Mercedes-Benz 500E Was a Porsche-Designed Rocket Ship

Looking Back

As most Porsche aficionados already know, the legendary German automaker has had a hand in developing a number of other iconic performance machines, including the Audi RS2. That list also includes, perhaps most famously, the Mercedes-Benz 500E, which recently turned 30 years old. Thus, Porsche decided to take a look back at how this fascinating project came about.

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Sealing the Deal

In 1988, Porsche AG was awarded the development contract for the 500E by Daimler-Benz AG in Untertürkheim, an outer district of Stuttgart. The technical specification laid down the requirements for "design and experimental series development of the base type W124." The vehicle was to be equipped with the five-liter V8 four-valve engine from the 500 SL. By April 1995, 10,479 examples had been built - all of them four-seaters, because the differential was so large that there was no room for suspension components in a coupe. 

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Plenty of Power

With its standard four-speed automatic gearbox, the 500 E - depending on the model year - sprinted from 0-100 km/h (62 mph) in just 6.1 seconds with a power output of 326 hp and a maximum torque of 480-newton meters (354 lb-ft). Its top speed was electronically limited to 250 km/h (155 mph). "Plenty of power, but without being ostentatious, both dynamic and luxurious at the same time. The 500 E is not a showy vehicle. It represents pure understatement, and catches the eye only at second glance," said Michael Mönig from Porsche Prototype Management.

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Big Challenge

Mercedes-Benz supplied body parts for the 500E from Sindelfingen to Zuffenhausen. In Werk 2, the Porsche team then assembled the body with these components and with parts manufactured in-house, such as the distinctive front wings. The bodies then traveled back to Sindelfingen, where they were painted. After this, the cars were completed in the Rössle Bau in Zuffenhausen, where final assembly and engine installation took place. The production process took 18 days, and each 500 E made the journey from Zuffenhausen to Sindelfingen twice. "From a logistical point of view, sending the vehicle parts back and forth was a big challenge. After all, the relevant parts had to arrive at the right place at the right time," said Michael Hölscher of Porsche Project Manager Development.

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Perfect Timing

The timing of the cooperation between the Stuttgart-based car manufacturers could not have been better. Porsche was facing a crisis due to a decline in revenue from its export business, falling production, and key performance indicators that were almost all negative. "One of the lessons from the project in those difficult times was that you should always take on every challenge. We were able to keep the team together with orders like these," Hölscher said.

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Heavy Demand

At the start, the sports car manufacturer produced ten vehicles a day, but due to heavy demand, those responsible soon increased this number to 20 after just a short time. Seeing the 500E go into series production was a truly special moment for the two men, and visiting the former Reutter building brings back memories for both. "The 500 E was the first project I was responsible for that went into series production," Hölscher said. "Three decades later, it is as if I am watching the vehicles roll off the production line."

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Holding up Well

Even though it's now three decades old, there's no denying that this collaborative project is still special by today's standards. "Thirty years have passed, and a lot has happened in the automotive industry in this time yet even today the 500 E has nothing to hide," Hölscher said. "Its handling is magnificent. The longitudinal acceleration is excellent, the brakes are outstanding and it's a pleasure to drive this car with its dynamic character. I really enjoy the beautiful and unobtrusive sound of the eight-cylinder engine."

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