W211 E500

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Very nice. That mileage is typical of Japan, and the bodywork is likely to be excellent underneath.

Split fold rear seats too, which were a rare option over here. You can slide two bikes in the back with a little care.

Classic Japanese (salaryman) workaholic's car. High status, low use.

.
 
Says they import from Singapore ...
 
Lovely, funny how heated seats where specced given that in either Japan or Singapore this would rarely if at all be used !
 
Lovely, funny how heated seats where specced given that in either Japan or Singapore this would rarely if at all be used !
And no ventilated seats too!
 
Jolly nice that, though I don't think it's a 5.5; I may be wrong, but I thought the 5.5 only came with the facelift models, and that one is pre-facelift. It it was an estate, I could probably talk myself into it, though, even at that price.
 
Wow that's pretty much a new car.

Jap imports always look wierd with the rectangular number plates though. What is the point in them?
 
Jolly nice that, though I don't think it's a 5.5; I may be wrong, but I thought the 5.5 only came with the facelift models, and that one is pre-facelift. It it was an estate, I could probably talk myself into it, though, even at that price.

Drat: Of course you're right, that's NOT a 5.5 litre facelift car Engine, grill, front lights, lack of louvred headlights, leathers, steering wheel, wheels and other smaller details. It's just a very late 5 litre.

I was so distracted by the condition, I missed the obvious error.
 
Well spotted you E500 enthusiast's you :thumb:

Is there a preferred unit out of the 5.0 and the 5.5. They need to change that add or maybe they don't actually know of the differences.

Apart from the facelift items like headlights steering wheels and so on is the 5.5 lump that much better than the 5.0?
 
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Quite surprising to have 80hp extra. That is quite a hike.

Would like to own/ run a E500 one day.
 
It depends. The Mercedes V8 is used across the entire product range and evolves each decade.

The 5.5 was introduced mid Noughties, first in facelift cars, such as the SL500 and the E500, and then in new models such as the S500, CL500, SL500, E500.

The challenge is whether you should shift to a 2006 / 2007 facelift or wait until the model is more comprehensively re-done.

Eventually the 5.5 was pushed into early retirement by the EU, as part of its policy of encouraging early obsolescence and relentless replacement of vehicle design to increase the annual output of the German car industry. (The official EU line is that they are being "ecological" by shortening the life of modern cars)

I've had the older V8 in the S500, E500 and SL500, and the new V8 in the S500 and E500, and I'll probably buy a 2006 5.5 SL500 at the end of the year, if we ever get out of lockdown, so presumably I favour the newer engine?

Well, yes, but really it's about the hundreds, if not thousands of minor enhancements within the whole vehicle that matter. Engine, gearbox, electronics, bodywork, design, tactile materials.

To pick up on ToeKnee's comment, you do need to ask whether newer / more powerful cars are worth the dosh. I don't think I've ever met an owner who actually uses the power of their V8. Will a 5.5 actually get you down the street faster than a V6 ? Not in real life.

I buy Mercedes because it's reliable, which is not something you can say about larger engined BMW's, VW/Bentley GT's, Porsche, Audi, and all that Italian rubbish. Not as reliable as a Lexus, obvs, but who wants a Lexus?

Here's a shot of the 5.5 engine in the facelift E500. Apologies for the state of it, after six months I still haven't cleaned it.


IMG_0313.jpeg
 
It depends. The Mercedes V8 is used across the entire product range and evolves each decade.

The 5.5 was introduced mid Noughties, first in facelift cars, such as the SL500 and the E500, and then in new models such as the S500, CL500, SL500, E500.

The challenge is whether you should shift to a 2006 / 2007 facelift or wait until the model is more comprehensively re-done.

Eventually the 5.5 was pushed into early retirement by the EU, as part of its policy of encouraging early obsolescence and relentless replacement of vehicle design to increase the annual output of the German car industry. (The official EU line is that they are being "ecological" by shortening the life of modern cars)

I've had the older V8 in the S500, E500 and SL500, and the new V8 in the S500 and E500, and I'll probably buy a 2006 5.5 SL500 at the end of the year, if we ever get out of lockdown, so presumably I favour the newer engine?

Well, yes, but really it's about the hundreds, if not thousands of minor enhancements within the whole vehicle that matter. Engine, gearbox, electronics, bodywork, design, tactile materials.

To pick up on ToeKnee's comment, you do need to ask whether newer / more powerful cars are worth the dosh. I don't think I've ever met an owner who actually uses the power of their V8. Will a 5.5 actually get you down the street faster than a V6 ? Not in real life.

I buy Mercedes because it's reliable, which is not something you can say about larger engined BMW's, VW/Bentley GT's, Porsche, Audi, and all that Italian rubbish. Not as reliable as a Lexus, obvs, but who wants a Lexus?

Here's a shot of the 5.5 engine in the facelift E500. Apologies for the state of it, after six months I still haven't cleaned it.


View attachment 95686
I prefer the 113 engine over the newer one. Its just has a better felling about it. Its all personal preference though. I also prefer the 113K over the bi-turbo 63. More raw and aggressive methinks.
 
The M113 (in all its incarnations) is pretty much bombproof, later MB V8s less so; the later the engine (and the car), the more complicated it is, the more toys there are, the more there is to go (expensively...) wrong.

In the real world, apart from in the traffic light Grand Prix 300 bhp is more than adequate in any car for all practical purposes. Nobody actually needs more, though many want (and enjoy) more, or they'd never sell any AMGs.
 
I loved my 3.5 M272 V6.
 
The 5.5 apparently had some timing chain problems, which is why I searched out a 5.0. The 5.5 does have that extra oomph though & is apparently slightly more economical with fuel than the 5.0. With regard to tax the RFL charge was changed for all engines with that level of emissions in March 2006. Prior to that they were about half what the new charge was. So if you want the cheaper RFL go for a pre-March 2006 V8. My 5.0 was registered in April 2006 (bugger :confused:).
 
I must admit that I would've seriously considered that when I was in the market for an E500 / CLS500 a few months back. The rear plate & km/h speedo are slightly off-putting though (I know you can display the mph in the speedo centre display to get round that), also how come the odo is reading in miles? I would also make sure that the radio / satnav works in the UK as I remember Japanese imports in the 90s worked on a different system, although I don't know if that's still the case?
 

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