Mercedes-Benz 500E (1991 – 1994) Review

The Mercedes-Benz 500E is a brilliant Q-car. Only the slightly flared arches outwardly tell you that is no standard W124 - but lift the bonnet and you find a 32-valve 5.0-litre V8 lifted from the 500SL. The car was built by Porsche, with each 500E transported to and from the Mercedes-Benz plant and Porsche's factory in Zuffenhausen, Germany. Each 500E took 18 days to complete each model.

The 500E was seriously quick - 0–60mph took 5.5 seconds, with a 14.1 second time for the quarter mile. Like so many German cars since, the, maximum speed was limited to 155mph - but derestricted, it was more than 170mph. The 500E was facelifted along with the rest of the W124 range in 1992, to become the E500 E-Series, but the car remained pretty much unchanged in its appeal. Thanks to limited build numbers, and its close link with Porsche, the 500E already commands a hefty premium on the market. Sadly the 500E was only ever sold in left-hand-drive, which combined with a £57,000 price tag means only seven of these M5-baiters were officially sold in the UK.