The ultimate sports car group test: Porsche vs Mercedes vs Aston Martin vs BMW

Let’s say you’ve got around £200,000 burning a hole in your pocket and you fancy blowing it on a sporty coupe. Okay, so that’s not a situation a lot of people find themselves in, but it’s nice to dream, isn’t it?

Well, in your ultimate fantasy, should you buy the Porsche 911 GTS, the Mercedes-AMG GT 63S, the Aston Martin Vantage or the BMW M8? It’s quite the conundrum, and I’m going to find out by comparing these four cars in a series of tests. How’s that for useful consumer journalism?

The ultimate sports car group test: prices

Let’s start by talking about money. Here’s what all of these cars will cost you to buy.

• Porsche 911 GTS: £143,713
• Mercedes-AMG GT 63S: £184,705
• Aston Martin Vantage: £215,860
• BMW M8: £156,785

However, at the time of writing you can save nearly £35,000 on a new BMW M8 through Carwow, which seems like a bit of a bargain. If you’d prefer to lease your new car, you can also do that through Carwow and save yourself some cash.

The ultimate sports car group test: engines and power

Now let’s compare these car’s engines, starting with the BMW. It has a 4.4-litre twin-turbocharged V8 with 625hp and 750Nm of torque. This is sent to all four wheels via an eight-speed automatic gearbox.

The Aston Martin is powered by a 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8 engine from Mercedes-AMG, and it puts out 665hp and 800Nm of torque. It’s the only car here with rear-wheel drive, and it has an eight-speed automatic gearbox.

Under the bonnet of the AMG GT you’ll find the same basic engine as the Vantage, only here it has 585hp and 800Nm of torque. This drives all four wheels via a nine-speed automatic gearbox.

Finally, the Porsche. It’s the odd one out because it’s two cylinders down on the other three cars, and it’s the only hybrid as well. Slung out over the rear wheels is a 3.6-litre turbocharged flat-six mated to an electric motor with 541hp and 610Nm of torque. It has all-wheel drive and an eight-speed automatic gearbox.

That’s the numbers on paper, but how fast are these cars in reality? Well, to find out I timed all four from 0-60mph and over the standing quarter mile, so check out the video to see which one performed the best.

The ultimate sports car group test: design

Now it’s all well and good having loads of power, but a slinky sports coupe needs to look good, which is why I’ve decided to rank these car’s designs.

And in last place is the BMW. I quite like the side profile and the rear end, but the front just doesn’t do anything for me. It’s just starting to show its age now.

Next up is the Porsche. The 911 has a timeless design, and like the BMW I’m a fan of the rear end – especially the new tailpipes on the GTS model. However I’m not so sure about the new front bumper on this facelifted version. I just think those slatted grilles look a bit weird.

In second place is the Mercedes-AMG. I think it’s a really sporty-looking car, and I love the long bonnet and aggressive nose. It’s a properly purposeful-looking thing.

And my favourite-looking car here is the Aston Martin Vantage. I just love the wide rear haunches, the ducktail spoiler and the massive wheel arches. This green paint looks fantastic as well.

The ultimate sports car group test: Interior

When you’re paying this much for a car, you want it to feel like a special place to sit – so let’s rank the interiors.

The BMW once again comes last. Now in fairness, the M8 is going off sale this year because it’s been around for so long, but it just doesn’t feel exciting enough for a flagship coupe. The quality is really good though, and I do like the fact you get physical buttons for the climate control and the iDrive infotainment system.

In third is the Aston Martin, which is actually quite surprising. The leather feels better than the other three cars, as does the switchgear. The interior quality is top-notch, but there’s just something I don’t like about the design. I can’t quite put my finger on it, it just doesn’t work for me. The graphics on the infotainment system aren’t great either.

Next up for me is the Mercedes. I like the design of the air vents, and the central screen is easy to use. It’s not ideally placed though as you have to look down to see it. It’s a shame about the annoying touch-sensitive steering wheel buttons as well, but at least it’s finished in lovely Alcantara.

The best interior though is the Porsche 911’s. The design is cool and simple, the quality is excellent and technology is all easy to use. The driving position is also spot on, which makes it feel more sporty than the other cars here.

The ultimate sports car group test: driving

Finally, I need to get these cars out on the road and find out how they drive. Let’s start with the Porsche.

Put simply, the 911 is so capable that you have to wonder why you’d buy any other sports car. The clever hybrid system gives it a throttle response like nothing I’ve experienced in a turbocharged car, and it even sounds better than the old 911 GTS.

Then there’s the grip, lots of it. I was driving the car on a slightly slippery day and it found grip everywhere. I’d personally go for the rear-wheel drive car because I prefer the way it feels, but this four-wheel drive car is still really good fun.

So what about the Mercedes-AMG GT? Well the first thing you notice is the noise from that V8 engine – it sounds epic. It also feels really powerful, although you do get a bit more turbo lag than you do in the Porsche.

There’s loads of grip as well. The old AMG GT was rear-wheel drive and it was a lairy thing to tame, but this just hooks up and goes. The turn-in is sharp as well and it doesn’t feel as heavy as it is.

The BMW M8 has a totally different vibe. It feels much more like a GT car than a focussed sports car, but I don’t think the suspension is as well-judged as it is in the Porsche or the Mercedes. It just feels a big jiggly even in its softest setting.

It feels bigger on the road than the Mercedes as well, despite the fact it’s actually narrower and lighter. The steering isn’t the best either. It’s not bad, but it’s just not as direct as the 911’s. It can certainly put its power down, but it’s just not giving me the thrills I’d like.

Finally, we come to the Aston Martin – and it’s the car you have to be the most cautious with. It has the most power and the least traction because it’s rear-wheel drive, and almost immediately it was kicking its tail out.

The other thing you notice is that the suspension isn’t as well-judged as the other cars here. It’s always shimmying and shaking about, and it just doesn’t feel as tied-down as the Porsche. It gets your heart racing though, and you have to be a keen driver to get the most out of it.

The ultimate sports car group test: the verdict

So then, what’s my final verdict? Well in last place is the BMW. It’s a good car, but it’s showing its age now and it just lacks that wow factor. The Aston Martin certainly does have the wow factor, but so does the Mercedes-AMG GT and it’s a better all-rounder.

The car which ticks the most boxes though is the Porsche 911 GTS. It’s a sports car you can buy with your head as well as your heart, and that’s why it wins this test.

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