Family Hauler Battle: Mercedes-AMG E63s Takes on Frankenstein Jaguar
Top Gear takes this family wagon vacation test and turns into a thrill-infused, beach road course fun fest.
Forgive us for our puns, but this fun comparison from the Top Gear YouTube channel made it irresistible. The folks from the UK version of the series built up a Jaguar hearse into what they believe is the ultimate family vacation machine. There’s a problem though, because The Stig behind the wheel of an E63 S wagon thinks otherwise.
Taking a late-model Jaguar XJ hearse, the Top Gear team set out to create the best compact family holiday vehicle given the ample room on offer. Everything was done with a budget (and fun) in mind, so it has an interesting paint scheme, rowdy exhaust and even a wing. Both cars pound the sand around a makeshift road course on the beach, complete with cones, markers and a checkered flag. Power from the Jaguar likely comes from the AJ-V8 making a stout 290 horsepower and 290 lb-ft of torque. Jaguar likely never used the supercharged V8 in their hearse models. But if they did…
Meanwhile the E63 S definitely isn’t a hearse, so AMG’s full force can be unleashed under the hood. Output from the engine is 612 horsepower and 4MATIC all-wheel drive is on offer. Boot size in the AMG isn’t quite as cavernous as the Jag, but it’s also a car you’d like to own. Under real world conditions though, both cars have to perform. That means taking it to a popular vacation destination, like a beach.
Traversing the sands of a coastline is part of a vacation, so one of the hosts proclaims, “our first battle would be a fastest lap challenge on a specially designed course, right on the sand.” Speeding around on soggy sand doesn’t exactly make the measure of a car but it does include some excellent sideways sliding action from both cars. Obviously, the AMG had this race from the start and had a significant win on the short course.
Despite this, the hosts feel the Jaguar still deserves the win. “You were five seconds slower, but if we equate that to pounds and pence, the “Overtaker” has cost us £1,300. That E63 is over £100,000! So I’m putting this down as a moral victory for us.” We don’t really agree.
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