MENTION GERMAN LUXURY car and we’re willing to bet the car that comes to mind first is the Mercedes. Benz E-class. It’s easy to see why. Mercedes was the first German luxury carmaker to come into India way back in 1996, and remained the only one here for more than the better part of a decade. And the very fact that Mercedes Benz has consistently brought in the latest-generation E-class to India almost as soon as it was introduced in Europe (apart from the very first model) speaks volumes about how important this car is to the company. Part of the reason for its success is the fact that Mercedes has always offered an entry-level diesel version that was more affordable than its bigger-engined brethren, making it that much more attractive.

‘Now Jaguar too has seen the merits of offering a smaller engine option. It’s why it recently introduced the four-cylinder XF 2.2 diesel in India. Because it is assembled locally, thereby attracting lower duties, it joins the XF lineup at 63.134, a comfortable 7.500 EUR below the 3.0-litre, six-cylinder XF-S diesel. We picked the Jag and the Merc for this test because they share one trait – they both focus on occupant comfort.

A couple of things are important here. Since they have relatively small engines, it is key that these two cars have enough power to not embarrass their owners when they accelerate away from traffic lights. They have to have enough grunt to feel effortless and, of course, they should be comfortable, as the owner is likely to spend time being chauffeur driven.

What are they like to drive?

WITH 187BHP AND 45.8kgm of pulling power, the Jaguar’s engine is quite a bit gutsier than this Mercedes E 220 CDI’s 170bhp and 40.7kgm. And that’s not all – the XF’s engine is also smoother and quieter than the Merc’s diesel, and hence feels more effortless from the word go. Also in its favour is the eight-speed automatic gearbox, which has one more gear than the E-class’s seven-speed automatic.

So, on the move, the XF actually leaps ahead like a proverbial jungle cat. Its 0-100kph time of 9.1sec betters the E 220 CDI’s 9.3sec time and the XF is better at pouncing into gaps in traffic as well. You might find it needs a firm push of the throttle pedal before it downshifts, but then again, you can get around this easily by tugging on the left shift paddle.

It’s not all rosy for the XF though. When you want to get away fast from a traffic light, there’s a noticeable delay between putting your foot down and the car actually lunging ahead. Still, this is but a small fly in the XF’s ointment.

The E-class moves off from a standstill more smartly, and the throttle response is more linear than the XF’s, making it more predictable when you’re manoeuvring in tight traffic. And, if you haven’t experienced the XF, you’ll be more than happy with the way it pulls. Its 0-100kph time is not very different from the XF’s, and neither are the in-gear acceleration times.

In fact, it’s only on the highway, when you need that extra burst of speed for an overtake that you notice the Merc’s lower power rating. Also, while the Merc’s engine is gruffer sounding than the XF’s, it’s not a tractor either. Still, it’s the Jaguar we would pick here thanks to that extra bit of refinement and effortlessness it has.

Ride & handling

THE XF is a bit lumpy at low speeds, but the way it handles uneven surfaces once you pick up the pace is very impressive. One of the reasons for this is the high-profile tyres mounted on 17-inch rims, which act as the first line of defence against our warzone-like roads.

The E-class, in contrast, is stiffer and tends to toss you around a bit. However, it too has a fantastically stable and flat ride once you are at highway speeds.

It’s also the one that is more fun to drive. It changes direction willingly, the steering feels sharper, with better weight and feel than the Jaguar’s. This, combined with the frankly fantastic body control, makes it a better handler than the occasionally wallowy Jag.

The Jaguar XF is the easier one to drive in traffic. Its low dashboard makes it easier to see out the front and the lighter steering makes for easier twirling through tight turns.

What are they like inside?

