F Type R vs CLS63 vs Porsche Turbo S

[Adamccc]

Treated myself to a little track experience last week - fantastic day, no helmets, no patronising passengers telling you how to suck eggs etc and the ability to take you're own car on for £5/lap which, if you're not one for full track days but want to explore the cars limits in a very safe environment, is a great opportunity.

Firstly, F-Type R - a car I was opting to buy before finding the CLS so had test driven one previously, but unfortunately there's only so much you can tell from driving around a busy city. What a machine! Extremely punchy, fantastic ZF gearbox, burbling exhaust note and that e-diff along with it's torque vectoring system really pulls you into the apex like nothing I've driven.

Next, The CLS. I know this thing is blisteringly quick when you plant it, but I wasn't expecting a great deal from the Ocean Liner around the tight, short course at Blyton. But surprisingly it held it's own, seemingly quicker than the Jag down the straight and only hindered in the corners by it's regular diff and wanting to oversteer on the exit.

Lastly, the car everyone raves about being the ultimate driver car... I've never known why 911's have this reputation and after driving a flagship car I don't think I ever will. I know it's an older model but and new ones will be faster and more agile blah, blah. But after glimpsing at recent reviews arn't the older ones meant to be the best (hydraulic steering etc)? Anyway, much slower than the competition despite weighing around 400kg less, terrible brakes, light and spongy steering, boring exhaust note... I could go on.

If I was a single man without a broody partner, I'd be on the way to the jag dealership tomorrow but I really can't fault Mercedes for making a car that can pretty much do everything Jag's Sports car can whilst giving you seating for 4, a massive boot and the ability to give the driving a fully cooled massage.

 

[RJ C63]

Nice review and interesting outcome.

 

[Grovsie31]

Looks like a 911 Turbo? Lot slower than both? and terrible brakes? Usually the brakes on any porker are awesome, and iam amazed it was slower, maybe it was broken lol. As for exhaust note, no surprise there.

 

[Deleted member 37751]

I think the CLS 63 Bi-Turbo and the F-Type R would be in my ideal garage along with a RRS SVR.

I've got a similar opinion of Porsche to yourself, and having driven four different models (one being the Turbo 4WD) I really just don't get the way people worship them; they have a face only a blind mother could love and they're not actually that enjoyable to drive in my experience.

Each to their own though.

 

[Simon_M]

I had the pleasure of a track day session in the F-Type Coupe R recently. I was very, very impressed. It kept a McLaren 650S in sight the whole time.

S

 

[Pathewolf]

Yep, you must have broken the porker 0-60 is 3 sec or 3.1 depending on where you get the info! Not everybody likes them which is fair enough each to his own, but they have a great rep for a reason.

 

[Little Lofty]

As mentioned the Porsche must be broke if it wasn't fast and had crap brakes. Every Porsche is designed to stop in half the time it takes it to get to 0-60, so that car should accelerate to 60 and back to 0 in less than 5 seconds. Go easy on Porsche brakes and they feel like they aren't working, stamp on them and you go through the windscreen. Having said that I'd also take the Jag, absolutely loved my V6S, I never drove the R as I knew I'd want one badly.

 

[leef44]

Thanks for the informative review

Surprising no crash helmet is required. That's a really bonus. You get to focus on the feel of the car.

Each to their own in opinions. The only 911 I've driven is 996 C4S for a short drive in urban area. I loved the feel of it. I loved the way you can feel it moving and swinging its hips around you. It felt like a proper sports car.