In 1990, Mercedes decided to develop a high performance version of their successful 300E model which debuted in 1986. Porsche was contracted to engineer the modifications necessary to transform an ordinary 300E into the very special 500E. However, the extensive modifications to the floor and external sheetmetal meant the 500E could not easily be built on the normal assembly line at the busy Mercedes Sindelfingen plant. So, Mercedes also called upon Porsche to perform the assembly of the 500E at Porsche's Rossle-Bau plant in Zuffenhausen. The contract called for 12 to 16 500Es per day, 2400 per year, built to the highest quality.

During the 1990-1995 production run, Porsche's Rossle-Bau facility was operated by Old World standards: cars were built on wheeled pallets and were moved by hand from station to station as they were assembled. Electric spot welding was also done mostly by hand. This process is a major reason why a special value is placed on the 500E, as no other modern-day Mercedes has received so much care in assembly and quality control.

Each 500E started life at the Rossle-Bau plant where the basic body shell was completed, including doors, trunk, and hood, and then transported on special trucks to the Mercedes Sindelfingen plant across town. There, the body was corrosion-proofed and painted, giving it the full measure of rust protection and allowing customers to choose from the entire palette of Mercedes colors. Then each 500E went back to the Porsche plant for more assembly. Engines, transmissions, and other major mechanicals were assembled by Mercedes and shipped to Porsche for installation. Then another trip across town, back to Mercedes, where each 500E received a final inspection before delivery or export. On average, it took 18 days to build each 500E, much of which was consumed by transportation time.

Porsche's modifications to the original 300E included splaying-out and reinforcing the frame rails, widening the driveshaft tunnel, modifying the front axle crossmember and other engine bay components to accept the 5-liter 326-hp V8 engine that was also specified for the 500SL at that time and weighed 32 kg more than the 300E's inline-6 engine. The heavy duty battery was moved to the trunk to achieve an ideal 50:50 weight balance with two occupants and 80 kg of luggage aboard. 500SL-sourced wishbone suspension pieces and steering linkages were reinforced to accomodate the 500E's increased weight. The 500E stands nearly 2.5 cm lower than the 300E due to shorter and stiffer springs with plastic buffers and gas pressurized shock absorbers with internal damping springs. A hydraulic self-leveling suspension is standard equipment. 11.8-inch vented disc brakes in the front were sourced from the 300CE, and the 10.9-inch vented rear discs were the same as the 500SL. Wider wheels and tires resulted in a 37 mm wider track at the front and 38 mm at the back. The wheel well fenders were flared out to better accomodate the extra width.

While the 500E's engine was the same M119 V8 used in the 500SL, the 500E was specified with Bosch LH Jetronic fuel injection (the 500SL used KE Jetronic) and a redesigned intake manifold with longer runners that resulted in an additional 30 Nm of torque, developing a maximum 480 Nm at 3900 rpm.

To handle the extra horsepower and torque, the 500E's 4-speed automatic transmission was sourced from the 500SL model, as well as its rear axle that used a 2.82:1 differential to fully exploit the V8's torque. ASR traction control was standard and no defeat switches were provided by the factory (aftermarket defeat switches are available, however). Like all other Mercedes transmissions at that time, the default starting gear was 2nd, presumably to ensure smooth acceleration. There were two ways to force a start in 1st gear: either floor the gas pedal, which resulted in a less-than-smooth kickdown, or by moving the gear selector down and over to B, then back to D (this tricked the gearbox into starting off in 1st, regardless of throttle position).

Factory performance figures were 0-to-100 km/h in 5.6 seconds and a top speed of 250 km/h. With the standard ASR, most real-world acceleration runs produced 6.0 to 6.2 second results. With ASR defeated via aftermarket equipment, sub-6 second times would be more reliably achieved. The 250 km/h top speed was electronically limited, in accordance with the Audi/BMW/Mercedes agreement to avoid escalating top speed wars.

The 500E's competition was the BMW M5, which was typically more desireable to track enthusiasts because of its standard manual transmission (no automatic was offered) and beefy inline-6 engine. But the 500E was the king of the autobahn with its torquey V8 engine and tank-like build quality. The kind of driving fun you experience in the 500E is not the sort of tail-out tire-smoking session you could have with an M5, but rather an impressive display of smoothness and effortless power delivery and roadholding grip that can only fully be appreciated on the long, winding, high velocity roads of the Autobahn and Autostradas of Germany and Italy.

