The Jaguar XE has followed the SV Project 8 performance saloon onto the track by setting a unique lap record, this time around a long-forgotten Grand Prix circuit in France.

The 8km Circuit de Charade in Clermont Ferrand, which included public road sections, hosted the French Grand Prix in 1965, 1969, 1970 and 1972. It fell out of favour as loose volcanic rock and the lack of any real run-off areas took their toll on cars and drivers alike. The full, longer circuit was last used in 1988 so Jaguar returned to the historic track to mark the anniversary of its closure by completing the first flying lap of the circuit in three decades.

After completing the fastest ever lap of the Nürburgring Nordschleife in a production saloon behind the wheel of the XE’s track-ready stablemate, the SV Project 8, driver Vincent Radermecker attempted to set a production saloon lap record in the XE 300 SPORT. With a roundabout and two narrow gateways not used in the original circuit to contend with, Vincent lapped the demanding track in just 4 minutes 09 seconds at an average speed of 116km/h (72mph).