Topic: Comparison Test: 2015 Porsche 911 Carrera 4 GTS vs 2015 Jaguar F-Type R AWD

[roundupready]

Great comparison article. Great photos too! Enjoyed reading every word of it.   

[DriverJeff]

Seeing both on the road - I prefer the 911 by quite a bit.  The Jag looks pretty cool, but the 911 is very distinctive and looks more like a more well integrated package.  The Jag has some of the problem that the GT-R has in that non-enthusiasts looks and think "not sure what that is..."

And this might sound nuts, but I have to think the build quality on the 911 will be vastly superior to the Jag.  Not sure if that's true, but it's my gut feeling.

The GT-R does absolutely nothing for me.  I know it's quick and fast and a performance monster, but I've never warmed to the styling and after spending time on the track with the new Miata, I know I certainly don't need the fastest, highest-performance machine out there. 

It's become clear that I desire a driving experience that's more visceral than overly calculated. 

I've been an obsessive Porsche fan since childhood.  I went into this test with a barely contained bias, but that Jag won me over.

At one point, on our drive back to the city, Jonathan and I passed a school bus full of kids on the highway.  He was in the Porsche and I watched as he passed them, and none of the kids gave the 911 a second look.  As I pulled along side the bus, I noticed several excited faces pressed to the windows.  Naturally I felt obliged to pace the bus for a moment, turn on the loud pipes button and give the kiddies a concert from the Jaguar's quad pipes. 

A car like this is supposed to be FUN.  It's supposed to make you grin maniacally every time you drive it.  The Porsche is brilliant, but the Jag is the car of passion. 

Oh, and as for quality.. if I recall correctly, both had minor interior 'glitches' despite their price. 

[dirtyjeffer]

wow...the article was great, and i too like the Jag (i like the Porsche too), but the part of the article that got me saying "Whaaaat??" is the link at the end for a 1987 Porsche 911 Turbo, with almost 60,000 kms on it for $135k...really??

[Sir Osis of Liver]

Naturally I felt obliged to pace the bus for a moment, turn on the loud pipes button and give the kiddies a concert from the Jaguar's quad pipes. 

Apparently the "new Jag"'s target market:

[KD]

^ Looks like Michael Wekerle. 

911 for me!  I like the Jag, but the slightest indication of interior cheapness at this price range would be unacceptable. It would be much more acceptable at the C7s price range though. 

[rrocket]

It's become clear that I desire a driving experience that's more visceral than overly calculated. 

I've read several articles that said the GT-R was as much and more visceral than a GT3.  And I tend to agree having sampled both.  They are both light-your-hair-on-fire, crazy cars. 

I have to think that anyone that thinks the GT-R isn't a visceral experience hasn't really driven one properly.  Now it would not feel "lightweight" like a Miata, but to me it's a more visceral feel than a Miata could ever be.  Although a Miata is very fun to drive and handles brilliantly, its lack of power puts me to sleep.  A visceral car doesn't lull one to sleep IMO.

Was my Supra visceral to you, Jeff?  Perhaps our definitions of "visceral" are different.

[mixmanmash]

It's become clear that I desire a driving experience that's more visceral than overly calculated. 

I've read several articles that said the GT-R was as much and more visceral than a GT3.  And I tend to agree having sampled both.  They are both light-your-hair-on-fire, crazy cars. 

I have to think that anyone that thinks the GT-R isn't a visceral experience hasn't really driven one properly.  Now it would not feel "lightweight" like a Miata, but to me it's a more visceral feel than a Miata could ever be.  Although a Miata is very fun to drive and handles brilliantly, its lack of power puts me to sleep.  A visceral car doesn't lull one to sleep IMO.

Was my Supra visceral to you, Jeff?  Perhaps our definitions of "visceral" are different.

Agreed.  Driving the GT-R is certainly a visceral experience.

And yes, the prices on those old 911s is crazy.  I'd rather buy a used 997.2.

And yes, GT-R Black Edition or C7 with Z51 gets my vote.

