Comparison 2014 Audi S8 vs 2014 Jaguar XJR

    Remember a little while ago when I compared the Maserati Quattroporte to the Jaguar XJR? I said the Quattroporte was better. You might disagree with me, but believe me, I still think the XJR is quite an exceptional car. But even after comparing it to the Q-P, I think its only fair to give it a second chance. This time, the competitor will be a little less classic-Italian sports car and more no-nonsense German engineering. 

2. Audi S8

    When I saw a brand-new 2015 A8 in town the other day, I thought to myself: "wait, the havent really changed it at all." I went home and looked up the new A8, and I found myself looking at a 2014 A8 with some new headlights and some new options. Its the same thing with the new S8: they havent really done anything to it. Sure, it does 0-60 in 3.8 seconds and has 520 hp, but they havent actually done anything that matters. They could have tuned the total output to 600 hp and lower the 0-60 time, but instead, theyve just changed some minor bits and pieces. Its still really fast and luxurious, it just isnt any better than before. 

1. Jaguar XJR

    Theres one big thing that I find really helpful with the XJR: it is available in long-wheelbase form, so if you want to drive it really fast one day and be driven around the next, you can, thanks to its extra legroom and executive rear seating package. This is something the S8 does not share with the XJR. And even if a shorter wheelbase helps performance, Jaguar doesnt need to worry, thanks to the massive 550 hp coming out of its animal-like 5.0 liter V8. 0-60 is claimed at 4.4 seconds, which doesnt seem that fast, but when you compare it to the XKR, it seems about accurate. But the main reason the XJR won is because it has character. The XJR is full of rage and power, but the S8 is kind of plain. It doesnt share the same sense of excitement with the XJR, so it loses this comparison. 

Heres the link to both the Jaguar and Audi sites:
http://www.jaguarusa.com/index.html
http://www.audiusa.com/