Mercedes E55 AMG: Spotted

Q-cars really don't come much more Q than this, and sleeper Merc is a bargain too.

History has not looked fondly on the bug-eyed W210 generation of the Mercedes E-Class. Its predecessor, the W124, hallowed be its name, is often held as the pinnacle of Merc's 'cost no object' engineering in the 80s. But by the time the W210 arrived, in 1995, many reckoned that was more like 'object, no cost' - certainly when it came to the rust proofing many of this generation seemed to not possess.

Building block to what we now know and love

This E-Class had the misfortune to be sent into battle against the BMW E39 5 Series, one of the finest executive cars ever made, with the Merc's startled facial expression, mostly dull dynamics and frequently shonky build quality doing it few favours. The vast majority have long since descended into outright bangerdom.

It seems like there's little love for even the pinnacle of the W210 clan, the E55 AMG either. This attractive looking specimen has just popped up in the classifieds for £4,995, an asking price less than half of what you would see asked for an E39 M5 with similar miles and condition. Okay, the BMW is probably the superior car. But is it really 100 per cent better?

Half the price of an E39 M5... but is it half the car?

Because there's a lot to like about the E55. Indeed it's no exaggeration to say that it pretty much defined the archetype for what AMG road cars have become: muscular, refined and with a stonking V8 engine up front providing both cheek-flattening acceleration and a correspondingly bristly soundtrack. With 349hp on tap it couldn't match the M5 on outright grunt, but it has more torque and feels brawnier at real world speeds. It's a supremely accomplished high-speed cruiser, and respectably fleet of foot when asked to change the vector of its considerable mass. You're unlikely to buy one as a track slag, but if you suddenly realise you have to drive to Leipzig in time for breakfast tomorrow it's the perfect choice. There's got to be plenty right about a car that Dario Franchitti owns and lists among his personal favourites...

In short, the E55 was a much better rounded car that the Mercedes AMGs that had preceded it - the less powerful W210 E36 and the C36 and C43 versions of the equally rust-prone W202 C-Class. Yet these days there seems to be little difference in value between any of them, with even good ones struggling to break the five grand mark. It's a topic we'll return in more detail with a scheduled Market Watch piece we've got coming up.

Perfect for cruising, supremely accomplished

This one seems to have been looked after well and is being sold with a full service history and - reassuring sign - reasonably fresh branded tyres. It's also been chipped and given a sports exhaust, sympathetic mods considering the untapped potential of that huge V8. Recent spending seems to include a gearbox service, which is another solid tick on the list. The car is in Fife, which is statistically unlikely to be particularly close to you, but in every other regard it looks almost dangerously appealing.

So what about problems? An E55 definitely isn't the sort of car that you're going to run for pennies, but the good news is that - while some W210s rusted like a 70s Alfa parked in the Dead Sea - others had far greater resistance from the ravages of tinworm. You'd obviously have to go over any potential purchase in detail to be sure, but this looks like one of the unaffected ones.

For the money, it's hard not to be very tempted indeed.

MERCEDES E55 AMG (W210)
Engine: 5,439cc, V8
Transmission: 5-speed automatic, rear-wheel drive
Power (hp): 354@5,500rpm
Torque (lb ft): 391@3,000rpm
MPG: N/A
CO2: N/A
First registered: 1999
Recorded mileage: 104,955
Price new: £53,902,36 (150,000 DM)
Yours for: £4,995

See the original ad here.

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diluculophile

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