MERCEDES 500E
The MERCEDES 500E
For discreet speed, there's little to beat the mighty 500E and later E500 models. Prices are now reaching affordable levels and, if you find a good one, you could have the performance bargain of a lifetime.
At the launch of the current Mercedes-Benz C-Class, the marketing spin was that public perception of the marque had evolved from 'lumbering elephant' to 'graceful dolphin' in just five years. The logical conclusion of that perceived shift is that the Mercedes-Benz image must have been truly stolid back in the '70s and early '80s, not that anyone happened to tell the wilder elements of the engineering department. The board of directors were obviously in on the joke when they gave their engineers the green light to drop 6.3 and, later, 6.9-litre engines into their staple family saloons and put them into production. The 300SEL 6.3 and 450SEL 6.9 proved to be true Porsche and Ferrari killers on the autobahn and the Q-car formula set the stage for the 500E and current generation of AMG-tweaked Mercedes saloons. With the tuning arm now part of the family Mercedes can now do this sort of work in-house but, when the 500E concept was first mooted, in 1989, the designers were to have a quiet word with one of their Stuttgart-based neighbours, Porsche.
Aware of the great success BMW were having with the M5, the Mercedes-Benz board decided on the limited production of a car whose concept had already been proven by AMG with its V8-powered, E-Class-base Hammer. Initially it was believed that only 400 new components would be required to convert the 300E into a 5-litre V8 weapon but, in the end, the engineer counted out no fewer than 4.500 new components. The 500E might have looked almost identical to the standard E-Class but, on the bodyshell alone, only the roof, front doors, glass and boot lid were common. This was the extent of the re-engineering necessary to produce a car with the homogeneity required by Mercedes-Benz.
As Porsche was better placed to build low volume cars the co-operation went beyond development. The body-in-white shell was trucked from Sindelfingen to Zuffenhausen where it was modified with new inner wings and bigger arches and returned to Sindelfingen for painting. It then returned to Porsche for mechanical and trim assembly before delivery to the Mercedes-Benz sales department. Production started at 12 cars a day in early 1991, stepping up to 16 a day at which point the maximum output of 3,600 cars a year was reached.
Despite all the work done to the body the heart of the 500E has always been its engine. The Ml19 Series, 32-valve V8 is an all-alloy unit weighing in only 18lb more than the 300E's iron block straight-six, quashing fears that such a large amount of engine would result only in terrifying levels of understeer. Without that knowledge first inspection would have you assuming the worst as the huge V8 motor fills every inch of space beneath the bonnet and requires the firewall to be covered in reflective foil in an attempt to keep the heat-soak to the cabin under control. First seen in 32-valve form in the 500SL and later in the S-Class, the 5.0-litre V8 had to be physically modified for duty in the 500E. Internally the deck height of the block was lowered to squeeze it under the bonnet with all its ancillaries in place and, to compensate for this and maintain the 85.0mm stroke, the 96.5mm diameter pistons were shortened and con-rod length altered to suit. A new, larger inlet manifold and LH-Jetronic fuel injection meant more torque than the SE with 3651b/ft at 3,900rpm while the power remained the same at 326bhp at 5,700rpm.
In 1993, the W124 E-Class was facelifted receiving a new bonnet with a smaller integrated grille, new headlamp glass, white turn signal indicators, a new boot lid and smoked grey rear indicator lights. But while all other E-Class models got longer rear bumper inserts, the E500 as it was now known kept the old-style short inserts, albeit now colour-coded. Mechanically the E500 changed little. Small running improvements were made to some components, the most significant being replacement of the Brembo- made brakes from the SL500 with the larger ATE-made components from the SL600. At the same time, the motor lost 6bhp to tougher emissions standards.
CREAM OF THE CROP
In 1994, with the run-out of the W124 impending, Mercedes-Benz decided to produce the definitive 500E, known as the Limited. Right up to October 1994, the 500E figured in Mercedes price lists in left-hand-drive markets and the Limited was to special order only. The Limited was first shown at the 1993 Frankfurt 1AA where it attracted enough interest for Mercedes to consider production. The show car was finished in Sapphire Black and had a black leather interior with a subtle green pattern and a grey bird's eye maple wood. Externally the lower protection panels and bumper sections were colour-coded and the normal 8J x 16 Mercedes eight-hole alloys and 225/55ZR16 tyres were replaced with the six-spoke 8.25 x 17-inch alloys, from the 190E 2.5-16 Evo 2, shod with 245/45ZR17 rubber.
