Thursday 11th December 2014

Mercedes E500 coupe: Spotted

The subtle, discreet, classy V8 Merc coupe now under £20K

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Say 'E500' to anyone who knows a little about Mercedes and there's one car that will come to mind: the W124. As the 500E originally and then E500 with the range refresh, it's the connoisseur's supersaloon. Barely identifiable from a standard E but with Porsche engineering know-how, huge performance and great rarity appeal, it's regarded by many as a Mercedes highpoint.

Let's get this debadged now shall we?

This is not an E500, in case you hadn't already noticed. It's an E500. Without an AMG version of the current E-Class coupe, the 5.5-litre V8 E500 always was the most powerful model. It was replaced last year by a more efficient and less exciting twin-turbo V6 in the E400, but isn't there something charming about a big Mercedes coupe with a V8?

Yes, this is officially a 'Sport' model but it's so much more subtle than a full-fat AMG. The colour scheme is a bit predictable but you could argue that helps with the stealth factor. Remove the badge and you have a near-400hp V8 coupe that looks like an E220 diesel.

But the E500 isn't for hooning. It's a comfortable place to cover lots of miles with a heap of V8 performance (and hopefully a little bit of noise) when required. I would argue it does that in a great deal of style too but could see how some might disagree. If you could harbour the running costs the E500 would surely be a superb four-seat coupe for all sorts of occasions. There is actually a cabrio in the classifieds too if you fancy some open-air V8 journeys.

Silver with black keeps it under the radar

Which gets you thinking. What other fairly modern four-seat V8 coupes can you buy for less than £20K? Quite a nice set of criteria to fulfil really. The obvious choice is the Audi S5, before its own V6 facelift, which is now available from £15K. Perhaps a bit too sporty when compared to the Mercedes. A Bangle-era V8 6 Series is within budget as well if you fancy. The Jaguar XK ticks all the boxes but any rear-seat passengers probably won't be too happy.

The E500 wasn't ever going to be hugely popular as it was neither an all-out performance flagship or a frugal diesel. Now those traits that perhaps put off new buyers make it really appealing as used purchase. Who needs an AMG anyway?

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MERCEDES-BENZ E500
Engine: 5,461cc V8
Transmission: 7-speed automatic, rear-wheel drive
Power (hp): 387@6,000rpm
Torque (lb ft): 391@2,800-4,800rpm
MPG: 26 (NEDC combined)
CO2: 254g/km
First registered: 2009
Recorded mileage: 54,569
Price new: £48,360
Yours for: £19,850

See the original advert here.

[theJT]

I basically like these, but what the hell happened with that rear quarter-light? What was the point of that? It just totally spoils the lines of the thing. Surely they could have found a way to get the rear window to open without it - I mean, they did for the cabrio.

[theJT]

hornetrider said:

Admittedly no V8 but I'd rather a 911.

That said, it's a nice sleeper and will eat the miles with ease.

If I may humbly suggest - V8 porsche for about 20K?

http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/p...


You'd never mistake it for a 911 of course, but these things have road presence like you just don't get these days.

[theJT]

X5TUU said:

badge snobbery wont allow such talk unfortunately ... I personally love the Monaro and its gorgeous notes but people seem to see it as a glorified Insignia for some odd reason

I like it as a work of engineering - big, simple, fun - and I really don't care about the badge, but there's something about the looks that puts me off a bit. The later version with the nostrils is better but it's still not quite... right, somehow. Such a shame they didn't build the Coupe 60 concept.