Mercedes 500E

Author
Discussion

anissut

Original Poster:

248 posts

218 months

Wednesday 1st July 2015
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Just got this machine registered and sorted for the UK. Having done a bit of research on these and with the Porsche link and the fact that each car was hand built by Porsche I decided to go for it. It's a proper beast. Nice torquey V8, built like a car should be built, very comfortable and all the mod cons which is very impressive for a 20 yeard old car. This car must have been so ahead of its game when it came out.

Here are some pics.








andy43

9,548 posts

253 months

Wednesday 1st July 2015
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Love that! Looks like it's come from Japan as it's got the small rear plate recess?
Interior looks fantastic with the half cloth. I'd love one of these I really would. Totally undertheradar, M5 performance, v8 noise and built like a bank vault. More details!!!?

supermono

7,368 posts

247 months

Wednesday 1st July 2015
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Nice

anissut

Original Poster:

248 posts

218 months

Wednesday 1st July 2015
quotequote all
andy43 said:
Love that! Looks like it's come from Japan as it's got the small rear plate recess?
Interior looks fantastic with the half cloth. I'd love one of these I really would. Totally undertheradar, M5 performance, v8 noise and built like a bank vault. More details!!!?
What details do you need? 43k miles (70k KM), just had the bodywork sorted so looking mint. Electric memory seats, heated seats, AC, lovely V8 engine, loads of torque. From all my research the most desirable spec is silver, no sunroof, half cloth/leather. What amazes me is that the suspension, brakes, steering is still so modern. It doesn't feel like a boat at all. It's not sharp like a proper sports car obviously but as a cruiser missile it's brilliant. Have left my R35 Nissan GTR at home the last 2 days as I wanted to drive this to work instead. Planning on keeping it through the summer and then lets see what happens as might think about selling if you are interested.

maxypriest

79 posts

203 months

Wednesday 1st July 2015
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Wow - what a car. Top purchase.

r129sl

9,518 posts

202 months

Wednesday 1st July 2015
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Lucky, lucky you! What a fantastic car. The colour and upholstery are right up my street. Everything you say about the car is right: it blew people away in 1990. It is a very useable, very fast car. It's discreet to the point of invisible and inaudible; it has four door, four seat, big boot, long range practicality; it is smooth and quiet and refined; easy to operate and well-designed; and devastatingly fast on real roads. There's definitely a place for a 500 E in my fantasy garage.

If the narrow plate aperture bothers you, I think it simple unscrews or unclips leaving a standard Euro look. Narrow plate apertures were a feature of Japanese and US spec cars. US spec cars have a knee bolster under the dash on the driver's side.

maxypriest

79 posts

203 months

Wednesday 1st July 2015
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Rowen Atkinson had one and rated it very highly.

ZX10R NIN

27,494 posts

124 months

Thursday 2nd July 2015
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Very nice car

MRPULLHARD

318 posts

130 months

Thursday 2nd July 2015
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nice so is it from us or japan ?

tobinen

9,184 posts

144 months

Monday 6th July 2015
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Lovely car. I'd love one

SSL

98 posts

105 months

Tuesday 7th July 2015
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I ran a '94 W124 E500 as a daily driver for eighteen months and it is the only car I regret selling.

This truly is the last hand built Mercedes saloon taking eighteen days to build.

Basically a 500SL, with 326bhp and 354 lb/ft in a four door saloon disguise but with much better steering feedback than the roadster and so, so understated that unless you really know what you are looking at it passes at first glance as a airport taxi car.

43,000 miles is extremely low mileage for these cars which are well known for their ability to run to stellar numbers. Alois Ruf jnr of Ruf Porsche retired his 500E at about 270,000 kms but still keeps it in his collection.

Lovely car. Sure you will enjoy it

MRPULLHARD

318 posts

130 months

Tuesday 7th July 2015
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is it only the 500E not E500 that was built by Porsche ?

anissut

Original Poster:

248 posts

218 months

Tuesday 7th July 2015
quotequote all
SSL said:
I ran a '94 W124 E500 as a daily driver for eighteen months and it is the only car I regret selling.

This truly is the last hand built Mercedes saloon taking eighteen days to build.

Basically a 500SL, with 326bhp and 354 lb/ft in a four door saloon disguise but with much better steering feedback than the roadster and so, so understated that unless you really know what you are looking at it passes at first glance as a airport taxi car.

43,000 miles is extremely low mileage for these cars which are well known for their ability to run to stellar numbers. Alois Ruf jnr of Ruf Porsche retired his 500E at about 270,000 kms but still keeps it in his collection.

Lovely car. Sure you will enjoy it
Good summary and agree with all your points. I feel lucky to have found the one I did.

anissut

Original Poster:

248 posts

218 months

Tuesday 7th July 2015
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MRPULLHARD said:
is it only the 500E not E500 that was built by Porsche ?
Yes, correct. 2 very different cars.

Chebble

1,906 posts

151 months

Tuesday 7th July 2015
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There's something I find effortlessly cool about German supersaloons, particularly the older ones. Lots of people find them crushingly boring, but I like the idea of wafting around at devastating pace (although I am aware that is a juxtaposition of terms) in a car that is just another saloon, unless you know what you are looking for.

I must admit, I don't know much about these. A bit of research is needed. It does look immaculate though! The way car values are at the moment I daresay you could even make some money on it if you come to sell it.

Lovely car.

sim16v

2,176 posts

200 months

Tuesday 7th July 2015
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anissut said:
MRPULLHARD said:
is it only the 500E not E500 that was built by Porsche ?
Yes, correct. 2 very different cars.
No, the later W124 E500 was also built by Porsche, as it was just a face lift of the earlier 500E

MRPULLHARD

318 posts

130 months

Wednesday 8th July 2015
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Anissut , you still still haven't told us , did you buy from japan or Us ?

SSL

98 posts

105 months

Wednesday 8th July 2015
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MRPULLHARD said:
Anissut , you still still haven't told us , did you buy from japan or Us ?
MrPullhard,

My guess would be that the car is originally from Japan as it is fitted with side panel indicators which I think I am right in saying were the only market along with the UK that required them during the 500E5OO's production run.

There is some uncertainty about the exact number of official UK delivered 500E500s but the highest figure I've seen is only 27 and with a retail price of £60,000 for a left hand drive car back in the early nineties you can see why.

Given the rear number plate configuration and the low mileage Japan seems the most likely original home of this cracking car.


V12 AMG

712 posts

108 months

Wednesday 8th July 2015
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Not sure about that. My parents imported a 1993ish Toyota Lucida and that needed the indicator repeaters to be retro fitted to the front wings when it arrived over here.

In 2001 there were 55 500E/E500 listed as licensed with DVLA in the UK. I think since then the figures have only one up with imports consistently arriving at our shores.

SSL

98 posts

105 months

Wednesday 8th July 2015
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V12 AMG said:
Not sure about that. My parents imported a 1993ish Toyota Lucida and that needed the indicator repeaters to be retro fitted to the front wings when it arrived over here.

In 2001 there were 55 500E/E500 listed as licensed with DVLA in the UK. I think since then the figures have only one up with imports consistently arriving at our shores.
Thanks V12 AMG.

I was referring to those 500E/E500s that were officially ordered through UK dealerships and brought to the UK with MPH speedos rather KPH.

My own '94 500E was originally sold to the German domestic market and subsequently brought to the UK by a private importer and specialist dealers like Jon Aucott at Avantgarde with a genuine interest in the model has imported a fair few.

Pretty sure that Japanese 500Es required side repeaters.