Type 01 rivals you should buy | Six of the Best
Jaguar wants to wow you with its all-new luxury GT - it isn't the first carmaker to try...
Aston Martin Rapide AMR, 2020, 10k, £134,950
Perhaps there was some succour for Jaguar, in light of the initial response to the Type 01, that no manufacturer has made the four-door GT look effortless. Easy to argue that the Aston Rapide is the car that everyone (or most people here anyway) would love to have seen Jaguar build: overtly gorgeous, flagrantly sporty and very V12-powered. But it was no great success for its maker, and though it had its devoted fans, and tapped out in the glorious, 210mph AMR format shown, it is comparatively rare for a very good reason: too many people with the means to buy one bought something else. Still, if Jaguar’s version proves even half as memorable in retrospect by the end of the decade, it will have done something right.
Porsche Panamera V8 Diesel S, 2017, 24k, £39,990
How Jaguar would love to emulate the Panamera’s track record. Here, after all, was a car not universally well-received for its appearance at launch (to put it mildly), and had the temerity to add diesel engines to a low-slung Porsche lineup. But it grew into its skin like Jennifer Connolly, and whenever anyone drove the 4.0-litre V8 oil burner, they spent the next two hours searching for superlatives. Jaguar, you can be sure, is aiming for a similar mix of supreme potency and dynamic polish. This one is approaching ten years old now, but we can tell you, hand on heart, that its sub-£40k asking price is an absolute steal if you want something for hammering up and down a motorway. Or anywhere else, for that matter.
Audi E-tron GT, 2023, 12k, £41,940
Of course, the closer parallel - and certainly the car Jaguar will have benchmarked endlessly when nailing down the Type 01's dynamic idenity - is the Porsche Taycan. But the Audi version might be the more notable comparison, as its basic good looks and ground-hugging profile did not ultimately save it from something like sales purgatory. Gaydon would argue that the model's played-safe styling provides a perfect example of the road it refused to take, and it may be right. Yet there is obviously a cautionary tale, too, in the underlying soullessness of battery power; had the GT been powered by a V8, it is extremely unlikely that you’d be able to buy a handsome, low-mile example - like this one - for little more than £40k. And they start cheaper.
BMW M6 Gran Coupe, 2015, 77k, PH Auctions
While cars like the Panamera and Rapide enjoyed special status in their respective lineups at launch, no such luxury was afforded to the M6 Gran Coupe. Because there was an M5 also: equally powerful, much cheaper, and a bit more useful. By any objective measure, a four-door M6 was hard to justify over the M5. Good job objectivity doesn’t decide V8-powered purchases, then; because subjectively, the GC was a knockout, suave and stylish where the 5 Series was tame and tepid. It surely has a claim to being one of the best-looking four-door BMWs in recent history, especially with the M costume. Which, let's not forget, also includes 560hp and a seven-speed dual-clutch at this age. A forgotten M car perhaps, yet still a hugely desirable one. The warranty on this one is transferable, and the MOT has been flawless for years - bidding kicks off next week…
Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S, 2020, 43k, £69,990
Another four-door coupe of sorts that made little sense on paper - and totally confounded expectations in reality. The GT63 looked like a cynical cash-in on the GT name, attempting to flog an E63 in a curvier body and with a dash just like the standard coupe. But there was so much more to the 4-door than that: extra torque from the twin-turbo V8 meant it always felt faster than the E-Class, four-wheel steer made it turn like a touring car, and the discipline of the chassis really did give you the sports car feel. While also surrounding the driver in expensive leathers and cool metals. It was AMG at its finest, in other words, niche in the extreme and utterly glorious with it. Little surprise that residuals are strong: paying less than £60k is rare, with this very smart 2020 Premium Plus at £70,000.
Bentley Flying Spur W12, 2021, 30k, £99,995
A much more traditional saloon than any other swoopier efforts here, yet no less appealing for it. There’s always the Continental GT if style really wins out over substance. Certainly this W12 can cut it here as far as performance is concerned; while lacking the latest generation of hybridised wallop, the last 6.0-litre twin-turbo engines could still call on 635hp, which is more than ample even with 2.5 tonnes to shift. The third-generation Continental GT family was fabulous to drive as well, technology enhancing the indomitable Bentley feel rather than detracting from it. You were simply in control of a more capable Bentley than ever, and it felt fantastic. A whole lotta luxury, and speed, for £100k - especially with just 30k under those 22s…
Faced with a similar choice, my wife bought a Taycan. It's perfect at almost everything from the school run to twisty country lanes. On a couple of occasions, I've covered 700km in a day without feeling that recharging half way was a chore. It's just a shame it doesn't have a soul.
In order of preference, I'll take the Aston, Bentley, Audi, M6GC, Porsche.
But to my eyes that Merc is gopping! I don't care how capable it is
In order of preference, I'll take the Aston, Bentley, Audi, M6GC, Porsche.
But to my eyes that Merc is gopping! I don't care how capable it is
Still out of all these it’d be the Aston.
In order of preference, I'll take the Aston, Bentley, Audi, M6GC, Porsche.
But to my eyes that Merc is gopping! I don't care how capable it is
Do you actually cross continents in your diesel, or do you do 40 miles on the M1 but at least you feel like an intrepid explorer?
A Sea Dweller 4000 might make me feel like I can plumb the depths of the ocean any time I want. I’ve never done it though…
In order of preference, I'll take the Aston, Bentley, Audi, M6GC, Porsche.
But to my eyes that Merc is gopping! I don't care how capable it is
Do you actually cross continents in your diesel, or do you do 40 miles on the M1 but at least you feel like an intrepid explorer?
A Sea Dweller 4000 might make me feel like I can plumb the depths of the ocean any time I want. I ve never done it though
I imagine there's many things you haven't done in your 997 either despite being able to theoretically?
If there s no interest in the motive power then a Taycan is a better option otherwise get a great sounding petrol alternative.
The F1 medical car has also had me looking at the AMG recently. Whilst I’m not crazy about the looks and image I do think it’s a car of under appreciated speed and quality.
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