2013 Jaguar XK vs. Its Competition

Martin Padgett Editorial Director

Sensual sportscars from the far corners of Europe and America call the Jaguar XK a competitor.

The Maserati GranTurismo's an especially fine machine, with soothing Ferrari engine notes and custom-tailored interior appointments that give it a distinctively suave, low-volume appeal.

The Chevy Corvette appeals to the masses for all the right reasons: it's a tremendous performer even below its breathtaking ZR1 heights, though the cockpit can be a letdown compared to any of these other machines.

The BMW 6-Series still strikes us as a heftier, less explosive grand tourer than these other two-doors unless we're talking about the M6 variants; tremendous performance obliterates the somewhat undistinguished exterior and interior design once you're hurtling around at 150 mph or more.

The latest Mercedes SL doesn't edge its way into sportscar territory, but as a sunny touring car with great power and luxury touches, it remains a default choice--and still offers a folding-hardtop roof, now with a photochromic glass option.

Finally, there's the brutally fast Porsche 911, a trendsetter in so many ways, it's added a seventh gear to its manual transmission--we suspect, just because it could.