Mercedes W124 500 e USA version

Arguably the top performance sedan in the early 1990s, the W124-generation 500 E packed a 5.0-liter V8 good for 326 horsepower. This at a time that the BMW M5 was still using an inline-six displacing less than four liters and producing comparable power but significantly less torque. Production saw the vehicles-in-progress shuttled back and forth between Mercedes and Porsche factories in the Stuttgart region, fitting it with all manner of performance upgrades. It featured a wider track than the standard E-Class, four individual Recaro seats, and brakes (like the engine) borrowed from the SL roadster. All told, little over 10,000 of these sleepers were made in the first half of the 1990s before it was discontinued. Only 1,596 were built in 1993 – and just 1,528 imported to the United States altogethe. #w124 #500e #usa #oldbenz photo: Ryan Merrill