E-Type reborn…in Sweden

Swedish tuning firm VizualTech has taken it upon itself to reinterpret the iconic E-Type Jaguar as part of a limited-run model dubbed the Growler E…

VizualTech was approached by a well-heeled Swedish businessman who was clearly taken with the flowing lines of the classic Jaguar E-Type, but wanted something a bit more high-tech and less prone to the original car’s habit of boiling its engine and sitting in a shed waiting for obscure parts whittled from elm wood.

The upshot is that the Swedish coachbuilder will now put its modern interpretation of the E-Type, the Growler E, into a very limited production run with deliveries commencing in the middle of 2012.

The Growler E will be based on the underpinnings of the current Jaguar XKR and feature a composite body glued to a carbon fibre structure, with front and rear tube frames holding the running gear – the finished article will reportedly tip the scales at around 1 550 kg.

Power will be powered by a mildly-massage version of that car’s supercharged 5,0-litre V8 pushing out around 447 kW- enough to propel the Growler E to 100 km/h from standstill in a shade under 4 seconds.

VizualTech plans on building around 3 or 4 cars a year, but should the appeal of a 21st Century E Type extend beyond the realms of wealthy Swedish businessmen with a penchant for classically-styled automotive metal with modern oily bits, the company may call on the likes of Steyr and Finnish firm Valmet to expand the production run.