Okay, it's not called the Awesome Division, but JLR's Special Operations unit will have a team of 150 specialists committed to restoring vintage machinery, tailoring one-offs for customers, and making more stuff like the F-Type Project 7. They'll also be doing "branded goods". So... three out of four ain't bad.
The new division will be based out of a new facility close to JLR's headquarters in Gaydon, with flexible workshops modeled off F1 team garages, a fully automated painting facility, and space for JLR's most well-off fans to get their rides primped and pimped to their exact specs. The division is headed up by former Land Rover "brand ambassador" John Edwards, but despite that, we still have hope.
Why? Because the designers and engineers will report to Paul Newsome, the former Williams Advanced Engineering head who lead the development of the ill-fated Jaguar C-X75 supercar.
So beyond Jaguar jackets and Land Rover wellingtons, the Special Operations division's real mission is to create everything from "extreme performance" halo vehicles to ultra-posh customized rides, as well as focusing on Jag's heritage. The new division will be tasked with building a limited run of lightweight E-Types, as well as creating and supplying heritage parts to dealers and customers.
The doors open August 1, so tell Newsome and his team what you want to see.