500E/E500 sales were fairly consistent over the years but, when Mercedes announced that production was to cease in October 1994 at a total of 10.000 cars, there was a sudden deluge of interest. The assembly line was kept open till the end of the year to fulfil outstanding orders and interest in the Limited model was very high. The 500E/E500 was a favourite road car of Mercedes' workrace drivers so it was fitting that the very last of the official production of 10.000 cars was presented to Silver Arrows legend, Hans Herrmann. Finished off in a one-off aubergine metallic paint, the car was fitted with a small plaque in the boot proclaiming its unique status and Herrmann used the car for 70.000km before selling on to a collector. The production version of the E500 Limited was offerd in Saphire Black and Brilliant Silver with a two-tone grey pattern on its black leather. For more extrovert owners there was the option of coloured trim - green on the black cars and red on the silver - which extended to the gear knob and steering wheel and is very much down to taste.
NO NEED TO SHOUT ABOUT IT
On the outside of the 500E is a quiet statement of power, a Q-car in the traditional sense of the word. The deep chin spoiler and bulging wheel arches with their huge wheels could be likened to Arnold Schwarzenegger in an Armani suit.. This is a muscle car but refined with it. Its effortless performance is delivered in a manner that is the antithesis of the harsher, noisier and more overt six-cylinder BMW M5, seen as its contemporary market-place rival. With drive engaged the four-speed auto harnesses the power and torque perfectly. Boot it hard off the line and the potential for a riot where rubber meets road is quelled by the standard ASR acceleration skid control before the torque of the big V8 punches the 1,800kg Mercedes to 60mph in 6.0 sec dead without raising so much as a bead of sweat. Top speed is electronically limited to 155mph but, if the limiter is removed, the car has enough in reserve to march on up to 171mph, assisted by surprisingly slippery aerodynamics.
SPORTSCAR ATTRIBUTES
With most of the suspension and steering components from the SL the E500 has a balance and feel that is alien to four-door cars, a sensation heightened further in the Limited model with its larger footprint. It has tremendous poise on bumpy, cresting roads and its ride quality strikes a fine balance between comfort and sportiness.
The E500 lacks the finite communication of the M5 chassis but is effortlessly rapid in a way that the occasionally harsh riding BMW can only dream of. On a long trip the Mercedes can play the quiet, refined mini S-Class but when you want to get a move on, the 5-litre V8 will bellow like a subdued Bullitt Mustang and enable you to play tag with some of the junior-league supercars. Keeping station with fast, grand tourers are well within the E500's capabilities without any compromises in practicality and, with its V8 powerplant and Porsche pedigree, it could almost be considered a four-door 928S.
WHAT'S AVAILABLE - IN SEARCH OF A FINE 500
As a LHD, limited production model, examples of the 500E are fairly scarce in the UK, so consider importing from Europe.
THERE WERE VERY FEW 500E AND E500 models officially imported into the UK and this LHD model was to special order only. Enthusiastic buyers were often thwarted by lethargy from UK dealers in conducting a special order so most cars registered here were imported from Europe during or after the model's production life. At last knockings in 1994, the UK list price of the E500 Limited was a whopping £61,000, (£55,000 in Germany) which puts the £55,140 price tag of the current E55 AMG into context. Although all current UK Mercedes models are visually identical to European versions, it was only in the late 1990s that side repeater indicators became mandatory in other EU states and imported cars often lack them. Thus, 'official' UK spec 500E/E500 cars are instantly recognisable by their side repeater indicators (orange on pre-93 and white on post-93 cars). UK cars will also have a combined mph/km/h speedometer face.
Almost all the cars you will find here and abroad should have full leather interior trim. The base spec in Europe was a half leather trim with chequered cloth centres on the seats reminiscent of early 190E 2.3-16s. We have only seen one such car in the UK, a silver 1991 car. Ironically, this cancelled order from Rose & Young in Caterham ended up at Bramley and was subsequently sold to Rowan Atkinson. He owned it for a number of years and waxed lyrical about its virtues in CAR magazine.
