Mercedes-Benz SL 63 AMG vs Jaguar XKR-S Convertible Track Battle

We actually loved the car so much that we think it's among the best cars we drove since first starting the test drive section of the website back in late 2008.

With the extra style added by a coupe body, the freedom felt when getting the roof down, the neck-snapping acceleration offered by the twin-turbocharged M157 under the hood and the comfort and handling brought by the AMG-tuned Active Body Control suspension – all these factors make for a rather impressive cocktail.

What we didn't do with the car tested was put it through the fires of Gehenna on a track, which is where the following track battle by evo Magazine comes in.

We say track battle because evo's Jethro Bovingdon took a Mercedes-Benz SL 63 AMG much like the one we drive (without the performance package, ed) and pitted it against the Jaguar XKR-S Convertible on a circuit.

With the Jaguar being a bit better in terms of power but having quite a lot less torque than the Mercedes-Benz, their performance numbers are pretty similar on paper.

The XKR-S Convertible uses a supercharged V8 that delivers 550 hp, while the SL 63 AMG's twin-turbocharged V8 puts out only 537 hp. On the other hand, the 680 Nm (501 lb ft) of British torque are no match for the 800 Nm (590 lb ft) developed by the German missile.

In the real world, the cars' handling capabilities are the ones which make the most difference on the track, with the AMG-tuned Active Body Control system and the lower weight of the AMG appearing to best the analog tail-happiness of the Jaguar, as the following video will depict. Enjoy!