The 500E had few faults. The single windshield wiper arm, although engineered to clear most of the windshield with each stroke, cannot compensate for high speed duty. The climate control system was not very friendly to use, and not very accurate in keeping the cabin at a steady temperature. And, as already mentioned, the ASR was non defeatable (Mercedes has since offered ASR defeat switches in its high performance models beginning around 1995).

The 1990-1995 Mercedes 500E is truly special because of its unique involvement with Porsche, something no other Mercedes model can claim, past or present. That distinction alone makes the 500E desirable to both Mercedes enthusiasts and Porsche enthusiasts. The 500E looks nearly identical to its plebian 300E sibling, truly defining the old adage "a wolf in sheep's clothing".

mercedes W124 E500
ENGINE
number of cilinders and engine form V8
power output 326 hp - 240 kW @ 5700 min-1
maximum torque 480 Nm @ 3900 min-1
engine displacement 4973 cc
cilinder dimensions 96,5 x 85,0 mm
compression ratio 10,0 : 1
specific power output 65,8 hp/L - 48,3 kW/L

GEAR BOX
1st gear 3,870 : 1 (63 km/h max)
2nd gear 2,250 : 1 (108 km/h max)
3rd gear 1,440 : 1 (169 km/h max)
4th gear 1,000 : 1 (250 km/h max)
reverse 5,590 : 1
axle 2,820 : 1

PERFORMANCE
0 - 60 km/h 3,2 sec
0 - 80 km/h 4,6 sec
0 - 100 km/h 6,2 sec
0 - 120 km/h 8,4 sec
0 - 140 km/h 11,0 sec
0 - 160 km/h 14,1 sec
0 - 180 km/h 17,9 sec
0 - 200 km/h 23,5 sec
1 km 25,9 sec
top speed 250 km/h (limited)

FUEL CONSUMPTION
90 km/h 10,7 L / 100 km
120 km/h 12,3 L / 100 km
city use 17,5 L / 100 km
fuel capacity 90 L

CAR DIMENSIONS
lenght 4750 mm
width 1796 mm
height 1408 mm
weight 1778 kg
max weight 2150 kg
% weight f / r 53% / 47%

 

Of course AMG, which is now a Mercedes-Benz owned company. They have had the E60 AMG in their program. This was an E500 with an engine job, and AMG-wheels.

displ. 5956 cc - 363 CI (+983 cc)
381 hp - 280 kW (+55 hp) @ 5500 rpm
580 Nm (+100 Nm) @ 3750 rpm
0 - 100 km 5.4 sec
250 km (limiter)

 

Carlsson have had the Carlsson E60 in their program. This was an E60 AMG competitor, based on the E500 too.

displ. 6207 cc - 379 CI (+1234 cc)
425 hp - 313 kW (+99 hp) @ 5600 rpm
620 Nm (+140 Nm) @ 3700 rpm
0 - 100 km 5.4 sec
276 km

 

Brabus is also known for their Mercedes-Benz tuning activities. They offered a 6.0 litre or a 6.5 litre engine job, for the W124 V8 models.

displ. 5956 cc - 363 CI (+983 cc)
408 hp - 300 kW (+82 hp) @ 5600 rpm
604 Nm (+124 Nm) @ 3800 rpm
0 - 100 km 5.3 sec
282 km

 

The fourth German Mercedes-Benz tuner is Lorinser. No specific information on the 500E is present, but they too are very capable of raising your Benz to a higher performance level.

In the USA, Renntech is the specialist for Mercedes-Benz. The company was founded by an ex-AMG employee. They also have a six litre engine job anvailable for the 500E. Very interesting too is the six speed hand shifted gearbox they offer.

displ. 6000 cc - 366 CI (+1027 cc)
440 hp - 326 kW (+114 hp) @ 6000 rpm
608 Nm (+128 Nm) @ 4500 rpm
0 - 100 km 4.4 sec
290 km

 

The fourth German Mercedes-Benz tuner is Lorinser. No specific information on the 500E is present, but they too are very capable of raising your Benz to a higher performance level.

In the USA, Renntech is the specialist for Mercedes-Benz. The company was founded by an ex-AMG employee. They also have a six litre engine job anvailable for the 500E. Very interesting too is the six speed hand shifted gearbox they offer.

displ. 6000 cc - 366 CI (+1027 cc)
440 hp - 326 kW (+114 hp) @ 6000 rpm
608 Nm (+128 Nm) @ 4500 rpm
0 - 100 km 4.4 sec
290 km