Segment: Exotic
Production years: 1991, 1992, 1993
The 500 E from Mercedes-Benz was one of the first attempts to tackle the performance luxury sedan segment. It appeared in 1991 and it was developed and built by Porsche in its factory, in Zuffenhausen. It was the first 4-door vehicle built in the Porsche factory, long before the Panamera was even on the marketing list.
The short story is that Mercedes-Benz board had decided to built a performance vehicle out of the well-known W124 E-Class. It took the biggest engine, a 5.0-liter V8, and somehow installed it in the engine bay. But to do this the engine bay had to be enlarged. As a consequence, the front track and the whole car was wider by 56 mm (2.2”) compared to a 300 E. To keep the outside look of the vehicle and cut costs, the car had almost the same body panels except from the front, where the wheel-arches were flared.
Inside, the car had many luxury features such as automatic climate control, an electrically adjustable right side-mirror, dual airbags and an advances sound system that could be fitted with a CD-changer.
From the technical point of view, the engine was mated to a 4-speed automatic gearbox that had a winter program, when the snow-chains were installed. This program told the car to start directly in the second gear instead of first. The brakes were upgraded to support the heavy vehicle. The 500 E was heavier than a 300 E by around 380 kg (837.7 lbs).
ENGINE SPECS - 5.0L V8 4AT RWD (320 HP) | |
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Cylinders: | V8 |
Displacement: | 4973 cm3 |
Power: | 235 KW @ 5600 RPM 320 HP @ 5600 RPM 315 BHP @ 5600 RPM |
Torque: | 347 lb-ft @ 3900 RPM 470 Nm @ 3900 RPM |
Fuel System: | Multipoint Injection |
Fuel: | Gasoline |
PERFORMANCE SPECS | |
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Top Speed: | 155.3 mph (250 km/h) |
Acceleration 0-62 Mph (0-100 kph): | 6.1 s |
TRANSMISSION SPECS | |
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Drive Type: | Rear Wheel Drive |
Gearbox: | 4-speed automatic |
BRAKES SPECS | |
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Front: | Ventilated Discs |
Rear: | Ventilated Discs |
TIRES SPECS | |
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Tire Size: | 225/55 ZR 16 |
DIMENSIONS | |
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Length: | 186.6 in (4740 mm) |
Width: | 74 in (1880 mm) |
Height: | 55.5 in (1410 mm) |
Front/rear Track: | 60.6/60.2 in (1,539/1,529 mm) |
Wheelbase: | 110.2 in (2799 mm) |
Ground Clearance: | 7.9 in (201 mm) |
Cargo Volume: | 17.1 cuFT (484 L) |
Aerodynamics (Cd): | 0.3 |
WEIGHT SPECS | |
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Unladen Weight: | 3770 lbs (1710 kg) |
Gross Weight Limit: | 4762 lbs (2160 kg) |
FUEL ECONOMY (NEDC) | |
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City: | 14 mpg US (16.8 L/100Km) |
Highway: | 17.1 mpg US (13.8 L/100Km) |
Combined: | 15.8 mpg US (14.9 L/100Km) |
ENGINE SPECS - 5.0L V8 4AT RWD (326 HP) | |
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Cylinders: | V8 |
Displacement: | 4973 cm3 |
Power: | 239.8 KW @ 5700 RPM 326 HP @ 5700 RPM 322 BHP @ 5700 RPM |
Torque: | 354 lb-ft @ 3900 RPM 480 Nm @ 3900 RPM |
Fuel System: | Multipoint Injection |
Fuel: | Gasoline |
PERFORMANCE SPECS | |
---|---|
Top Speed: | 155.3 mph (250 km/h) |
Acceleration 0-62 Mph (0-100 kph): | 6.1 s |
TRANSMISSION SPECS | |
---|---|
Drive Type: | Rear Wheel Drive |
Gearbox: | 4-speed automatic |
BRAKES SPECS | |
---|---|
Front: | Ventilated Discs |
Rear: | Ventilated Discs |
TIRES SPECS | |
---|---|
Tire Size: | 225/55 ZR 16 |
DIMENSIONS | |
---|---|
Length: | 186.6 in (4740 mm) |
Width: | 74 in (1880 mm) |
Height: | 55.5 in (1410 mm) |
Front/rear Track: | 60.6/60.2 in (1,539/1,529 mm) |
Wheelbase: | 110.2 in (2799 mm) |
Ground Clearance: | 7.9 in (201 mm) |
Cargo Volume: | 17.1 cuFT (484 L) |
Aerodynamics (Cd): | 0.3 |
WEIGHT SPECS | |
---|---|
Unladen Weight: | 3770 lbs (1710 kg) |
Gross Weight Limit: | 4762 lbs (2160 kg) |
FUEL ECONOMY (NEDC) | |
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City: | 13.4 mpg US (17.6 L/100Km) |
Highway: | 19.1 mpg US (12.3 L/100Km) |
Combined: | 17.4 mpg US (13.5 L/100Km) |