Two seasoned European sports cars face off in a classic rear-drive V8 coupe stoush
Endangered species
There are two good reasons for us to compare the 2022 Jaguar F-TYPE P450 R-Dynamic and Mercedes-AMG C63 S Coupe. The first and most obvious is to find out which of these European rear-drive V8 coupes best deserves your hard-earned coin.
The second, somewhat more sombre reason, is that opportunities to have a 16-cylinder comparison split between just two cars are becoming few and far between.
Ten years ago this segment was bursting with V8 options but now these are the final two left. The BMW M3 was the first to swap its naturally-aspirated V8 for a twin-turbo six, the Audi RS 4 followed soon after and the Lexus RC F’s time was cut cruelly short by side impact regulations.
As for these two, it’s no great secret that the next-generation C63 will swap its twin-turbo V8 for a four-cylinder hybrid powertrain. The sedan will appear shortly, with the Coupe set to follow sometime in 2023. And the Jag? If it is to be replaced, you can bet your bottom dollar it’ll be electrically powered.
Such is progress, but for enthusiasts the V8 has been one of the most universally loved engine configurations, so let’s see which of these two goes out on a high.
Kindred spirits
In base form the $166,048 Jaguar F-TYPE P450 holds a reasonable price advantage over the $179,868 Mercedes-AMG C63 Coupe S. However, account for specification differences and options and the picture becomes considerably more complex.
Before delving into those details, it’s important to note that while these two cars are similar in intent, they’re quite different in size.
The Mercedes is 280mm longer with an extra 218mm in the wheelbase which allows it to accommodate an extra row of seats. Unlike in many two-door cars, these aren’t a waste of space either, with enough room for smaller adults or larger children, though they’ll need a certain level of dexterity to clamber into the back.
It also allows the Mercedes to offer more luggage space, its 355L boot trumping the 299L the Jaguar offers under its rear hatch, though this expands to 509L if you discard the parcel tray and stuff it to the brim.
Our C63 test car is highly specced, including Graphite Grey matte paintwork ($2800), the interior carbon package ($2200), AMG Performance front seats ($3700) and ceramic-composite front brakes ($7900) for a grand total of $196,468 before on-road costs.
The Jag wears a similar number of options which inflate its price to $176,658 (+ORCs), basically the same as the C63’s standard ask. A couple of the options are nice-to-have trinkets, like the glass roof ($2110) and knurled aluminium centre console ($1470), but others should be standard kit, like the dual-zone climate control ($1040) and blind-spot assist pack ($1000). And $270 for red seat belts? C’mon, Jaguar.
Should you so wish, you can really go to town with options on the F-TYPE. An impressive nine colours are standard, but you can also spend up to $20,550 on ‘special effect’ satin paint, as well as $2594 for pixel LED headlights, $3160 on heated and cooled 12-way adjustable seats, $4740 for the full extended leather upgrade and much more.
About the only things missing from our C63 are exterior carbon package ($8200) and heated and ventilated front seats ($1500).
Both cars feature five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranties but Jaguar impressively offers complimentary servicing for the first five years/130,000km. Over the same timeframe (or 100,000km) the C63 will cost $6050.
Upper class
You are deeply ensconced in the Jaguar F-TYPE P450, sitting much lower than in the Mercedes-AMG C63 S Coupe, with the whole dash focussed towards the driver.
There’s welcome theatre in the Jag, too. The engine start button rhythmically flashes like the car has a heartbeat and the central air vents rise imperiously out of the dashboard on start-up.
The interior is a fine mix of old-school and new. Digital instruments now feature and the infotainment is a touch-sensitive widescreen incorporating sat-nav, smartphone mirroring and digital radio, which plays through a 10-speaker Meridian sound system.
Navigating the infotainment is relatively straightforward, though the system itself isn’t necessarily cutting-edge, but there are also plenty of physical dials and buttons without the layout being overly crowded or convoluted.
Safety aids include auto-emergency braking, driver monitoring and lane-keep assist, but as mentioned before blind-spot assist, rear cross-traffic alert and park assist are options and there’s no adaptive cruise control.
The C63 has the full kit and caboodle. Merc’s semi-autonomous driving technology is some of the best and while these cars are undoubtedly aimed at driving enthusiasts, on a long journey being able to let the car do most of the heavy lifting does have a certain appeal.
Auto-emergency braking, lane keep assist, adaptive cruise control, blind-spot warning, driver monitoring, park assist… the Mercedes has the works.
Its interior is also undoubtedly a flashier affair and offers more tech, including a head-up display and highly configurable digital instruments, but there are some misses, too.
The C63’s older-style infotainment doesn’t have a touch-sensitive screen, instead relying on either the central touchpad or left-hand side haptic button on the steering wheel, neither of which are the last word in intuitive operation. A 13-speaker Burmester stereo does help alleviate the stress, however.
Double thunder
If you’re of an enthusiast bent then you can’t go wrong with either of these two. The power delivery, potency and soundtrack of both V8 engines is first-class, to the point that picking between them feels like splitting hairs, to a degree.
While their configurations are similar, however, in sound and character they are very different. The Jaguar’s 331kW/580Nm 5.0-litre is crisp, its supercharger delivering power instantly and in a linear fashion, accompanied by a sharp rasp from the exhausts and plenty of overrun fireworks.
The engine might be significantly detuned from the 423kW/700Nm it makes in the full-fat F-TYPE R, but this is still an incredibly rapid machine. Deceptively so, the broad, flat torque band disguising the rate of acceleration. The power does fade beyond 6000rpm but clicking the upshift paddle drops the revs right back into the meat of the grunt.
