Jaguar E-type reimagined

Meet the E-type Unleashed. To the untrained eye it may appear to be an impressively restored early 1970s Jaguar E-type Series 3, complete with a vintage cabin fit-out.

Look a little closer, however, and you’ll notice several new exterior design cues, a classically styled but bespoke interior with plenty of modern touches, plus engine and chassis overhauls designed to improve driveability.

The Jaguar E-type is one of the most iconic classic cars to emerge from the British Isles, a highly collectible vehicle that was built between 1961 and 1975.

And if you own one, and have at least $600,000 (£325,000) to spare, you can now upgrade to the Unleashed.

Bear in mind the above price does not include the cost of the car, and with only three E-types available on carsales.com.au at the time of writing (priced at $330,000, $325,000 and $180,000 apiece), this restomod project could easily become a million-dollar proposition.

This is not a restoration project like the handful of in-house Jaguar E-types the British brand recently offered for $1 million a pop. Nor is it an E-type EV special.

Instead, the technicians at British-based specialist restorer E-Type UK spend around 4000 hours handcrafting the upgraded sports car with a blend of old and new parts, starting by strengthening the vehicle’s underpinnings with “bespoke chassis, steering and suspension set-ups” to deliver what it claims is a “thoroughly enriched and reliable on-road performance”.

Fully adjustable dampers are added along with sports torsion bars and new suspension bushings to improve handling dynamics.

Then 5.3-litre V12 engine gets a significant workover, with increased bore for the 12 cylinders bringing displacement to 6.1 litres. Peak power is rated at 298kW (400hp), which is said to deliver “prodigious thrust”.

A new five-speed manual gearbox and lighter flywheel transfer power to the rear wheels and a 12-branch ceramic-coated stainless-steel sports exhaust adds a little more volume without being obnoxious.

Upgraded four-piston brake callipers with bigger grooved and ventilated brake rotors are fitted to deliver better braking performance, while a new oil cooler mated with ECU-controlled cooling fans and a high-flow aluminium radiator improve thermal dynamics under the bonnet.

Tweaks to the exterior design include custom-made grille, front badge, chrome bumper and a reprofiled bonnet. Circular LED daytime running lights have been installed as well.

The use of high quality materials and handcrafted elements pepper the bespoke cabin, headlined by a pair of hand-stitched leather seats.

Apart from the push-button engine start, the dials, fascia and finishes have an aesthetic sympathetic to the car’s original build date of the early 1970s, what with its oversized steering wheel, traditional dials and classic controls and switches.