Of all the high-performance sedans to come out of Europe over the past few decades, the 1990-1995 Mercedes-Benz 500E (renamed to E500 in 1994) must be one of the most understated and to some extent, under-appreciated models.
Due to the limited production numbers, finding one these days, isn’t easy, let alone a stock version with just 10,000 miles (16,000km) on the odometer, like the one I discovered for sale on eBay today.
Often called by the press as a “Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing”, the W124-based model looks no different from a regular 200E to the untrained eye – and that’s one of its greatest qualities in my book. However, that wasn’t entirely true as it came with flared fenders to accommodate the wider tracks and tires, along with revised side skirts, front air-dam, and some select upgrades in the interior like the four sport seat (Recaros) layout and smaller diameter steering wheel.
What really made the 500E special was the fact that it was not only developed in cooperation with Porsche, but also hand-built at the Stuttgart automaker’s factory. Porsche engineers made changes to the chassis components, from the suspension to the brakes, and of course, the 5.0-liter V8 that pushes out 322hp (326PS) at 5,700 rpm and 480Nm (354 lb-ft) of peak torque at 3,900 rpm.
Mercedes quoted a zero to 100km/h (62mph) acceleration time of 5.5 seconds and a top speed of 260km/h (162mph), which put it on par with the BMW M5 E34 of the time.
The E500 / 500E ranks high in the list of sports sedans I’d like to own some day, but as tempting as it may sound, the current bid of $49,100 (€38,000) and the “Buy it Now” price of $56,900 (€44,000), means that the dream will have to remain on hold for now…
If you like the W124 500E, you may want to check out the story we wrote about the Brabus 6.5 Sports Sedan Special here.
By John Halas
Seller’s Description:
“1992 Mercedes 500E. The Mercedes that was built by Porsche. Car is collector owned and just crossed 10,000 miles. Comes with all original books and records. Despite the low miles, the car has been regularly serviced and has 5 new tires. No blemishes on this car and pretty much impossible to find in this condition and miles.”
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