Apart from being British, Aston Martin and Jaguar are not related to each other. But there is no denying that these luxury makers have a lot in common when it comes to making fast and exciting grand tourers. Traditionally, the Jaguar has always been the underdog; the discount version of the Aston for people who cannot afford the real thing. But it’s been a while since Jaguar abolished everything traditional they possessed. So how does their hottest creation, the XKR-S GT, measured up against the quickest Aston this side of the One-77?

That’s what the guys at Motor Trend set about finding out by putting the Aston Martin V12 Vantage S against the big cat. And before you say anything, the F-Type V8 S would not be a proper match for the Vantage V12 S. These two have similar power, price, carbon ceramic brakes, adjustable dampers, and Pirelli P Zero tires.

Aston Martin V12 Vantage S is equipped with the new 573 PS AM28 6.0-litre V12 engine. It takes 3.7 seconds to sprint from 0 to 60 mph and does 205 mph flat out. The Jaguar XKR-S GT meanwhile has a 5.0-litre supercharged V8 engine, boasting 550PS and 680Nm, driving through a six-speed transmission and active electronic differential. This one goes from 0 to 60 in 3.9 seconds, and is limited to 186 mph.