1984 Mercedes 280 CE Delivers a 200KPH+ Autobahn Statement of German Engineering

By that account, this 1984 Mercedes-Benz 280 CE Coupe of the W/C123 generation clearly fits the bill as it sports a 2.8-liter straight-six engine that in its heyday was capable of delivering up to 185 PS (182 hp) and 240 Nm (177 lb-ft). That was quite enough to accomplish the 62 mph (100 kph) sprint in a tad less than ten seconds and reach a top speed of exactly 200 kph (124 mph).

We are used to seeing all sorts of powerful vehicles running along the Autobahn thanks to interesting videos from social media channels that have made a habit of harnessing the unique stretches of the German motorway devoid of speed limitations.

On this occasion, the TopSpeedGermany channel on YouTube has given up on 2021 model year superstars. And we don't regret their decision one bit, although seeing this oldtimer (seriously, there’s even an “Oldtimer” note tucked in a dashboard space) stretch its legs at around 200 kph clearly gave us the chills.

As is customary with this kind of videos, the action starts quickly after a walkaround that shows the driver has taken care of a little detailing prior to filming this POV footage (we see the red work gown quite clearly, along with some cleaning tools). We’ll give them a pass, since a classic car does need a polish or two from time to time.

Then it’s up for some feisty acceleration from the 1:22 mark, with the driver on the throttle from the moment the 280 CE merges onto the fast lane of the highway, not giving up until traffic interferes.

Interestingly, although the official maximum speed of the Coupe is exactly 200 kph, we clearly see the odometer pass the mark as it tries to reach for 210 kph (130 mph) glory.