The latest superlimos from Jaguar and
Mercedes are powerful, fast and expensive. But do they offer genuine driving
thrills?
With a family member lounging in the back
of the S63 AMG L, watching a movie and nuzzling their head into the super-soft
headrest cushion, I noticed a Honda Civic Type-R clamouring all over the
Mercedes' rear bumper. The road was twisty-hot-hatch territory - but within
half a mile the Type-R was a dot in the rear-view mirror and I was feeling
rather pleased with myself. Sadly, my rear-seat passenger looked less than
pleased - in fact they looked like they had just been stuck in a spin-dryer
with a pot of glue and a Tasmanian devil for company.
That's the spectacular lunacy of cars like
the recently launched S63 and Jaguar XJR. They attempt to smash together two
genres - the supercar and the limo - and in doing so deliver a pair of very
charismatic chimeras. They aren't logical choices; there are far more sensible
models around, and the likes of the S63 and XJR will struggle against the evil
forces of depreciation, but they are the most sporting of their type and they
offer an intriguing mash-up of extreme performance and sumptuous luxury.
The
S63 AMG L is simply one of the world’s best cars with one of the world’s best
performance engines
The Mercedes S63 uses the now-familiar M157
VS AMG engine. Swept volume is 5,461cc against the V8 Jaguar's 5,000cc. Maximum
torque from the twin-turbo AMG unit is 664lb ft, with the supercharged Jaguar
lagging behind on 502lb ft. The Mercedes is also ahead on outright horsepower -
577bhp v 542bhp - but on the road you'd struggle to notice the difference in
overall performance. The Jaguar's sharper throttle response and surging lowdown
torque make it feel the quicker of the two cars initially, but then the AMG
lights its turbos and claws back the deficit with a dramatic, and un-limo-like,
NASCAR roar from its exhausts. In a drag race, the Mercedes wins - but only
just. It sprints from zero to 62mph in 4.4sec, against 4.6sec for the Jaguar.
As standard the S63 tops out at a restricted155mph, but tick the AMG Driver's
Package option and this is raised to a frankly astonishing 186mph. The Jaguar
reaches 174mph, also restricted.
The
Jaguar XJR offers monstrous, relentless performance
Dynamically, the cars are also similarly
matched. Both will entertain the driver - admirably so considering their bulk –
but neither is at their best at ten-tenths. They're most satisfying when you're
driving within their stability systems - at eight-tenths, perhaps - making
rapid but not uncouth progress. Weight is the issue here - at 1,805kg and
1,995kg neither the Jaguar nor the Mercedes respectively has any chance of
defeating the laws of physics, try as they might.
In terms of steering, the Jaguar has the
more complete helm. Now fitted with valving from the F-type, the XJ's hydraulic
rack is ahead of the S63's electric variable-ratio set-up for weighting, feel
and response. Neither car feels particularly agile, but both manage quite
astonishing cross-country pace thanks to solid body control and powerful
brakes.
Mercedes
interior is a paragon of restrained luxury
The S-class is the first car ever to
recognize undulations with a camera that scans the road ahead. It's part of a
system called Magic Body Control, which adjusts the suspension in advance and
works in both Comfort and Sport modes. The inner luddite may want to hate MBC,
but it works spectacularly well - although I suspect the seats (the best I've
ever experienced) have a lot to do with the feeling of isolation from the road
surface. Oh, and those seats can give you a hot stone massage, too...