[ChaosphereIX]

Jag for me hands down. 911 is so tryhard. Not having driven either, however, I am merely an armchair general on this one - but the Jag for me.

[jyarkony]

Seeing both on the road - I prefer the 911 by quite a bit.  The Jag looks pretty cool, but the 911 is very distinctive and looks more like a more well integrated package.  The Jag has some of the problem that the GT-R has in that non-enthusiasts looks and think "not sure what that is..."

And this might sound nuts, but I have to think the build quality on the 911 will be vastly superior to the Jag.  Not sure if that's true, but it's my gut feeling.

The GT-R does absolutely nothing for me.  I know it's quick and fast and a performance monster, but I've never warmed to the styling and after spending time on the track with the new Miata, I know I certainly don't need the fastest, highest-performance machine out there. 

It's become clear that I desire a driving experience that's more visceral than overly calculated. 

I've been an obsessive Porsche fan since childhood.  I went into this test with a barely contained bias, but that Jag won me over.

At one point, on our drive back to the city, Jonathan and I passed a school bus full of kids on the highway.  He was in the Porsche and I watched as he passed them, and none of the kids gave the 911 a second look.  As I pulled along side the bus, I noticed several excited faces pressed to the windows.  Naturally I felt obliged to pace the bus for a moment, turn on the loud pipes button and give the kiddies a concert from the Jaguar's quad pipes. 

A car like this is supposed to be FUN.  It's supposed to make you grin maniacally every time you drive it.  The Porsche is brilliant, but the Jag is the car of passion. 

Oh, and as for quality.. if I recall correctly, both had minor interior 'glitches' despite their price.

What were the glitches in the Porsche? if you're talking ergonomics, yeah, the buttons are kinda crazy, but fit and finish were impeccable, where the Jag felt a little rough around the edges (back of the steering wheel stuff and some interior plastics and fit).

reliability might go either way, but initial build quality and materials the Porsche is vastly superior.

As to the GT-R comments - yeah it is visceral, but it is more of a sledgehammer, while the Jag and Porsche are both bladed weapons. the GT-R is always violent, in a truly spectacular way, though it has been years since i drove in one and they have supposedly added quite a bit of refinement over the years. damn i would love to get back in one. And no question the Vette is better value, but i'd still buy a 911 first, then a Vette or GT-R.

oh, and here were some comments from a colleague at the office that got rides in each of them:

WOW! Those are amazing. Sheesh.
 
Ok here are some of my thoughts:
 
Porsche:
the details in the interior like the stitching and the red striped seat belt were amazing. Getting in the seat was like sitting in your fav comfy chair – it hugs your body perfectly. Surprisingly roomy – lots of space for my legs. I liked the back seat – it was small but you could still fit a third person in it – or at least a child.
 
Taking corners was like turning in an airplane---your tummy tickled buy I didn’t move in  my seat or felt like I needed to hold onto the “oh ” handle to stay in place.
 
The engine noise was racy and growly but discreet especially coming from the back end of the car. Head turning for sure. You definitely felt the power but also, as a passenger anyway, felt like the car was in complete control (or maybe that was just the expert driver)
 
Acceleration took my breath away…literally. It was like riding a rollercoaster.
 
So classy, sleek, beautiful, expensive – a stunner for sure.
 
Jag:
Handsome, imposing, majestic.
 
Interior wasn’t as “Handmade” or sharp looking as the Porsche with less attention to detail but definitely luxurious
The pop up vents were a really cool feature. Lots of leg room…but no back seat.
 
The engine just roared which was kind of awe inspiring. But for me, the everyday driver, maybe a little too loud (don’t yell at me)
 
The car had a bigger body and the front end was kind of long. There was no mistaking it’s power but I felt it was more racecar-esque (not a word I know...)
 
The back end looked like the Batmobile. Rims were gorgeous.
 
It also completely took my breath away when it accelerated – like A LOT.
 
For me though – this is not so much your everyday practical car – the Porsche hands down takes it for me.

