RE: Pic Of The Week: E63 AMG Takes On M5 And XFR

[tosh.brice]

cspknowles said:

How depressing that they all look the same. At least Jaguar ought to stand out on looks....

Yes - "fast and bulbous" as Captain Beefheart said about something completely different. Now, think back to the first M5, the E type, and the rectilinear Merc soft-top (no idea what the designation was) and you had three exciting (ie, exciting to look at) vehicles

Edited by tosh.brice on Saturday 8th October 21:28

[PELVICPEANUT]

I have always wanted to own a bmw m car, but not keen on anything after e46 m3. They are getting heavier which is just stupid and not keen on all this active suspension lark either. I would buy an m car because its a race honed road car, if i want to waft around in comfort i would have a non m car...simple. People just want everything these days,its getting away from what a true m car should be about. Same with the turbo's i can understand why they are good but now bmw is the same as all the other big Q cars. Shame... not saying i wouldnt have fun in the new m5 but if it was the choice between that and an e46 m3 csl, i would take the csl the true m car.

[E38Ross]

PELVICPEANUT said:

I have always wanted to own a bmw m car, but not keen on anything after e46 m3. They are getting heavier which is just stupid and not keen on all this active suspension lark either. I would buy an m car because its a race honed road car, if i want to waft around in comfort i would have a non m car...simple. People just want everything these days,its getting away from what a true m car should be about. Same with the turbo's i can understand why they are good but now bmw is the same as all the other big Q cars. Shame... not saying i wouldnt have fun in the new m5 but if it was the choice between that and an e46 m3 csl, i would take the csl the true m car.

name me one M5 which has been lightweight, and not full of all the gadgets/toys present on the current 5 series. they're all "as bad"as each other in that aspect. blame safety features and the fact people who buy these cars do actually want some form of luxury (if you don't, you don't start with a 5 series as a base ffs!).

[PELVICPEANUT]

E38Ross said:

PELVICPEANUT said:

I have always wanted to own a bmw m car, but not keen on anything after e46 m3. They are getting heavier which is just stupid and not keen on all this active suspension lark either. I would buy an m car because its a race honed road car, if i want to waft around in comfort i would have a non m car...simple. People just want everything these days,its getting away from what a true m car should be about. Same with the turbo's i can understand why they are good but now bmw is the same as all the other big Q cars. Shame... not saying i wouldnt have fun in the new m5 but if it was the choice between that and an e46 m3 csl, i would take the csl the true m car.

name me one M5 which has been lightweight, and not full of all the gadgets/toys present on the current 5 series. they're all "as bad"as each other in that aspect. blame safety features and the fact people who buy these cars do actually want some form of luxury (if you don't, you don't start with a 5 series as a base ffs!).

If you look at all cars over the years they have all gone up in weight, im fully aware its down to safety etc, but it would be nice to see a higher use of lighter weight materials in the m division cars instead of using headline grabbing bhp figures.Its the same with the turbo's i can understand why they are there but i like the NA engines. I had to look up what 'ffs' was.... sorry not up on my kids text language.

[vit4]

ludicrous speed said:

Just seen another saloon which would have made a much better potw.....

+1... supersize version please

[Grovsie26]

Id take the Jag, though i wouldn't refuse the other 2, thanks.

[ANF11]

The jag would be my second choice after the Audi S8.....

[Jimbo Deany]

Jag for me. Cool can't be defined but whilst undeniably great cars, the Merc and BMW simply are not cool. The fact that their fans cite "ooh it's 0.2 seconds quicker to 60" and no doubt read the idrive manual in bed etc merely reinforces this.

[Deep]

Horse for courses but I don't understand why people keep saying how good the Jag interior is.

I used to own an E60 M5 and had a mental attack and chopped it in for a F10 535D MS with all the toys back in May. I soon realised my mistake and wanted to get back into a super saloon.

So I test drove a C63 AMG, E63 AMG, M3 and XFR. Though the XFR was a competent and fast car something about it just didn't excite. Perhaps I didn't like the super charged engine, though very fast just didn't seem or sound special.

And the interior of it I must say I didn't like at all. Next to the interior of my F10 it feels really quite cheap and flimsy. Actually right now the F10 has the best quality fit and finish of any of these cars.

The most fun car out of the lot was the C63 which was an absolute hoot! I presume the lower weight and smaller size just made it that much nicer to fling around. And that engine, wow! So exciting just to hear it. Many years ago I owned a sc C32 AMG, AMG has come a long long way with its cars.

Anyway none of the cars completely convinced me and I really thought I should hang around to see whether the new M5 was the one. Once I've driven that I'll decide which one to get.

Though some people might slag off the Jag without ever having driven it,similarly it seems that some will always say they prefer it without ever having driven it or the other cars. Perhaps they just feel somehow its cool to own a car that was once British, or just hate BMW/MB?

Regards

[Munich]

Well it is amazing how Autocar can change their tune within a week. I have just read the article on the M5 (before the comparison) and they basically said the F10M was the best car.... ever! How can it then lose to the MB, a car they had already driven (albeit with the old engine)? I'll be interested to read this article.

[fraserb]

ffc said:

As an XRF owner who loves the car I would cheerfully take either of the others as well.

ditto, had my xfr nearly two years and love it but........