Gadgetory

here at CNET we like to bring you a prizefight now and again that pits two products that millions of people are seriously Cross shopping against each other this is not one of those occasions I'm Brian Cooley with this prizefight the all-new 2012 Porsche 911 Carrera S against the 2012 Jaguar xkr-s about all they have in common is the s and that's what makes this so much fun let me give you my take on how they compare head-to-head our first category is power it's the first thing you will talk about with cars like these and it's patently unfair on its face I mean we're comparing the naturally aspirated 911 to a supercharged Jaguar but a funny thing happens when you box the numbers the Jag has 550 horsepower the Porsche 400 torque on the Jag is a monstrous 502 foot-pounds 325 on the 911 but look at 0 to 60 times 4.2 seconds on the Jag 4.3 on the 911 that's because of this the weight the Jag weighs 30 968 four key pounds the Porsche 3250 that comes to a power-to-weight ratio of 7.2 pounds per horse on the Jag 8.1 3 on the Porsche so I'd like to give it to the Porsche for more elegant engineering but the Jag comes on like a freight train and takes it on the numbers next category is cabin tech neither of these cars are the paragon of cabin tech or interface thereof but the Jag system is a certified mess it's a cluttered laggy interface pointless and annoying screen animation and has no aux jack or bluetooth streaming so if you don't have an iPhone you're stuck with CDs the radio or that dummy in the passenger seat give this one to Porsche on to styling the Jag is as the English might say all tarted up being a specialty model it's bendy crew it's got a boy eraser body kit on it and a big ol wing for Christ's sake doesn't read well but in person it's a damn good-looking car the 2012 911 is no slouch though it's got a new longer wheelbase shorter front and rear overhangs and it's just a little wider the Jag makes a stronger statement but after the wow factor wears off I'd rather be seen in the Porsche give it to the 911 next category cred Porsche next now on to practicality you can get a 911 with all four wheels driven the Jag rear-wheel drive only that makes a big difference if you live where you get weather and this is gonna be your only car on the other hand the 911 has just vestigial back seats and in deep but kind of oddly shaped front trunk the Jag also has cruel little rear seats but thanks to its lift back design can swallow some golf clubs and more normal size luggage it's probably your better to live with weekend ride so give it to jag on this one onto the price and this is a real unfair comparison the jag xkr-s is basically 132 grand with very few options to move that number the Carrera ass is a little under a hundred but the options can put it up at the Jags price but by then you're juggling apples and oranges anyway I think the most telling factor is that none of us here on the scenic car tech team could really get used to spending a hundred and thirty two thousand dollars on a Jaguar seek read above and residuals in a couple of years so save a grip and give the nod to the nine eleven onto our winner the score obviously is pretty lopsided four to two in categories in favor of the 911 but it's actually a lot closer than that sort of like picking bourbon or ice cream you just want to say yes we thought the Jag was going to be a poser and it's not it's a hot looking road taming barnburner and you're much more likely to flip to a stoplight in a 911 and see one right next to you but maybe there's a reason for that I'm Brian Cooley thanks for watching need to kick from me on before hey yeah god there goes my prostate you