With the three cars lined up, there is no denying a winner in the style department. The Maserati steals the show unanimously. For the first time in a long while, Italian designers seem to have avoided getting bored before reaching the taillights. Both the BMW and the XKR are lookers but they just don’t turn as many heads.

In the interior department it is the same story. Perhaps the red leather helped, because the Gran Turismo oozed a lot more race bred and classy passion than the German and Brit. The Maserati did however fall down in the ergonomics department, and the seating position was odd. BMW and Jag level pegged at the top of this list but the Beemer stole the show with superior quality. Jaguar almost had it, but the painted plastic window switches killed the hope. Maserati and BMW have the upper hand in the space department, both for rear passenger and boot capacity. Don’t stress however if arriving at the golf club is your game, because two sets of golf bags including your Big Bertha driver will fit in all three boots.

Getting started

Maserati also get a tip of the hat because it has a traditional key start and not a fashionable push-button. Turn the key or push the button and all three of these cars thrill with a beastlike exhaust note. Claimed sprint times from 0-100km/h are similar but the 650i and Jag feel like the liveliest. Weight is probably the determining factor here and the Maser would have to shed a few kilos to get to the front.

On the transmission side of things, I’m really splitting hairs when I say one is better then the other. The Gran Turismo did however seem to chop and change gears more often than the others while in automatic mode. In manual mode the Maserati’s box seems a lot smoother under hard acceleration than its predecessor. The Beemer’s new box, which is responsible for faster acceleration than the old 650i, is a winner and so too is the Jag’s. Quick shifts help these two to feel swifter off the line than the Maserati.

Ride and handling are also very similar across the board. All three sit firmly on the ground and soak up the contours well. The Maserati appears to be the best compromise between sporting and cruising ride but steering feel lets the package down when compared to the Jaguar. Believe it or not, Jaguar appears to have outplayed the masters of steering feel, BMW, for the first time.

Regardless, all three will blow most mere mortals away with performance and an encouraging drive. They will eat the tarmac ribbon without blinking an eye and the journey will become a pleasure.

Tough call

So which one would be the GT I add to my collection? It’s a tough call. Some mornings I wake up with my grey suit on and think I’d stick with the Beemer because it makes the most sense. On paper it has everything the other two have, is cheaper and is a great GT. The biggest problem is that the next morning my alter ego takes over and I want the wild, passionate and expensive Maserati. I convince myself that it is better than the BMW because it is so bespoke and handmade and therefore not that pricey. I haven’t yet woken up to the feeling that I want the XKR. Weird because I reckon it is a top contender.

Put on the spot today, I’m in a Maserati mood. It might not make the most logical sense but the thought of owning something so special would swing the emotion factor way up and over the economic or performance factor.