The generation of E-class is known for its tanklike build quality, but you’ll still be amazed by how well constructed it is. The doors shut with all the solidity of a bank vault and, once you’re inside, it’s like you’ve lowered the volume on the world outside. Then there’s the beautifully built interiors and the controls that work with reassuring solidity. The driving position is comfortable, and the driver’s seat even has electric lower back support adjustment (the XF doesn’t offer this). However, we didn’t like the confusing mass of buttons on the centre console, or the basic driver interface system and its very retro-looking graphics.

The XF, on the other hand, has a much brighter, simpler dashboard. The beige, silver and wood-finished cabin is a lot friendlier, but it doesn’t feel as solidly built as the E-class’s. We also like the touchscreen interface that controls everything from the audio system to the climate control and the navigation.

Moving back, it’s the E-class’s more spacious rear seats that we liked more. The cushioning is perfect, and there’s plenty of leg, head and shoulder room. Rear passengers even get additional goodies like separate temperature control for the rear air-con and sun-blinds for the windows.

The XF’s seat, though spacious enough and a brighter place to be than the E-class’s all black interiors, doesn’t have the legroom of the Merc.

The Jaguar does have more storage space than the Mercedes though. There are three big bins between the front seats and the door pockets are reasonably large as well.

The E-class fights back with a bigger, better-shaped boot. At 540 litres, you can squeeze in a lot more in here than in the XF.

Conclusion

THESE TWO CARS are very closely matched and it’s been quite a task picking a winner. Both are excellent at what they do – convincing their occupants that they are in a special car.

The E-class wows you with its tank-like build quality, its fantastically comfortable rear seats, its hushed interiors and all the safety features it comes loaded with. And we’re also impressed by how quick it is, despite its power -disadvantage. Seriously, if you haven’t been for a spin in the XF, you’ll be hard pressed to find fault with the way the E-class’s engine feels so competent.

Also, should you wish to drive hard, it is the one that will provide more thrills from behind the wheel. However, owners might not like the gruff engine note, or the fact that the stiffer ride negates the comfort that the rear seats offer to a certain extent. It is exactly here that the E-class loses valuable luxury points to the XF.

The Jaguar wins this test chiefly because it’s a bit more effortless, more refined and has the softer ride – things we believe are crucial attributes in a luxury car. It has the more up-to-date engine and gearbox as well, and it is the easier car to drive should you decide to take the wheel. Sure, it may not impart the same feeling of toughness as the E-class and it may not have as good a back seat, but the difference in these areas is marginal. Another important point is that the XF is also a far rarer sight on our roads than an E-class, giving it that little bit of exclusivity as well. It doesn’t have the widespread service backup that the Merc has, but Jaguar is working on it. Also, the XF is more expensive than the E 220 CDI by a small margin, but we think it feels special enough to justify the extra spend.

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In the Racing Yellow corner we have a 911 with ticks in two extremely expensive option boxes. Smelling salts at the ready… The carbon-ceramic brakes cost an eye-watering GBP 5787, while the Powerkit is a staggering GBP 9388. The former seems a slightly unnecessary outlay unless you’re going to spend a lot of time on track, because the standard cast-iron brakes are more than capable of coping with fast road driving and the occasional bit of lappery. The Powerkit looks, on the face of it, even more of a frippery when you work out that you are paying nearly GBP 313 for every horsepower you gain. To save you reaching for the Casio, the output of the 3.8-litre flat-six rises by just 30bhp to 424bhp. Torque remains unchanged at 324lb ft.

However, delve a little deeper into the Powerkit option and you’ll find that it includes a sports exhaust and the Sport Chrono package that comes with dynamic engine mounts, which would add GBP 2856 on their own. You’ll also be reassured by the fact that the engine changes amount to more than a mere ECU remap. There are reworked and polished intake ports, a reprofiled intake cam and a new variable resonance intake manifold. To combat the extra heat produced, an additional central radiator has also been fitted.

