New Jaguar E-Type Lightweight: Documentary on Channel 4 tonight

Jaguar are creating six ‘New’ Lightweight E-Types, using ‘missing’ chassis numbers, and Channel 4 and Mark Evans document the process tonight at 9pm.

Last summer, Jaguar announced that it was going to build six new Lightweight E-Types, with the new cars getting the ‘missing’ 1963 chassis numbers from a run of 18 cars that ended up with just 12 being built. And Channel 4, and petrolhead Mark Evans, have documented the six month build process in a documentary which airs tonight – 28 May – on Channel 4 at 9pm.

Channel 4 has had exclusive access to the project, and have documented the process to create the most expensive E-Types ever to come out of Jaguar, with each costing their hand-picked new owners £1.2 million.

In exchange for a huge amount of money, each new owner will get a Lightweight E-Type hand-built by Jaguar using the same construction methods as were use in 1963, with an aluminium bodyshell, twin wishbones at the front and independent wishbones at the back, uprated shocks, 15″ steel wheels, rack and pinion steering and the same aluminium block 3.8 litre straight six engine with dry sump lubrication, a four-speed manual gearbox and triple Webbers (although fuel injection is an option).

But recreating an iconic – and valuable – classic car isn’t something all classic cars lovers appreciate, and Mark Evans will be talking not just to some of the infatuated new owners, but to classic car lovers who consider the recreations an abomination.

It should be an interesting view. You can watch it at 9pm on Channel 5 tonight, 28 May 2015.