Mercedes-Benz 500E

The Mercedes-Benz 500 E is a high-performance version of the W124 sold by Mercedes-Benz from 1991 to 1995. The 500 E was created in close cooperation with Porsche. With its engineering department being fully occupied with the development of the new W140 S-Class, Mercedes-Benz commissioned Porsche in 1989 to redesign the W124 chassis along with the necessary changes to the suspension system and drivetrain as to accommodate the wider 5-litre M119 V8. A problem was discovered on the W124 assembly line in Sindelfingen: the redesigned front wings were too wide to fit through certain stations along the assembly line. Rather than do the expensive physical changes, Mercedes-Benz organised the new assembly line at Porsche‘s manufacturing plants specifically for 500 E. This arrangement had a strong benefit for Porsche during its financial crisis brought on from the crippling metalworker strikes and costly engineering and development work on 959.