mapped. The resulting detailed scan, which recorded dimensions and shape down to a fraction of a millimeter, was assessed to validate how the body was assembled in the 1960s. This also revealed how consistent the structure was side-to-side, and how it could be engineered today to produce the highest quality results. This digital capturing process gave engineers complete control over the body's 230 individual components. Shapes were optimized before the data was sent to the tool room at the engineering center. Even panels which are unseen within the structure have been faithfully reproduced. To ensure absolute symmetry, one side of the scanned body was used as the baseline, and then mirrored to produce an identical form on the opposite side. The outer ?A-surface? CAD scan was then transferred to the design department, where the surface geometry was finalized. This work ensures that the tooling from which the body parts are produced is as accurate as possible.

Approximately 75 percent of the panels are made in-house at Jaguar Land Rover, with a few very large stampings being supplied by external specialists using Jaguar-designed tooling. The grades of aluminum used for both the under-structure and surface panels are nearly identical to those used for the original vehicles. The body is completed to original Lightweight E-Type Chassis no. 12 specifications, by which time additional strengthening in key areas of the shell had been added. The aluminum body is then completed by the addition of an aluminum hood, doors and trunk lid. As with the original cars, an aluminum hard top is standard.

The development of the body-in-white tooling was undertaken by the same department that builds all Jaguar Land Rover prototype vehicles. The build process and assembly procedures were initially proved out on a prototype known as ?Car Zero;? this is an engineering prototype and will not carry one of the six Lightweight chassis numbers. For the Lightweight E-Type project, Jaguar engineers created a 'grey book' of the type used during the development of new production Jaguar vehicles. This internal document sets out the required quality standards in terms of body shell fit-and-finish and ensures a consistency of build quality for all six new Lightweight E-Type vehicles.

A roll cage is standard equipment and the body includes mounting points for a detachable front extension which is available as an option. The cars are built in a form suitable for FIA homologation for historic motorsport purposes.

Powertrain
The Lightweight E-Type was powered by a highly tuned version of the Jaguar XK inline-six engine. With chain-driven dual overhead camshafts and an aluminum head with hemispherical combustion chambers, it remained an advanced design in 1963 even though it was introduced in 1948 in the Jaguar XK 120. This was this engine that powered the C-Type and D-Type vehicles to five Le Mans victories in the 1950s. The unit developed for the Lightweight E-Type is based on the 3,868cc (236 cu in) engine which won Le Mans in 1957 in the D-Type. A similar cylinder head is used, but in place of the D-Type's cast iron block, Jaguar introduced an aluminum block with steel liners for the Lightweight E-Type, which substantially reduced the amount of weight over the front wheels.

Another feature transferred from the D-Type is the dry sump lubrication system. This uses a scavenge pump to collect oil from the sump and return it to a separate oil tank. This reduces oil windage, maintains oil pressure during fast cornering and allows for higher oil capacity. The compression ratio is 10:1 and the car is equipped with three 45 DCOE carburetors. These were homologated for the Lightweight E-Type alongside a mechanical fuel injection system. This fuel injection system is being offered to customers as an option, and is fitted to prototype ?Car Zero.? The exhaust manifold is a steel fabrication that leads into dual exhaust pipes and a center muffler at the rear of the car, later terminating in two polished tail pipes.

With over 300 horsepower and torque in the region of 280 lb-ft at 4500 rpm, the car is endowed with rapid acceleration from a comparatively low engine speed ? a traditional feature of Jaguar racing engines. A 12 volt negative ground electrical system is used, and the engine benefits from a modern inertia-type starter motor. Other aluminum features include the radiator, oil cooler and expansion tank for the coolant. The power is transferred to the road via a lightweight, low inertia flywheel, a single-plate clutch, and a close-ratio, four-speed, fully-synchronized manual gearbox. The standard rear axle ratio is 3.31:1 and a variety of final drive ratios will be available. All Lightweight E-Type vehicles will be delivered with the Powr-Lok limited-slip differential.

Chassis
The double wishbone front suspension and independent wide-based wishbone rear suspension (where the drive-shaft serves as the upper link) are set up according to period racing practice, with upgraded shock absorbers controlling the front torsion bars and rear coil springs. The steering is the standard E-Type rack-and-pinion, with a traditional wood-rim wheel for the driver. Larger (12.25-inch) brake discs are fitted at the front, with the rear brakes being standard E-Type. No servo is fitted. The 15-inch diameter wheels are the period correct 'perforated' style, and cast in magnesium alloy. Rim width is 7-inches in front, and 8-inches in the rear. Dunlop racing tires are fitted ? 6.00 section front, 6.50 section rear, both in CR65 compound.

Final assembly
The unibody is built at the JLR facility in Whitley, England where it is mated to its tubular engine sub-frame ? which is stiffened with gussets as it was on the original Lightweight ? and then shipped to the JLR Gaydon facility for painting. It is then taken to Jaguar Heritage facility at Browns Lane where the car receives its? powertrain, suspension, brakes, steering, electrical items, instrument panel and soft trim. This process takes place in a dedicated work area close to where the original Lightweight E-Type vehicles were assembled. It is at this stage that personal consultation with the customer dictates the final specification for each car ? no two of which are expected to be identical.

