BALANCE OF POWER

ONE OF my favourite series of corners can be found in the middle of Beachy Head Road, a glorious river of grey asphalt that follows the many twists and turns of the East Sussex coastline, giving magnificent views over the English Channel. The famed Z Bends consist of a tight right-hander followed by a long, sweeping left. The combination of the speed of these corners and the way the road swiftly drops gives this hard, demanding road a roller coaster feel – the perfect place to test an XKR-S.

Although a decade has passed since the model’s debut, it remains a formidable machine and, with 550PS (543bhp), it is one of Jaguar’s fastest and most driver-focused cars in the company’s long history. Which means very little should be able to keep up with me.

But when I look in the mirror, it’s filled with a large, unforgiving SUV-shaped lump, and it’s not going away. You’d think the R-S could shake off a utilitarian off-roader with ease, but this is no ordinary SUV. Powered by the same 5.0-litre V8 as the XKR-S, the F-PACE SVR is as much a weapons-grade performance machine as the sports car, but with the added advantage of offering room for five, plus large cubby holders and a sensible boot.

But does that make it better than a purebred sports car? There’s only one way