This Mercedes-Benz 500E has been treated to an absolutely over the top build including 465hp RennTech engine and 6-speed manual transmission, and is available from Hatch and Sons in Massachusetts. The car has been for sale for quite some time, and last we heard, the car was offered at just shy of $60,000. The story of the 500E has been recounted many times, but in essence, the car was the result of a collaboration between Mercedes and Porsche in which the engine of the 500SL was shoehorned into the 300E chassis, thus necessitating the aggressive flared fenders. The cars were partially built by Mercedes and partially built by Porsche and were eye-wateringly expensive when new (over $80,000 in 1992), so only a few thousand were sold.
Most examples were metallic black or silver, and all featured automatic transmissions. This one, however, is truly one of a kind, having been ordered in ice blue, and trimmed in somewhat shocking but typically German combination of light grey and bright blue leather. The mechanical specification is what really impresses, however. The engine has received a full build with RennTech upgrades, and the car has somehow been fitted with a 6-speed manual transmission, which undoubtedly required a great deal of engineering. The brakes are 6-piston Alcon items that really should be on a race car, and the suspension and differential have also been addressed.
Visually, the car appears fairly stock, aside from the large modular BBS wheels. They are nice wheels but are a little inconsistent with the understated aesthetic of the rest of the car’s exterior. Some AMG wheels might be a bit more subtle. The sharp will notice that air intakes have been let into the front of the car where the headlight wipers would usually be found, and the front bumper is also subtly different from stock. For such a costly build with such attention to detail, one would expect European headlamps.
At the rear, the car features the 3-piece AMG spoiler which is a bit overdone but with a build like this, why not? The exhaust is purposeful and attractive, although angled exit Brabus tips would be even cooler. The car has the later clear rear lamps from the facelifted E320/E420/E500, which is strange given that the car still has the old lights in the front.
The interior is garish in a cool way, and was done with incredible attention to detail. The shifter is the goofy factory Mercedes manual shifter used in such cars as the 190D, and the seats are non-original sport items (Recaros perhaps?) upholstered in the factory perforated leather, a nice little detail that speaks to the attention spent on this car. The dashboard top, door pulls, steering wheel, and center console have been upholstered in blue leather with contrasting light gray stitching which looks as good as bright blue leather can and surely must have also cost a fortune to do.
The engine compartment is dominated by RennTech’s famous carbon fiber airbox, but appears otherwise stock. The engine is far from stock, however, and is likely a 6.0 liter unit since that was the hot setup (AMG even built a few). Titanium connecting rods and tubular headers are more signs of tremendous amounts of money having been spent to do the car in the best way possible.
This car is totally over the top, but it also has a sort of subtle side that is consistent with the Mercedes approach to things. The attention to detail is phenomenal, and the car is available for much less than the cost of the build. Nevertheless, $60,000 is about twice the market for a standard pristine low mileage 500E, which, combined with the unique color combination, is why the car has been for sale for so long.