Why the Jaguar F-Type V8S is better than the Porsche 911

Imthishan Giado

I’m acutely aware that this headline constitutes fighting words. There’s no way around it. The 911’s is an icon of the automotive industry that’s won every possible award, conquered road and rally, and in the 959, redefined the modern supercar, too.

And yet, the new F-Type is better.

Truly, if there was a time to strike against the unassailable 911, that time is now. The new 991-series is the first 911 to definitively move the needle away from performance and towards comfort. It’s both faster and more spacious than before, yes, but it’s also softer, duller to drive with its new electric steering, verging on too-big-to-be-a-sportscar.

Full disclosure: the F-Type V8S I drove was a preproduction model, with non-existent cruise control, volcanic panel gaps, creaks, rattles and a glitchy infotainment system.

It was still enough to kick seven bells out of the new 911.

The looks. Obviously, this is going to be fairly subjective, and fair’s fair, the new 911 is the best looking one yet, all voluptuous hips and sinewy shoulders. But it can’t hold a candle to the F-Type, a car which I absolutely hated at first glance and now absolutely adore. Is there a better arse on a car than the new F-Type? Brash, insouciant, the Jag is the car that will get you noticed in the car park.Surely that’s the point.

Obviously, this is going to be fairly subjective, and fair’s fair, the new 911 is the best looking one yet, all voluptuous hips and sinewy shoulders. But it can’t hold a candle to the F-Type, a car which I absolutely at first glance and now absolutely adore. Is there a better arse on a car than the new F-Type? Brash, insouciant, the Jag is the car that will get you noticed in the car park.Surely that’s the point. The noise. Oh God, the noise . Can there be any argument that the Jag’s 5.0-litre supercharged V8 is the best sounding stock motor out there? (Short of a snarling unhinged Hellcat, that is). It gurgles, it pops, it blares, it is an extrovert of the highest order and that’s before you punch the ‘loud’ button. Truly, it’s worth the price of admission all on its own, an extrovert’s wet dream. Sure, it’s all artificial. So? Wallflowers need not apply.

Oh God, the . Can there be any argument that the Jag’s 5.0-litre supercharged V8 is the best sounding stock motor out there? (Short of a snarling unhinged Hellcat, that is). It gurgles, it pops, it blares, it is an extrovert of the highest order and that’s you punch the ‘loud’ button. Truly, it’s worth the price of admission all on its own, an extrovert’s wet dream. Sure, it’s all artificial. So? Wallflowers need not apply. The handling. No argument from me; the 911 is the better handler. Even with numb steering, the chassis is sharper, the grip is better, the gearbox delivers perfect shifts…the list goes on.On the other hand, the F-Type has only one mission in life: go sideways, everywhere. It’s an absolute animal to drive, hips waggling at the merest prod of throttle. When it’s this much fun to rein it all in, who cares? Piloting the V8S rockets you back in time to the ‘60s when hairy-chested beasts like the original Cobra were all the rage; you feel hairs sprout on your chest from the briefest Spinneys trip. I don’t even like going sideways and the F-Type won me over, that’s how fun it is.Character, that’s the word I’m looking for.

No argument from me; the 911 is the better handler. Even with numb steering, the chassis is sharper, the grip is better, the gearbox delivers perfect shifts…the list goes on.On the other hand, the F-Type has only one mission in life: go sideways, everywhere. It’s an absolute animal to drive, hips waggling at the merest prod of throttle. When it’s this much fun to rein it all in, who cares? Piloting the V8S rockets you back in time to the ‘60s when hairy-chested beasts like the original Cobra were all the rage; you feel hairs sprout on your chest from the briefest Spinneys trip. I don’t even going sideways and the F-Type won me over, that’s how fun it is.Character, that’s the word I’m looking for. The interior. The latest 911 interior has now spread through the range like a contagion, such that it’s sometimes hard to know whether you’re sitting in a Macan, a Cayman or the big brother. Not good for the kinds of people who pay big bucks to buy the boss Porsche.Not so in the Jag, which is abundant with jewel-like details like the painted switches and the squared-off lettering on the dials. The seating position is super-low – your hips are practically kissing in the tarmac – everything falling neatly to hand. I suppose the bar separating you from your hapless passenger is a tad antisocial, which is about the only complaint I can level at it.

The latest 911 interior has now spread through the range like a contagion, such that it’s sometimes hard to know whether you’re sitting in a Macan, a Cayman or the big brother. Not good for the kinds of people who pay big bucks to buy the boss Porsche.Not so in the Jag, which is abundant with jewel-like details like the painted switches and the squared-off lettering on the dials. The seating position is super-low – your hips are practically kissing in the tarmac – everything falling neatly to hand. I suppose the bar separating you from your hapless passenger is a tad antisocial, which is about the only complaint I can level at it. It’s a real convertible. The Jag was designed from the onset to be a real convertible and it shows in the way the rear rises up behind your back in classic short deck, long hood style. That’s something the 911 with its more ‘practical’ rear seats can never quite match, but the Porker fights back hard with a usable boot, compared to the Jag’s joke of a luggage enclosure.I don’t care. If you want a boot, buy a station wagon. I’ll trade two vestigial seats and golf-club space for a car that looks this good with the top down.

The Jag was designed from the onset to be a real convertible and it shows in the way the rear rises up behind your back in classic short deck, long hood style. That’s something the 911 with its more ‘practical’ rear seats can never quite match, but the Porker fights back hard with a usable boot, compared to the Jag’s joke of a luggage enclosure.I don’t care. If you want a boot, buy a station wagon. I’ll trade two vestigial seats and golf-club space for a car that looks this good with the top down. They’re both expensive toys. So really, this is an epic case of first world problems. 911 Carrera S Cabriolet prices start at AED445,200 for a base model with a manual gearbox – the only reason I’d consider one – while the F-Type barely undercuts it at AED429,000. You can easily, easily add AED100k in options to either choice. So it really comes down to which one floats your boat. But neither will be your only car in the drive.

For me, it has to be the Jag F-Type V8S. Don’t bother with the V6, get the big motor; the lungs on this thing are incredible. Good though the 911 is – especially in uber-rapid Turbo S guise – the F-Type surpasses it as both a piece of street theatre and a sportscar that’s simply fun to drive.

Where the Porker is a serious machine, a cruise missile of speed that stubbornly refuses to thrill, the Jag is a drinking-buddy, all big laughs and madcap ideas. You’ll never be bored – and that has to be the deciding factor, surely?

F-TYPE V8 S – AED 429,000 ($116k)

Engine: 5.0-litre, V8, 495bhp @ 6500rpm, 460lb ft @ 2500-5500rpm

Performance: 0-100kph 4.3seconds, 299kph, 11.1L/100km

Transmission: eight-speed auto, rear-wheel drive

Weight: 1665kg

Porsche fanboys may address all their hate mail to Imthishan in the comments below