Mercedes-Benz 500 E - The eye sees only what the mind is prepared to understand.

From the outside, the car showcased in this article may not immediately grab your attention – its exterior is rather understated, characterized by angular lines that harken back to the 1980s and 1990s. However, beneath the surface lies a different tale. It's the legendary "Porsche-Benz" – the Mercedes 500 E, a true wolf in sheep's clothing.

The story of the Porsche-Benz begins at the 1990 Paris Auto Salon, where the 500 E is introduced as the new flagship model of the W124 series. Only car enthusiasts would likely be able to distinguish it from a regular W124 at first glance. In fact, it sits a bit lower and wider. What really grabs your attention are the performance figures of this car. The V8 engine is said to accelerate the 500 E from 0 to 100 km/h in 5.9 seconds, with a top speed electronically limited to 250 km/h. The price was also exorbitantly high for its time, at around 150,000 German marks. For comparison, the 500 E was more than twice as expensive as the 300 E.

So far, so good. You might be wondering what this has to do with Porsche. It's relatively easy to understand. Porsche actually built the 500 E on behalf of Mercedes. At that time, Mercedes was already working on the new S-Class, and there were not enough resources available to simultaneously develop the 500 E. So, Porsche was commissioned to modify the W124 to accommodate the V8 engine from the then-new SL. This modification made the 500 E wider, which would have caused significant assembly complications for Mercedes. Therefore, Porsche was entrusted with building the 500 E as well.

The story of the 500 E is noteworthy in my view because it's where two interesting aspects converge. First, it's fascinating how not too long ago, Porsche was able to build a family car for Mercedes on a commissioned basis. Nowadays, Porsche likely wouldn't have the capacity to do so alongside their own production, and it probably wouldn't align with Mercedes' strategy or marketing either. But back then, Porsche was going through a bit of a crisis, and Mercedes-Benz wasn't the enormous company that could effortlessly develop both an E-Class and an S-Class simultaneously.

Second, the 500 E represents the prelude to a new era where highly powered sedans and wagons were becoming increasingly popular. Nowadays, they are almost ubiquitous on the roads, especially in the DACH region. Think about the Porsche Panamera, the BMW M5, the Audi RS6, or various models from Mercedes' AMG lineup. These cars blend sportiness with a degree of practicality, as already mentioned, making them highly appealing.

These aspects, in my view, make the 500 E a particularly interesting youngtimer, one that can still be enjoyed behind the wheel today.

And what's the deal with the "wolf in sheep's clothing"? Well, you can let your imagination run wild. This metaphor also signifies the duality of human nature and reminds us that outward appearances can often be deceiving. It emphasizes that external appearances don't always reflect a person's true nature. It reminds us not to judge superficially but to look deeper and question. And don't believe everything you see, as the French philosopher and Nobel laureate in Literature of 1927, Henri-Louis Bergson, succinctly put it: "The eye sees only what the mind is prepared to comprehend.

Our Mercedes Classic workshop in Gstaad specializes in the restoration, sourcing, and sale of Mercedes-Benz vehicles from the 1980s and 1990s. Take a look at our available Mercedes 500 E for sale here.

You can find the original article from our Founder Beat Imwinkelried under the following Link.