Gear changes might not be dual-clutch quick but they’re still acceptably rapid and a regular torque converter auto is still the pick for stop-start smoothness, making the Jag a painless everyday companion – though it isn’t the easiest thing to see out of.
The Mercedes also has an automatic transmission but it replaces the regular torque converter with a set of clutches. It speeds up the shifts nicely but its low-speed behaviour can be a jerky affair, though selecting Sport for the powertrain can make it more decisive.
Once on the move the C63 clearly asserts its dominance. Like the F-TYPE its power fades beyond 6000rpm slightly but whereas the Jaguar’s torque delivery could be illustrated by a nice, linear straight line, the Merc’s bulges thanks to the enormous 375kW700Nm delivered by those twin turbos.
There’s only the slightest hesitation before you’re catapulted forward violently. The nine-speed gearbox requires a slight rethink, as the close ratios combined with the huge torque means it’s often better to click a gear higher than would feel natural with six or seven speeds.
It makes a very different noise, too. In contrast to the F-TYPE’s dry snarl, the C63 makes a wet, gurgly roar with angry cracks on full-throttle upshifts with the powertrain set to its angriest mode. It’s a monster motor and an act the next four-cylinder C63 won’t be able to match.
A quick word on fuel consumption. Both have very similar claims, at 10.3L/100km for the Mercedes and 10.6L/100km for the Jaguar, but be aware that day-to-day use will add at least 50 per cent to that and using their considerable performance will double it or more.
Battle stations
Just as with their engines, the respective chassis of the Jaguar F-TYPE P450 and Mercedes-AMG C63 S Coupe look similar on paper but differ markedly when it comes to reality.
You not only sit very low in the Jag but also a long way back, to the point you’re basically located over the rear axle. It has quite a substantial effect on how the F-TYPE feels to drive, as you’re a relatively long way from the wheels doing the steering and unusually close to those doing the driving.
It makes for a unique driving experience. The Jag is a great cruiser, with quite a compliant ride, that easy supercharged torque and light steering. It’s when you start to delve deeper into its dynamic talents that things become a bit more interesting.
The first thing to do is select Dynamic mode, which adds weight to the steering, stiffens up the suspension and sharpens up the throttle and gearbox response, though you can also tweak the settings individually in the main touch-screen.
In essence, the F-TYPE P450 is a very fast, very capable sports coupe but one with a few quirks. It has very strong lateral (side to side) grip but very little traction. This can be fun in the dry, feeling its rear-end squirm around beneath your rear-end, but the Jag can be extremely lively in the wet. The traction and stability controls are up to the task but if they are in their more relaxed ‘TracDSC’ mode care is required.
The steering is quite reactive, a feeling exacerbated by your position in the car, so careful inputs are required at speed so as not to unduly upset its composure. Once you key into its behaviour it’s very enjoyable but a degree of comfort with the car moving around is required.
The C63 is, well, more – more traction, more poise, more grip, more power, more feedback, more serious. It’s a more involving machine than the F-TYPE but so too is it more involved.
Six drive modes are available – Slippery, Comfort, Sport, Sport+, Race and Individual – selected via the rotary dial on the right side of the steering wheel. At any time, however, individual parameters can be tweaked via the buttons on the left side of the steering wheel.
With a bit of familiarity it works very well, allowing settings to be continually adjusted on the fly as your mood shifts. If you find yourself in an appropriate environment, you can even activate nine-stage traction control with the stability control disengaged.
The steering is slower than the Jag’s but less reactive and there’s greater communication from both ends of the car. Its greater size and longer wheelbase makes it less agile on quick changes of direction but it’s an easier machine to trust and brutally effective at thrilling the driver.
There is a slight price to pay for this performance talent and the C63 isn’t the most refined machine in the world, its worst trait a thudding through the bodyshell from impacts. In the video above m’learned colleague Bruce isn’t a huge fan of the AMG’s ride quality but I am going to offer a different take.
Certainly the pre-facelift C63 could be a brutal affair in its sportier suspension modes but the 2019 update softened the suspension considerably.
It’s definitely not a magic carpet, but there’s real compliance in Comfort and I find Sport+ is actually required to keep the Merc’s substantial 1725kg in check on a challenging road, though the Jag is no lightweight at 1706kg.
Everyone’s a winner
Identifying an objective winner between these two is easy – it’s the Mercedes. It’s faster, more engaging, more capable, more practical, better equipped and, yes, more expensive but not by a dramatic margin. It’s a brilliant car and will be an extraordinarily hard act for its four-cylinder successor to follow.
But I love the Jag. I love the way it looks (though I think the pre-facelift car was more attractive), the way it sounds and, in particular, the way it drives. Some may find its occasionally exuberant handling a turn-off but if you click with it there are few cars that will put a bigger smile on your face.
As such, picking an actual winner is almost impossible. Both are fantastic cars and different enough in character that it’ll be personal preference that dictates which one is right for you. Drive both before you decide, but do so quickly as they won’t be around forever.
How much does the 2022 Jaguar F-TYPE P450 R-Dynamic cost?
Price: $166,048 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Now
Engine: 5.0-litre supercharged petrol V8
Output: 331kW/580Nm
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Fuel: 10.6L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 248g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Untested
How much does the 2022 Mercedes-AMG C63 S Coupe cost?
Price: $180,678 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Now
Engine: 4.0-litre twin-turbo petrol V8
Output: 375kW/700Nm
Transmission: Nine-speed wet-clutch automatic
Fuel: 10.3L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 234g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Untested
Keyword: Jaguar F-TYPE v Mercedes-AMG C63 2022 Comparison