Mercedes-Benz 500 E-Cedar Herald Index

The Mercedes-Benz 500 E (W124.036) is a high-performance version of the W124 sold by Mercedes-Benz from 1990 to 1995. The 500 E was created in close cooperation with Porsche. With its engineering department being fully occupied with the development of the new S-Class, Mercedes-Benz commissioned Porsche in 1989 to redesign the W124 chassis to fit the 5.0L V8 used in the SL into it, along with the necessary changes on the suspension system and drive train. When the car was ready, it was found that its widened wings didn't fit through the W124 assembly line in Sindelfingen in three places. Hence Porsche was also commissioned to assemble the car. As a side-effect this arrangement provided workload for Porsche's plant, as the company was in crisis at the time, and its factory capacity was underutilized.

During production Mercedes-Benz delivered parts to Porsche's "Reutter-Bau" plant in Zuffenhausen (an urban district of Stuttgart) where the 500 E chassis were hand-assembled. When finished the chassis were transported by truck to the Mercedes-Benz assembly plant in Sindelfingen to be painted. As soon as the paint was dry the varnished chassis were then shipped back to Porsche's "Rössle-Bau" in Zuffenhausen where the engine was put in and the car completed. For final inspection and delivery the vehicles again were transported to Sindelfingen. This process took a full 18 days per car.

Mercedes-Benz 500 E

Design began in 1989. Called '500 E' through to model year 1993, for model year 1994 it was face-lifted along with the rest of the range and renamed to 'E 500'. The chassis constructed by Porsche was also used to produce the 400 E (W124.034), that was technically identical to its big brother, save its 4.2L V8 also used in the S-Class and some other minor changes. The 400 E (later renamed 'E 420') was produced in Sindelfingen, since it lacked the widened wings and thus was perfectly understated as it looked like one of its lesser siblings.

Mercedes-Benz 500 E

In Germany, the 500 E first came on sale in late 1990, making its first appearance in the Mercedes-Benz October 1, 1990 pricelist, with a retail price of DM134,520. By January 2, 1993, the price had risen to DM145,590, and would stay at it until the car went off the market in late 1994, it was last available in the August 1, 1994 pricelist. In the United States, the car first became available as a 1992 model with a retail price of $81,800 and was available until MY 1994.

Mercedes-Benz 500 E

Specifications and general information

The 500 E had a naturally aspirated 5.0L V8 engine derived from the 500 SL (R129) roadster. Sports car braking performance also came from SL components: front SL 500 300 mm disks with 4-piston calipers came installed on the 1992 and early 1993 cars. The later 1993, and all 1994 cars came with the upgraded 320 mm set taken from the 600 SL. Rear brakes on all years were 278 mm brakes from the 500 SL. In the USA, the 500 E came fully equipped, with the only options available to the buyer being a dealer-installed CD changer and an integrated cellular telephone. The 500 E only came in left hand drive, and had four leather sport seats supplied by Recaro (the front seats were generally heated).

Called the "Wolf in Sheep's Clothing" by the press, performance tests of the day yielded results that were widely considered impressive: 0–100 km/h (0–62 mph) times of 5.5 to 6.0 seconds and acceleration through the quarter-mile (0.4 km) in 14.1 seconds at 163 km/h (101 mph). The top speed was electronically limited to 250 km/h (155.3 mph). It was rated at 16.8 L/100 km (14 mpg) in the city and 13.8 L/100 km (17 mpg) on the highway.

With its aggressive stance due to a 38mm wider track, 23mm lower profile, flared wings, side skirts, front air-dam and wide tyres, the 500 E is easily distinguished from its lesser brethren. Because of its appearance, limited numbers, hand-built construction, and unique pedigree, the 500 E is already considered a "modern classic", even within Mercedes-Benz.