If there’s one undeniable positive about the rise of SUVs, it’s that it’s made automakers make sedans way, way more fun. Case in point: the 2019 Jaguar XE SV Project 8 and 2019 Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S 4Matic+ (my, that’s a mouthful!) that we had along for our 2019 Best Driver’s Car competition last summer. Impressed with how much fun the two sedans were on our Highway 198 hill climb, we put hot shoe Randy Pobst behind the wheel of both at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca to see which would become the new four-door production car lap record holder at the famed track.
Before we dive into the video, it’s worth looking at what makes these two cars tick. Both engineering teams had somewhat similar approaches when it comes to the cars’ powerplants and drivetrains. Both pack forced-induction all-aluminum V-8s under their hoods, with power going through automatic gearboxes—eight-speeds in the Jaguar and nine-speeds in the Mercedes—to torque-vectoring all-wheel-drive systems. But that’s where they diverge.
The Jaguar has a sort of skunkworks quality to it. Hand built on the XE sedan’s platform by Jag’s small SVO team—and limited to just 300 examples—the XE SV Project 8 was designed around one goal and one goal only: to own the production sedan lap record at the Nürburgring. To do it, SVO wedged its biggest, most powerful engine into Jaguar’s smallest car. The 5.0-liter supercharged V-8 in the Project 8 makes 592 hp and 516 lb-ft of torque, making it more powerful than even the legendary Jaguar XJ220 supercar. It also widened the standard XE’s bodywork with carbon-fiber add-ons, revamped the car’s aero package, and added carbon-ceramic brakes and a track-focused suspension system. The result is a track-focused five-seater that can hustle from 0 to 60 mph in just 3.4 seconds, 0 to 100 to 0 mph in 12.1 seconds, and around the figure eight in 23.3 seconds at 0.88 g average.
Whereas the XE Project 8 was essentially built underground, the AMG team had Mercedes’ full backing in building the GT 63 S 4-Door, with no expense seemingly spared. Built on a new platform—itself based on the E-Class platform—the AMG GT was designed to be the four-door kamerad to the BDC-winning AMG GT. Its engine is a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V-8, churning out an exceptionally healthy 630 hp and 664 lb-ft of torque. AMG backs up the engine with active aero, rear steering, adaptive dampers, and carbon-ceramic brakes. It accelerates from 0 to 60 mph in 2.9 seconds, from 0 to 100 mph and back again in 11.2 seconds, and it laps the figure eight in 23.1 seconds at 0.91 g average.
So, which will be faster around WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca? Watch the video to find out. As for which is the best four-door outright? Well, you can check out our comparison HERE.
The post Jaguar XE SV Project 8 vs. Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S 4Matic+ Track Video: Sedan Showdown appeared first on MotorTrend.
Source: WORLD NEWS
