I'm wondering what your thoughts are on the AMG GT in terms of fit/feel, sound and drive feel compared to the Jag. This past Saturday, I stopped by a local MB dealer and has a chance to sit inside an AMG GT-s in their basement garage and give it several revs...damn thing sound like 4th of July:-) It was snowing that day so was not able to take it for a spin. I have to say though, that after seeing it up close, I was very impressed with it.

 

Would be curious of the same question..I wonder if the bi turbos make it feel less responsive vs supercharger on jag? I love the throttle response and instant power of the R!

 

Any test I have seen the AMG is faster than the R even with less power so without having driven it I would say, no it is not less responsive.

 

Haven't driven it but from every review I've read/seen the AMG GTS is hands down a better car in terms of performance, handling, power, feel, fit and fitness, interior quality, electronics, amenities, etc. The points where Jag might/would win are subjective (looks, badge-not a MB, sound). Of course a nicely equipped AMG GTS is probably a good $30-50K more than a F-Type R so some of this is expected.

 

Around a road course, it's (GT-S) a faster car. Tune and downpiped vs a pullied and tuned R, it's a dead heat in a straight line.

The M178 is capable of making much more power than the TCU torque limiters in the Getrag 750 tranny allow, MB is notorious for doing this (limiting ultimate HP/TQ via the trans).

Throttle response for a TT engine is very much on par with the F Type R, the two smallish turbos are spooled very quickly.

 

On that subjective note, there's no performance level that can make up for it looking ridiculous.

 

I have driven both and I prefer the GTS. The reason I prefer the Mercedes are as follows:

1) Much better handling. The AMG GTS is so grippy through corners and the steering is much more precise and communicative. It truly makes my R seem like it handles like a sedan in comparison. Part of this is the lighter weight, but the other thing is the suspension and the magnetorheological engine mounts. The cornering speeds are much higher than the F-Type and the confidence it installs to achieve these high cornering speeds is also striking.

2) Better sound. It seems deeper and less raspy than our R Coupes. Also seems louder at lower throttle levels.

3) Much better differential. This thing is really good at putting the power down. You can start to accelerate out of corners earlier. Also the launch is much better.

4) Much better navigation and telematics.

5) Much nicer interior.

Looks are subjective. I think the front end of the Mercedes is nicer than the Jag, but the Jag has a nicer overall profile and rear end.

 

Good question. Throttle lag is a key inhibitor of drivability and maximizing exit speed. This is one of the areas where my F-Type absolutely trounces my BMW M5.

I was driving the AMG in Sport+ mode and in that drive mode I didn't notice the lag. It seemed just as responsive as the Jag, but it felt like it had stronger thrust. It's a very nice engine. In Comfort mode you may notice some lag (by design).

 

 

Having looked at one in depth and driven one, I am impressed by the responsiveness but there are some nagging items that were purely subjective: price was way to high to justify the comparison to the Ftype, second the center console is annoyingly wide and made the cockpit feel way to tight, the control arrangements i found awkward as well.

 

The lesser HP AMG GT comes out this spring/summer and should be around 20k less than the GT-s model. The car will have a softer suspension and no dynamic engine mounts, but that could be more of a true F-type R competitor I'd think.

 

I agree! I think they look goofy! And "my other car is a Mercedes!"

 

Bang for your buck is with the F-Type. Wait for the SVR to compare as it'll probably be around the same price point. I guarantee you the SVR will be lighter and quicker.