Porsche 911 Turbo

All this still leaves it some way behind the 518bhp R8 V10 on paper, but in reality the performance gap seems much more slender. The V10 is immensely strong and undoubtedly has the edge, but the Porsche’s massaged flat-six revs with such alacrity that it feels mighty close. Both engines do their best work when they’re sprinting for the limiter, the R8 really surging as it reaches 6000rpm and the 911 almost fizzing through its last 1000rpm. The one area where the Porsche has surprisingly but definitely got the upper hand, however, is the sound. Even without the sports exhaust switched on, the 911 yowls in an unfettered way that makes the curiously muffled R8 seem a little lacking in aural sparkle.

But no sooner has the Porsche got its bluff nose a fraction in front than the Audi tugs back at your emotions with its seating position and gearshift. Low and laid back, the ankle-height view out of the R8 feels pure supercar, especially next to the more upright Porsche. Likewise, while the 991 has the gimmick factor of a seventh ratio in its manual ‘box (which makes changing between sixth and fifth an odd experience) and a clever rev-matching system like that found in a 370Z (essentially an automatic heel and toe), it can’t beat the seductively tactile delight of slicing around the R8’s open metal gate.

On chassis dynamics, honours are fairly even. The R8 has the lighter steering, which initially fills your hands with a feeling of guiding the car in a clean and calm manner, pouring it into corners and gliding slickly from one apex to the next. Push harder and the weight of the V10 behind you starts to muscle in on the cornering attitude so that you can feel like you’re struggling to keep the nose tucked into the corner. You can happily overcome this by getting on the power early, and the R8 feels wonderfully controllable driving hard out of a corner, but you can only really do this on well-sighted bends.

By contrast, the 911 feels more mobile through every phase of a corner. There’s a fair bit of squirm in this car because of its winter tyres, but the weighting and feel of the steering is still much more consistent than the Audi’s. Also, this C4S doesn’t have the optional roll-reducing Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control and without it you can really feel and manipulate the archetypal 911 weight balance much more, which is fun. Ultimately the 911 gives you a bit more confidence to attack every corner and then adjust the car’s balance subtly or gratuitously through every phase of it.

What we have here are two five-star cars capable of prickling the hairs on the back of your neck within yards and continuing to entertain you for years. Both are brilliant and there are myriad valid reasons why you might pick one over the other, but for us the 911 just takes the win. Steep though it is, the Powerkit really is worth the money, imbuing the 3.8 with the same addictive top-end pizzazz that we love in the base 911’s smaller 3.4-litre engine.

Would this twin test result have been any different if we’d chosen an R8 V8? It might have been even closer (we maintain that the V8 handles better than the V10) but I doubt it would have been different. Of course it wouldn’t do any harm to get the two together on summer tyres in Wales in a couple of months to find out.

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Formula Two is, quite possibly, the hottest motorsport in Europe right now, delivering blisteringly fast single-seater vehicles – read: 373 kilonewtons (500 horsepower) and 450 Newton metres (332 pound-force feet) of torque, mind-bending physics and some of the most talented drivers outside of F1. Surely, though, it is just a smaller, less-powerful and less-glamorous variant of motorsport’s top-tier championship? This is a facade that couldn’t be further from the truth. The reason? A completely level and fair playing field for all drivers, something granted through a single vehicle constructor, dedicated championship organizer and one of the lowest-cost entry points in the world.

Indeed, it’s a lot easier for talented drivers to raise GBP250,000 (USD 311,000) to race in F2, compared with up to GBP2 (USD 3.1) million to do so in GP2 (an F1 feeder series).

The Formula Two season works by pitting a selection of 24 drivers against one another in 16 races on eight of Europe’s most famous racing circuits. Circuits for the 2012 season include the legendary Monza racecourse in Italy, prestigious Silverstone in England and terrifying Nurburgring in Germany.

Each course is attacked over a three-day weekend, with drivers hitting the track for a total of 230 minutes. Practice and testing take place on each Friday, with a pair of races following on the Saturday and Sunday. As in Formula One, the top drivers are then attributed championship points – in F2, from 25 for first, down in increments to one point for tenth place. At the end of each season, the points are totted up and ultimately the driver who has accrued the most wins. This earns them not just a trophy, but also a test with the Williams F1 team.