WHAT'S ONE WORTH - THE THE PRICE OF 500E OWNERSHIP
Prices are now reasonable considering this landmark car's performance potential, but beware of false economies and buy with care.
10,000 CARS WERE BUILT BETWEEN 1991 and 1994 so, in the overall scheme of things, the 500E/E500 is a quite a rare model. To find a good one, you may have to look to Europe but with more and more people willing to make the journey to find deals on imported cars, this is less of an issue than it once was. Registering a European car in the UK is fairly straightforward but we would strongly recommend you have a chat with both your local DVLA office and your insurance company before you book your ferry ticket. You need to make sure you get the right paperwork from the seller to avoid any problems. Also bear in mind you will have to change the headlamp units to left-dipping ones when you get home.
Because of their practical supercar nature, E5OO's tend to be used daily and in Germany especially, cars will have racked up fairly high mileages. As with Porsches and Ferraris, condition and service history are more important than mileage and, if you want a good example you need to approach a prospective purchase with that in mind. By way of example, trawling recent issues of the German magazine Auto Motor & Sport highlighted the following cars a one-owner, garaged, March 1992 500E in silver with grey leather and 141,000km (88,000 miles) was going for DM43,000 (£14,000). An April 1993 500E in black with grey leather, 85,000km (53,000 miles) and Limited Evo wheels was advertised for DM58,000 (£18,750). The cheapest car we found was a three-owner, 1993 500E in anthracite with black leather and 152,000km (95,000 miles) for just DM29,000 (£9,350) but bear in mind that a couple of grand saved on the purchase price could easily be lost very quickly if major work is needed.
Of the more recent models, a one-owner Dec 1994 E500 Limited in the desirable Sapphire black metallic with 155,000km (97,000 miles) and a new engine fitted at 70,000km was on offer for DM52,000 (£16,800). This car boasted a full spec, AMG speedometer and a de-limiter to unleash its true top speed of 171mph...
Although these cars are thin on the ground, back in the UK they are occasionally advertised in car magazines and the Sunday papers. For a seller, the problem is that many people do not recognise the car for what it is but, like the original LHD BMW M3, they do have a dedicated following. For UK-registere, cars, pre-facelift examples with 60,000 miles can be found between £10-14,000 depending on exact mileage and condition. There are probably less than a dozen of the very desirable E500 Limited. A one-version in the UK and a mint one, with around 20,000 miles on the clock and full service history, is worth £25,000.
MAINTENANCE - STICK TO THE SERVICE SCHEDULE
A VIRTUE OF USING PRETTY MUCH THE same engine as the S500 is that there are no real special considerations when it comes to maintenance. Service intervals are as per the S, Cl and SL models that share this engine but, unlike the later W210 E50 AMG and E55 AMG, the W124 shell was not originally designed to take a big V8 motor.
On opening the bonnet, it is immediately obvious that the installation was a real shoehorn job and, despite new inner wings and many bespoke parts, space around the motor is very tight. This makes even simple jobs, like changing a headlight bulb, trickier than on the 500E's smaller-engined brethren and is reflected in higher labour costs for some jobs.
The 500E and later E500 has few weak points but, despite being lighter than other cars fitted with the same engine, its nature tends to encourage more spirited driving meaning that brakes and suspension can suffer more wear. The brakes on pre-facelift cars are from the 500SL but discs tend to wear quickly if the car is driven hard. Many owners considered the brakes to be marginal for a car of and this performance potential anyway, and the facelifted E500 cars received the larger brakes from the SL600. Very hard drivers may have fitted uprated brakes from tuners like Brabus or Carlsson and these work very well, the only downside being the extra cost of replacement discs and pads, especially with the superb Brabus/Alcon brakes.
The four-speed automatic gearbox is more durable and reliable than the early generation five-speed electronic box fitted to the W140 S-Class and should not give any problems unless it has been abused. The 500E was one of the first Mercedes-Benz models to get the CAN-BUS electrical system and this has proven to be largely this trouble-free. If you have a low mileage car that is not used often, the battery can run down although, with Mercedes cars of a this era, you can happily fit a battery cut-out switch without worrying about having the airbag- ECU warning reset at your local dealer once it is re-powered.
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