WHILE arranging a meeting of these stupendously powerful GT (Gran Turismo) cars was a long time coming, we finally managed to get them together and promptly subjected them to the ground proving that is the tight Zwartkops Raceway.
The Jaguar XKR and BMW M6 ooze panache from their well tailored R and M suits, both vehicles managing to raise eyebrows without coming across as too brash. Both roll on 19-inch wheels and each have four tailpipes to show off their king-of-the-hill status. Moving inside, swathes of good quality leather adorn both cars, while the Jag has the more appealing appointments underlined by the tan leather contrast and wood veneer embellishments, whereas the Beemer is a sea of traditional black leather and accents of carbon fibre trimmings.
Climbing into the Jag is a little compromised due to the relatively high door sill; however, once perched finding a comfortable seating position via the electric settings becomes a cinch. The Bavarian scores higher in that regard, and it too has electric adjustments for both seat and steering wheel.
Since these vehicles are billed as GTs, they need to accommodate four adults and their luggage with relative ease. Alas, the Jaguar designers missed the brief as the rear seats are at best gimmicky. The boot lid itself opens hatch style meaning bulky travel suitcases are easily dispensed with, but the actual boot size is compromised by a bulky divider that separates the boot from the cabin. So the Beemer wins that hands down.
The delight of these vehicles can be derived from putting them through their respective paces, and our time at the track showed that both cars are certainly a hoot to drive. The cat comes to the fight with sharper fangs and claws courtesy of a supercharged 5l V8 to put out a respectable 375kW and 675Nm via a six-speed automatic transmission. Bavaria’s warrior is kitted with a similar displacement engine as that of the Jag, but cranking a set of V-banked 10 cylinders to make 373kW and 520Nm through a seven-speed second generation SMG transmission. So, as the figures suggest, particularly kW-wise the vehicles are like peas in a pod.
The Jaguar is perhaps the easiest to become accustomed to as access and starting of the car is a keyless affair. Once seated comfortably, simply jab the starter button and the drive select lever rises to the occasion — pun intended — and Bob’s your uncle. Select drive and, once in gear, transitions are butter smooth with no perceptible dips between gears.
In contrast the four-year-old Beemer is devoid of such gizmos and familiarising yourself with the controls, particularly the selecting of gears, can be a taxing affair .
Then you also have the two driving maps: the default — every time you start up — gives you 298kW, suitable for everyday cut- and-thrust driving, which is quite rapid still, but not in the pull your face back kind of manner. Selecting drive on the stubby gear lever is a “simple” tug to the right and the instrument cluster confirms your input via a D letter.
You can use this mode to drive granny to her tea party or negotiate our daily clogged road arteries; however, it must be said that it is rather irksome to experience the lag between gears in this mode and as an automatic the SMG fails dismally.
However, discover that magical M button on the steering wheel, which summons up the full might of 373kW, stiffens the suspension and sharpens the steering inputs and you get the gist of what lies in store. Take over the gear ratios from the machine’s computers by using the steering mounted paddles instead, and you could well be in motoring Nirvana! Seemingly the M6 moves from fast to rapidly savage.
Putting both cars on the track, I found that the Jaguar is more at home with the transmission setting in “S” mode, traction control in “race mode” and taking command of the gear changes yourself. Then what you have in your hands is an agile animal that carves through corners with admirable alacrity. However, I found the vehicle’s rear becomes a little skittish and light under braking.
In the case of the BMW, putting the car in M dynamic mode is fine on the straights, but the DSC tends to intrude a little on exiting the corners. I then decided to turn all the driver aids off and found the vehicle much more eager to grant me my sporting whims, albeit with drifting galore the order of the day out of corners. In a nutshell the vehicles were closely matched on the track with the Jag winning brownie points with a vocal V8 battle cry.
Both cars are well pedigreed and while one is best at home on the boulevard, the other has its genes entrenched in racing annals. In my opinion, both cars will flatter the enthusiast, but only the Bavarian will appease the purist.
Mark says: We all know that Lerato has a passion for the Beemer, but by the same token I could easily be accused of having a slight bias towards the British bruiser, despite Jaguar SA’s tendency to ignore the Motor News reader.
There is only one way to really sort out which is best and our time at the track certainly did that. Regular readers will know that I like a performance car to make some noise and I have to agree with Lerato that the Jag wins that one by a mile. It literally roared down the back straight while the M6 sounded just a little strained. This is typical of the brand, though, as rather than roaring like a beast, its cars tend to emulate the induction rasp of a world touring car.
If I look at ticking various boxes, the Jag wins in the styling department in my view. It also takes the cake with its interior that combines refinement with a performance edge rather than the Beemer that presents you with more blackness than a Dunlop production line. Both are similar in terms of practicality with each having its own faults, but these are hardly family cars and if they can pass the golf bag test then they suit the market they are aimed at.
Then there is that performance aspect. The traction control system on the BMW is horrid, with computers taking over at every prod of the throttle and the SMG gearbox causing the car to nosedive enough to make you think you should be wearing a neck brace. The Jag is elegant in its composure even if it also tends to think a little too much.
Turn things off and both cars are truly in their element and while I tend to agree with Lerato that the M6 prefers the pure enthusiast, the Jag just offers so much more in terms of balancing power with driveability. Both will easily see you spinning faster than a carousel if you get it wrong, but get it right and the aural note of the Jag as you floor it out of the corner takes the cake for me.
I am not sitting on the fence here, but they are actually two different cars aimed at different markets, despite their apparent positioning. If it was my money then I would have to take the cat — it just has so much more refinement for the daily drive and a nasty side for when the mood takes you.
SPECIFICATIONS
BMW M6
Power: 373kW at 7750r/min
Torque: 520Nm at 6100r/min
0-100km/h: 4,6 seconds
Top Speed: 250km/h (limited)
Fuel Consumption: 14.8l/100km
Price: R1256000
JAGUAR XKR COUPE
Power: 375kW at 6000r/min
Torque: 625Nm at 2500r/min
0-100km/h: 4,9 seconds
Top Speed: 250km/h (limited)
Fuel Consumption: 10.3l/100km
Price: R1170000