Prototype ?Car Zero? underwent a rigorous shake-down period at our test facility at Gaydon, England. This test included a vigorous shakedown at the hands of Mike Cross, Jaguar Chief Engineer, Vehicle Integrity. Each of the six new Lightweights will go through similar tests to ensure that they meet the required standards in terms of braking, handling and steering.

Mike Cross, Chief Engineer, Vehicle Integrity, Jaguar

[44DHR]

Just got back yesterday from the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion followed by the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance. I spent quite some time taking loads of photos and shooting a long video of the "prototype mule" Lightweight on the Jaguar Special Vehicle Operations stand at the Reunion.

Speaking to the Jaguar people there - the Lightweight will also be on display at the Goodwood Revival in a few weeks. They described it as the development mule and how they were using it to "reverse engineering" various details. They said they had reopened Browns Lane to build it. I got a lot of detail on the car and it's components. Many are new later improved and uprated parts and not replica items of the original old components. It does use a Crosthwaite and Gardiner cast block for example.

It was all running and looked good. I got the Chassis number of S851001 and the Body number of R9000 from the identity plate.

Cheers,

Dave

[Heuer]

Great photos Dave. Looks like they have fitted the Fosseway 'Marston' Radiator.

[Dawnpatrol]

Plus 1, excellent pictures. I've read the marketing blah blah from a couple of different sources and have to say Jaguar is doing a really impressive job in showcasing the Project and cars. I'm not sure I believe it all however and do doubt they are doing quite as much in house as they would have us believe.

Some other obvious details, where they seem to fallen for the modern stretch of the imagination are the front brakes and rear wheels. Outside the last 6 years or so, no LWE ever ran with 12 1/4" front discs or 8" rear wheels, they where 11 1/2 and 7 1/2 respectively. I have the last pair of factory front discs on my car. From the factory documentation it would appear the rear Brakes where only std E on the 3 Cunningham cars, plus possibly the last 2. The others had much larger calipers.

Again no two where the same, as 4 WPD development continued while the others were built some of the lessons learnt where embodied, particularly the structure. I?m sure customer demand played a part as well, levering works spec parts on to their cars. The standard MK 9 front caliper body which is the factory LWE spec won't fit around the larger disc without re casting the caliper with longer lugs and drilling accordingly, so it is no longer a MK 9 caliper, still seems to pass FIA scrutineering though, MK 9 std discs are 12 1/8" BTW.

I hope they do start to play with Car Zero and incorporate the last factory mods that 4 WPD ended up with, start with an over the frame exhaust, that will light the blue touch paper.

In case you hadn?t noticed I have several anoraks, nearly all involve this subject.

[44DHR]

Just a few more photos for David to show the radiator and more details. Note the SV, (Special Vehicles) logo of the new Jaguar Division on the top left of the photo which they were actively marketing at the Motorsports Reunion as a new service to existing Jaguar owners. When speaking to them they are going to make various components as used on the Lightweight available as parts for us mere morals. Parts such as the rear brake cooling ducts as seen on my first set of photos, for example.






The interior shows an E type with less than 150 miles on the clock !! I am pleased to see they have used a wooden steering wheel for the display. The Oil and Water Temperature gauges show the use of later uprated components rather than being produced as a pure replicas of any of original Lightweights at whatever stage of development they were.



And now for something completely different. To show how far car design has come in the last 50 years, this is the latest concept car as seen the following day at Pebble Beach on Sunday last week from the marque of the moment - Mercedes - and do I detect some styling clues from somewhere else ? The curved doors, the rear arch haunches, the thin rear lights and the roof line - which perhaps could do with a side opening hatch and rear window being added ? So this is progress in this modern world ?

[PeterCrespin]

Nice photos. Both front tyres appear to show rubbing/cutting damage approximately in the centre of the tread, presumably from catching something sharp. Good job they aren't road legal because that would be an MOT fail. I'm guessing they hit the bonnet/wing seam at full bump?

The oil/water gauges are old school capillary gauges as can be seen by the sender screwed into the top hose stub on the left side.

[Dave K]

I wonder who made the engine frames? Did they go to a supplier or make their own?

Dave

[PeterCrespin]

The bodies are by RS Panels, the engines by Crossthwaite and Gardiner. Browns Lane was largely an assembly plant anyhow, back in the day.

Pete

[mystery type]

some nice footage here from the BBC...

[44DHR]

With apologies to "Mystery type" who has already posted on 23rd May about the forthcoming Channel 4 programme, (tomorrow as I type this), on Thursday 28th at 9pm called "Inside Jaguar" as his Thread title, I just wanted to ensure people were aware this was an hour long documentary specifically about the E type Lightweight Project by Jaguar.

Having been fortunate to be a Pebble Beach for the August 2014 unveiling of this car, the story and scenes behind it will be worth watching, especially with Mark Evans being part of the programme with his usual enthusiastic style.

Cheers,

Dave

[Frank Rabbets]

Why did the factory not build the cars in such a way as to be able to have them registered under the SVA regulations. I was able to build a gas guzzling 6.3 litre Ultima and register it as a new car with a new plate but be exempt from emission regulations.

I used all new parts apart from gearbox. The block was new 1969 spec so the car only had to comply with 1969 regulations. I could have done the same with an original block.