[mixmanmash]

Seeing both on the road - I prefer the 911 by quite a bit.  The Jag looks pretty cool, but the 911 is very distinctive and looks more like a more well integrated package.  The Jag has some of the problem that the GT-R has in that non-enthusiasts looks and think "not sure what that is..."

And this might sound nuts, but I have to think the build quality on the 911 will be vastly superior to the Jag.  Not sure if that's true, but it's my gut feeling.

The GT-R does absolutely nothing for me.  I know it's quick and fast and a performance monster, but I've never warmed to the styling and after spending time on the track with the new Miata, I know I certainly don't need the fastest, highest-performance machine out there. 

It's become clear that I desire a driving experience that's more visceral than overly calculated. 

I've been an obsessive Porsche fan since childhood.  I went into this test with a barely contained bias, but that Jag won me over.

At one point, on our drive back to the city, Jonathan and I passed a school bus full of kids on the highway.  He was in the Porsche and I watched as he passed them, and none of the kids gave the 911 a second look.  As I pulled along side the bus, I noticed several excited faces pressed to the windows.  Naturally I felt obliged to pace the bus for a moment, turn on the loud pipes button and give the kiddies a concert from the Jaguar's quad pipes. 

A car like this is supposed to be FUN.  It's supposed to make you grin maniacally every time you drive it.  The Porsche is brilliant, but the Jag is the car of passion. 

Oh, and as for quality.. if I recall correctly, both had minor interior 'glitches' despite their price.

What were the glitches in the Porsche? if you're talking ergonomics, yeah, the buttons are kinda crazy, but fit and finish were impeccable, where the Jag felt a little rough around the edges (back of the steering wheel stuff and some interior plastics and fit).

reliability might go either way, but initial build quality and materials the Porsche is vastly superior.

As to the GT-R comments - yeah it is visceral, but it is more of a sledgehammer, while the Jag and Porsche are both bladed weapons. the GT-R is always violent, in a truly spectacular way, though it has been years since i drove in one and they have supposedly added quite a bit of refinement over the years. damn i would love to get back in one. And no question the Vette is better value, but i'd still buy a 911 first, then a Vette or GT-R.

oh, and here were some comments from a colleague at the office that got rides in each of them:

WOW! Those are amazing. Sheesh.
 
Ok here are some of my thoughts:
 
Porsche:
the details in the interior like the stitching and the red striped seat belt were amazing. Getting in the seat was like sitting in your fav comfy chair – it hugs your body perfectly. Surprisingly roomy – lots of space for my legs. I liked the back seat – it was small but you could still fit a third person in it – or at least a child.
 
Taking corners was like turning in an airplane---your tummy tickled buy I didn’t move in  my seat or felt like I needed to hold onto the “oh ” handle to stay in place.
 
The engine noise was racy and growly but discreet especially coming from the back end of the car. Head turning for sure. You definitely felt the power but also, as a passenger anyway, felt like the car was in complete control (or maybe that was just the expert driver)
 
Acceleration took my breath away…literally. It was like riding a rollercoaster.
 
So classy, sleek, beautiful, expensive – a stunner for sure.
 
Jag:
Handsome, imposing, majestic.
 
Interior wasn’t as “Handmade” or sharp looking as the Porsche with less attention to detail but definitely luxurious
The pop up vents were a really cool feature. Lots of leg room…but no back seat.
 
The engine just roared which was kind of awe inspiring. But for me, the everyday driver, maybe a little too loud (don’t yell at me)
 
The car had a bigger body and the front end was kind of long. There was no mistaking it’s power but I felt it was more racecar-esque (not a word I know...)
 
The back end looked like the Batmobile. Rims were gorgeous.
 
It also completely took my breath away when it accelerated – like A LOT.
 
For me though – this is not so much your everyday practical car – the Porsche hands down takes it for me.

Those points your colleague made that I bolded are exactly what it felt like to me riding as a passenger in my friends 2012 GT-R on the road course.