autoevolution
 

Mercedes-AMG E63 S Wagon Races Rare Jaguar Project 8, Too Close for Comfort

Did you ever wonder who would win in a fight between Hulk Hogan and Mike Tyson? We all know the answer because one was a professional fighter while the other was a professional actor/stuntman, but wouldn't you still pay lots of money to watch it?
Mercedes-AMG E63 S T-Modell vs. Jaguar XE SV Project 8 drag race 8 photos
Photo: YouTube screenshot
Mercedes-AMG E63 S T-Modell vs. Jaguar XE SV Project 8 drag raceMercedes-AMG E63 S T-Modell vs. Jaguar XE SV Project 8 drag raceMercedes-AMG E63 S T-Modell vs. Jaguar XE SV Project 8 drag raceMercedes-AMG E63 S T-Modell vs. Jaguar XE SV Project 8 drag raceMercedes-AMG E63 S T-Modell vs. Jaguar XE SV Project 8 drag raceMercedes-AMG E63 S T-Modell vs. Jaguar XE SV Project 8 drag raceMercedes-AMG E63 S T-Modell vs. Jaguar XE SV Project 8 drag race
You would because that's the kind of thing you don't see every day, and it's the same with drag races. You can have tons of muscle car on muscle car action and be entertained, or watch dragsters teleport to the end of the track one fraction of a second quicker than the other, but it's really the odd pairings that raise our interest the most. Things like an Audi RS7 against a Lamborghini Aventador, for example. Or an old BMW 7 Series versus an even older Maybach limousine.

What do both of these head-to-head races (as well as others) have in common? Well, very little apart from the fact they were all organized by carwow's Mat Watson, the same man who's bringing you this latest one: a Mercedes-AMG E63 S T-Modell duking it against a Jaguar Project 8 (or a Jaguar XE SV Project 8, to use the full nomenclature).

Compared to the RS7 against the Aventador race, this one is slightly more balanced. The E-Class is not the XE's competitor since that role is taken up by the smaller C-Class, and the Jaguar is a limited edition track weapon whereas the AMG E63 S is readily available for anyone with over $130,000 in the bank.

Speaking of money, presuming you could find a Jaguar Project 8 for sale, it would cost at least $50,000 more than the Merc, which seriously limits the model's public to hardcore Jaguar enthusiasts with deep pockets. The fact it only comes with the steering wheel on the left-hand side is all the more baffling since the chance of finding the kind of people who fit that description decreases the further you get from the United Kingdom.

As far as performance goes, the two offer similar figures, though they go about different ways to obtain them. The Mercedes has the ubiquitous AMG 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 engine, except here it develops 612 hp. That's 12 hp more than what the Jag squeezes out of its 5.0-liter V8 with the help of a supercharger. The torque difference, on the other hand, is tilted even more in the AMG's favor: 627 lb-ft (850 Nm) compared to 516 lb-ft (700 Nm).

If that's not the set up for the kind of race that will keep you on the edge of your seat, then we don't know what is. It's not really at the same level as an octagon fight between Hulk Hogan and Mike Tyson, but it's close enough. And speaking of closeness, so is the result.

If you liked the article, please follow us:  Google News icon Google News Youtube Instagram X (Twitter)
About the author: Vlad Mitrache
Vlad Mitrache profile photo

"Boy meets car, boy loves car, boy gets journalism degree and starts job writing and editing at a car magazine" - 5/5. (Vlad Mitrache if he was a movie)
Full profile

 

Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?

You will only receive our top stories