Eagle Lightweight GT

There is something about the aesthetic of old school Jaguars that is impossible to ignore in our opinion here at The Coolector and we’re absolutely loving this Eagle Lightweight GT which is billed as the ultimate road-going evolution of one of the world’s rarest and most beautiful race cars – namely, Jaguar’s Lightweight E-Type.

The Eagle Lightweight GT is a classic supercar with the intoxicating thrills of a 1963 factory Lightweight, which has been thoughtfully and comprehensively re-engineered by the team at Eagle. It is a direct descendent of the legendary C and D-Types, with only 12 Lightweights being manufactured by the factory, Jaguar introduced their most exotic E-Type for the 1963 season. If you’re after a classic car with a contemporary twist, this would get our vote at The Coolector.

Exhilarating to Drive

Noisy, no-nonsense, exhilarating and exhausting, these brilliant race cars were intoxicating on the track and jaw-dropping on the road. Six years earlier, Jaguar had re-equipped and retuned 16 of their legendary D-Type racers to create the XKSS: race car fast, yet with a degree of comfort and sophistication that meant owners such as Steve McQueen could drive them every day. These are now amongst the most highly prized of all collectors’ automobiles, but there has been – until now – no Lightweight E-Type equivalent.

The Eagle Lightweight GT has been from a process which began with replacing every panel with lightweight aluminium of a modern grade which was more suited to road use that than the thin, fragile material of the original Lightweights. Specialist engineers have invested more than 2,500 hours forming the sensual curves on an English Wheel, before fitting them to a tolerance many times more exacting than those specified by Jaguar’s Competition Department.

The iconic, Lightweight profile has been brilliantly recreated, with understated enhancements to aerodynamics such as a deeper rear ramp angle, deeper sills (which also increase chassis stiffness and allow the driver to sit lower, improving headroom and lowering the centre of gravity) and improved screen rake front and rear with bespoke glass. Wheel arch size has also been increased to make room for the 16” peg-drive magnesium alloy wheels, modelled on the original Dunlop racing wheels but wider, with a little more offset and one inch taller to allow more contemporary tyres.

Innovative Design & Build

The Eagle Lightweight GT uses ultra-lightweight magnesium alloys for the gearbox case, bell housing, differential case, sump and rear hub carriers. The gearbox has been uprated to a carefully re-engineered, all synchromesh five speed unit, which delivers a perfect period feel to the change with no compromise in the position of the lever. There is also no compromise allowed in the gearbox ratios, as each one has been designed to allow a seamless flow of torque that is perfectly matched to the weight of the car and the characteristics of the engine.

This truly is a classic supercar that effortlessly fuses the character and charm of the original Jaguar E-Type, on which the Eagle is based, with the unparalleled thrills and spills of a 1963 factory Lightweight, thoughtfully and comprehensively re-engineered to ensure the new owner enjoys every mile, every day.