Top Gear’s Clash of the Titans: Jaguar XFR vs. BMW M5

It was bound to happen.

The Top Gear gang has put BMW’s M5, perhaps the class-leader, up against the UK’s newcomer, the Jaguar XFR.  Both are medium-sized luxury-sport saloons vying for the same upscale audience.

Before checking out the clip, let’s look over the specs of the two contenders.

The rear-drive 4,010 lb. M5 is equipped with a 5.0 L V-10 engine, which puts out 383 ft.-lbs. of torque at 6,100 rpm–and 500 hp at 7,800.  The engine is attached to an automated-manual gearbox, helping to reach sixty in 4.8 sec.  The M5 is priced at a steep $86,000; with that, you get a finely built and surprisingly agile sedan matched only by a few.

The XFR is more conventional in its armament.  The Jag has a supercharged 4.2 L V-8 and a 6-spd. automatic transmission.  Not only is the 4.2 more powerful than the M5′s V-10, generating 510 hp, but it reaches its peak at just 6,100 rpm.  The torque figure is more dramatic: 461 ft.-lbs. at 5,500 rpm.  The Jag does have its drawbacks: yes, it is more powerful (and cheaper at $79,000), but it’s also larger (4 in. longer) and heavier by 300 lbs.  You do have the extra plus that it delivers a combined rating of 17 mpg over the M5′s 13.

So how did this comparo turn out?  See for yourself.