After performing the equivalent of rubbing the genie's magic lamp — having the bar code on my Car of the Year TestFest badge electronically scanned — I faced the problem of deciding between four choices, all of which I wish I could take home.
Lined up on the apron at Niagara's regional airport were a Jaguar XK, a Lexus LS460, a Mercedes-Benz S-Class and an Audi S8. The editor's instructions were simple: “Just tell us which one you liked best and why.” Well, it wasn't that simple — and yet it was.
All four are outstanding and distinctive automobiles, but one simply blew me away. Audi's S8 sedan was in fact a bit of a wild card in that it's the high-performance variant of the A8 sedan.
The Audi S8 is parked next to one of the more usual denizens of the airport that was taken over for AJAC’s testing. (GLENN LOWSON FOR THE GLOBE AND MAIL)
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This full-size and extravagantly priced sedan — the one I tested listed at $149,350 — first of all has visual impact. The slippery four-door bodywork, with its short overhangs, is hunkered down over 20-inch alloy wheels shod with 265/35R20 performance tires and dominated by a massive grille.
The mechanical package is outstanding — a 5.2-litre, direct fuel injection V-10 engine making no less than 450 hp at 7,000 rpm and 398 lb-ft of torque, marshalled by a six-speed Tiptronic, delivered by Audi's Quattro all-wheel-drive system. Massive ceramic disc brakes are there to rein in the results.
My exuberant response to making use of all that, which was taped after a test-track session, was: “Awesome. The power is simply amazing. And the guys manning the track were just bowled over. They said the sound it makes is just incredible.”
I had a similar response to driving the car on the test route, which consisted of byways and a little highway, and listening to the Bang & Olufsen sound system's Danish digitalization of some classic sounds while being precisely located by the seat bolsters, gripping a leather-clad wheel, feeling the road firmly through the seat of my pants and eyeing the high-tech gadgetry.
But Jaguar's XK, dressed up in piano-key ebony paint, looked fantastic, and driving it around on a cold but clear day on the Niagara region's vine-lined roads with the top down and the heater cranked wasn't too bad, either.
And it was a chance to wind down after a few laps of the test circuit on which the Jag proved it retained all the marque's grace when the pace is stepped up to the degree a 300 hp V-8 (fired up with a bright red button) can deliver.
No boulevardier this, but a highly competent car with good balance, fluid steering and throttle response, a seemingly intuitive six-speed (also with paddle shifters) automatic transmission, powerful and progressive brakes and a high level of grip from its 18-inch tires.
All this is delivered through a chassis setup that isn't tuned to a racer's edge but straddles a nicely chosen line between high performance and touring ride comfort.
That, after all, is really what this premium sports car is all about.
Put the top up and the cockpit becomes snug enough to make any distance you choose to cram into a day viable. I'd happily park this elegant, two-seater in my garage next to the S8.
But that doesn't leave the other two exactly out in the cold.
The Mercedes-Benz S-Class was the standard model with some options, but its potent package of technology is actually a close match to the S8's.
This, too, is a car with a powerful visual presence, although without the “boy racer” styling touches of the S8 it's less obvious about flaunting its attributes.
The drive train starts with a 5.5-litre V-8 making 382 hp and 391 lb-ft of torque that gets its 4Matic all-wheel-drive system through a seven-speed automatic.
On the track, it is quick if not exactly agile, and always composed. Steering is dead accurate, the response direct and purposeful, and the brakes are outstanding.
Inside, leather and a delightful matte-finished, medium-dark burl walnut trim provide contrast to such modern items as the navigation screen. Seats are supportive without being aggressive about it, noise levels are low, and there's lots of room.
The Lexus LS460L is last here not because it isn't a worthy competitor but because it didn't push as many of my personal buttons.
It has a supremely comfortable cabin fitted with all the luxury items you can imagine, including a Mark Levison audio system, comfortable seats, a roomy rear compartment, low noise levels. And it's got real power and a high level of competence in handling and braking. But the presentation is softer, distancing you from the driving experience.
Comfort, safety and convenience — it's the only car in the category that can actually parallel-park itself — seem to be the main goals rather than making you feel good about actually “driving” the car.
On the track ,it accelerates hard, thanks to a smooth, 4.6-litre V-8 rated at 380 hp and 361 lb-ft of torque, which is delivered to the rear wheels through no less than eight automatic transmission ratios.
But push it hard and the electronic driving aids (the others have them, too) seem to come into play earlier and work harder to keep it all under control. Which they do, allowing you to hurl this big car around with abandon. But it's obviously not happy being treated this way.
I'd like the Jag for fun on sunny days and the S8 for the rest of the time.
