At least that means we can swap for the
remainder of the run up to north Wales. It’s a familiar and dynamically
demanding stomping ground, interspersed with roundabouts and lengthy
carriageways. That said, while the roads up ahead might suit the Jaguar, they’re
emphatically not what Rolls-Royce or AMG had in mind when signing off the
Wraith or S63. Which, of course, is one of the reasons we’re going there and
are not on an autobahn to Wiesbaden.
After the mighty Wraith, the F-Type Coupe
cannot help but be a comedown. Physically as well as metaphysically: the Rolls
is as lofty as a full-size SUV, and the Jag is a proper low-slung sports car.
One is dedicated to placing a discrete distance between you and the real world.
The other is in your face, and everyone else’s.
Once
you’re inside, the Mercedes S63 starts to shine as it has one of the nicest,
user-friendly cabins in its class
And what of the build quality differences?
On paper, there’s a gap of about $283,745, which is nonsense in a world riven
with inequality. Perhaps the Rolls is even vaguely immoral. And yet… in the
Wraith, you might step away believing that it’s $385,560 well spent, such is
the forensic attention to detail. In the F-Type, you’ll be wondering why it
doesn’t feel quite as well put together as an Audi TT or BMW 4-Series.
It’s certainly snug. Snug bordering on Fat
Fighters if you’re carrying a bit of extra timber around the middle. It feels
like an out-and-out sports car – an aggressive one at that – and you wear it
more like a trainer than a brogue. The main dials sit in a simple hooded
binnacle, the air vents are flush but rise into action when called upon, and
climate control is taken care of by a trio of rotary knobs of questionable
haptic feel.
The
Wraith's cabin is the last word in elegance and opulence
The multimedia display also looks and feels
a little tired, some of the detailing isn’t up to scratch and the gear-selector
suffers from a sticky action. This particular car has a monochrome interior and
feels light on inspiration. Others I’ve driven have felt brighter and tighter
overall, so we’ll let it go this time.
Lack of integrity is not an issue that
afflicts the F-Type Coupe in any other department. Jaguar claims that its body
is 80 per cent more rigid than the convertible’s, and a stiffness figure of
24,336lb ft per degree makes it one of the most rigid cars ever. You can tell.
If you think Jags are still fundamentally languid wingback armchairs with a
body and wheels attached, this thing will blow your mind. Approach a roundabout
at even a moderate speed, and the linearity of its hydraulic steering, the way
its ZF-supplied 8spd ’box snaps and zaps down through the ratios, and the
supreme bite of its brakes, adds up to a monumentally entertaining whole.
The
F-Type's well-appointed cabin has a classy and upmarket feel
With the active exhaust fitted, the F-Type
adds sonic icing to the tingle in your fingertips, the pulsing in your feet and
the fizzing in your gentleman’s area. And, unlike some cars, the F-Type doesn’t
take its time winning you over. You know you’re in the presence of something
special 10 seconds after you flatten the pedal for the first time. This is why
it’s here. For its best-ness.
The S63 AMG, on the other hand, rolls into
this contest like a Panzer tank specced by Tony Stark. There hasn’t been a
wholly elegant big Benz coupe since the legendary Paul Bracq’s Sixties heyday,
but this one gets close. A dramatic descending swage line does it best to fool
the eye into thinking that this is not, in fact, a five-metre-long barge. It’s
also way more than just an S-Class Coupe, although the rear is too amorphous
for my taste.
