In another one of his famous three-way tests, Chris Harris compares a new and over-hyped model to its main rivals in the market. The car in question this time is the Jaguar F-Type, and the rivals include the Aston Martin V8 Vantage and the Porsche 911 Carrera S. This is the best guide for those who want to spend around £100K on a sports roadster, but can’t decide between these fine choices.

Even though these cars have many similarities, each of them has its own unique way of doing things. The Aston is all about cruising, looking and feeling good. The Porsche with its poised and precise chassis is all about the pure joy of driving, and the Jag is, essentially, a sophisticated muscle car that likes to smoke a lot. Let’s see how they get on against each other:

With the Vantage you get a 420 horsepower V8 engine, a hydraulic steering system, and a proper 6-speed manual gearbox. It is kind of old-school in that sense, but the Aston still has a lot to offer, and it looks absolutely sublime. In fact one would struggle to choose between this and the Jaguar. The F-Type is also gorgeous, but unlike the Vantage, it is loud and brash. some may even call it ostentatious.

It does have a fantastic engine though, a 496 horsepower V8 in this test car, and a clever 8-speed ZF automatic. The chassis in the F-Type seems like it was designed to go sideways. There is nothing this car enjoys more than getting into a drift and smoke its rear wheels, while making a great deal of heavenly exhaust noise.

The Porsche, well, it doesn’t have much going for it in the styling department, and compared to the other two it seems too ordinary – a bit boring even. But it makes up for it with a sweet flat-six engine, a not so great seven-speed manual gearbox, and a chassis from the Gods. It is also the best made car here.