After
almost 600 demanding miles, the Mercedes emerged as a luxury limousine with
degrees in velocity, ride comfort, and stability. In this features-galore mile-eater,
the driver is constantly tailed by a battalion of electronic
helpers that know how and when to stay in the
lane, keep the correct distance, decelerate in an emergency, pull at the
steering wheel if need be, and park the car automatically. Although
fully autonomous driving is one of the brand’s declared goals, the S63
thankfully still ex-presses interest in such AMG priorities as handling and
road holding, cornering grip and steering accuracy, brake bite and throttle
response.
2014 Mercedes S63 AMG Interior
The
steam-hammer version turns in more eagerly than the S550, decelerates with
added vigor, handles with greater talent, is a true champion of acceleration,
and can be coaxed into feeling quite chuck able for a behemoth weighing 4806
pounds. Despite all that, the 5.5-liter hyper sedan feels too much like a very
fast S-class and not enough like a raw and special driving machine prepared by
the most talented power brokers in the trade. The smaller E63 AMG is much
sharper and more communicative, a superior master of quick escapes and grand
gestures.
The
Jaguar epitomizes the very British art of waft ability, but refined
part-throttle cruising and posing at street-café pace are not its only skills.
When asked to give chase, the XJR will instantly change down a gear or two,
expertly flex and stretch its muscles, then slowly lower its head and aim at the
horizon with the energy of a sprinter who has somehow managed to adopt the
delicate balance of a high-wire performer. Be content to relish the car’s
communication skills this side of burn-outs and tail slides, and the XJR may
be-come an ally, perhaps a friend.
2014 Jaguar XJR steering wheel
But
if whips and spurs are your thing, the Jag is liable to mutate from house cat
to wildcat. The instant James the devoted chauffeur hands the keys to his alter
ego Zorro the racer, the car’s personality and attitude undergo a dramatic
change. From one moment to the next, supercharger whine and exhaust
trumpets set the tone, the nineteen-inch winter tires struggle to connect even
on clear blacktop, and the quick steering develops a newfound lightness.
The
limit arrives earlier and more suddenly than expected, and when it does, the
Jaguar is notably more difficult to keep on course than the S8 or the S63. The
paddle-operated gearbox isn’t totally composed, either. In sport mode, it feels
more like a dual-clutch automatic than like the torque-converter
automatic it is, holding on to a given ratio all the
way to the engine’s redline and then shifting with time-warp
efficiency. The brakes bite with such unyielding force that one would not be
surprised if the pads were basted with piranha teeth. Every acceleration from
50 to 75 mph leaves a deep dimple in the pit of your stomach, and the growling
V-8 is in-herently aggressive. All of which is another way of saying that this
Jaguar is a very special animal, competent and controversial yet flawed in a
quite charming way.
2014 Jaguar XJR LWB Road Test. The
2014 Jaguar XJR offers a level of luxury and performance rivaled by few.
To
summarize, the Jaguar is a great plaything for the twenty-mile Saturday-morning
detour to the bakery and coffee house but leaves something to be desired
as an all-weather 24/7 executive runabout; the Mercedes just does not have the
same effect on our heart rate, blood thickness, and adrenaline
flow as most other AMG products. Which brings us to the Audi S8 and its stature
in this trio.