This series is not just the ideal testing ground for ambitious drivers though. Formula Two – largely thanks to the comprehensive all-round package delivered by MotorSport Vision (MSV), the championship’s organiser – also offers racing fans an opportunity to get closer to the ideal of the pure race than ever before. Asides from easier financial access to event circuits, Formula Two is broadcast in over 38 countries, into 21 million European homes and for more than 100 hours each season.

Formula One vs Formula Two compare

F2’s profile is growing season by season, challenging F1 with its comprehensive racing package and lower costs

The main reason, excluding differences in hardware, why Formula Two is held in such high esteem by race drivers and fans alike is its low entry costs – allowing junior racers a far greater chance of making it onto the track. All cars are made by Williams F1 identically and all drivers have access to the exact same race engineers, race information (performance statistics and video, etc) and hospitality, which is all co-ordinated and managed by MotorSport Vision. In fact, MotorSport Vision takes its dedication to providing an equal and excellent driver package to such an extent that they even rotate each driver’s engineers continually throughout the season, ensuring no driver gets preferential treatment.

This contrasts completely with Formula One, whereby individual teams operate private budgets, vehicles, mechanics, designers, race engineers and hospitality – a fact that leads to a mere handful of drivers realistically being able to compete for the championship each year. It also raises the question: where does driver skill end and car performance/value begin in deciding who takes the Formula One title?

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Man and machine as one, unbridled by restrictions, whether of the physical, financial or metaphorical variety; in short, racing in its purest form. A free, open and level arena where humans push the boundaries of conventional physics for glory in a battlefield that demands only the highest levels of skill, engineering prowess and cutting-edge tech. Some would argue that, today, this ideal is only partially delivered by the world’s top-tier motorsport -Formula One – insisting that all the greedy conglomerates and human politics have detracted from the thrill of the race.

The motorsport king’s corruption will be short-lived however if left unchecked, as surrounding it is a host of youthful, experienced and dynamic contenders, delivering purer racing in all its forms.

From the supreme speeds of NASCAR, through to the extreme endurance delivered by Le Mans, awesome aerodynamics of Formula Two and on to the off-road insanity of the World Rally Championship, racers and racing fans alike are flocking to their banners, tempted by affordable racing thrills, innovative engineering and the diverse tracks.

Sprint Cup Series NASCAR

Famed for its insane speed and danger, NASCAR is the second-most-watched motorsport on Earth, delivering frenzied action for racers and fans.

Broadcast in over 150 countries, generating USD 3 billion a year in revenue and holding 17 out of the top 20 attended single-day sporting events in the world, NASCAR is one of the most popular – and intense – motorsports on the planet. While NASCAR sanctions over 1,500 races a year within multiple series, its top-tier event is the Sprint Cup Series, a ferocious melding of high-powered stockcars with America, Mexico and Canada’s tightest and fastest race circuits.

The competition works in two segments. Throughout the first 26 races – races are held at various circuits, including the prestigious Daytona International Speedway in Florida – 49 drivers from 22 construction teams vie for a place within the top ten, being awarded points ranging from 43 for first place downwards. At the close of the first 26 races the top ten drivers (as well as a further two wildcards) enter into the second stage of the competition, which is referred to as the ‘Chase for the Sprint Cup’. From here the 12 drivers have the points equalised to a level playing field once more and then compete over the next ten races for the championship trophy.

Why split the series in two? To make sure maximum racing skill needs to be employed in every race and that the competition is never wrapped up mid-season – something recently demonstrated in the Formula One 2011 season, where Sebastian Vettel won the F1 Championship over a month and a half before the final race took place. As such, NASCAR delivers nail-biting action right down to the final race’s chequered flag.

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