Mercedes E60 AMG | PH Heroes (2024)

Some cars are born special and some cars are made special. The AMG E60 qualifies on both counts. To the uninitiated, it might appear to be a W124-generation Mercedes E-Class saloon, very similar to the more than two million other examples that were produced between 1985 and 1996. To the better informed, it looks like the wider, brawnier 500E which came later. Yet it actually sits in a place beyond both of them, as the rarest (and for many, most desirable) of one of Merc’s pinnacle cars. It is also a fine example of success having many parents. In this case Mercedes, Porsche and AMG.

The regular W124 is generally accepted to be one of the exemplars of Peak Benz, from the time when Merc’s engineers outranked the company’s accountants. But it was launched without any performance derivative: even the most potent six-cylinder when it was new making a relatively relaxed 177hp.

Germany’s tuners were quick to exploit this gap, none reacting faster than AMG. The one-time motorsport specialist had started its transition to road car fettler, and soon squeezed a V8 into the W124. The result, as launched in 1987, was the 300E ‘Hammer’, the regular straight-six replaced by a 6.0-litre V8 which made 355hp and – along with suspension tweaks – turned the staid E-Class into one of the fastest cars in the world.

The enthusiasm with which rich enthusiasts embraced the Hammer was noticed within Mercedes, but the more obvious challenge came with the arrival of the E34 generation BMW M5 is 1987. The Beemer was one of the very first cars capable of requiring the 155mph limiter that German manufacturers had agreed to fit onto their most potent cars, emphasising the fact that Mercedes didn’t have a direct rival. The biggest problem was one of resources, with Merc’s engineering staff mostly working flat out on what would become the R129 generation SL and the W140 S-Class.

Which brings Stuttgart’s other home team into the story. Porsche was a minnow compared to Mercedes at the time, with the sports car manufacturer’s global sales collapsing as ‘80s boom turned to ‘90s bust. Porsche’s contract engineering division was one of the few profitable parts of the business, working for other carmakers – remember the Seat Ibiza System Porsche? After some negotiation a deal was struck for Porsche to both engineer the production version of what would become a V8-engined W124, and also to build it.

The 500E was launched in 1990, using the 322hp M119 V8 from the contemporary 500 SL and driving the rear wheels through a four-speed automatic gearbox shared with the Porsche 928. Visually it was subtlety personified – the most obvious difference being flared wheel arches to cover an increased track. (Interestingly these were the stated reason the 500E couldn’t be built on the regular E-Class line, although the regular bodied V8 powered 400E that was offered later could be.)

The 500E was a big hit in several key markets – but never the UK. The combination of being left-hand drive only and a £57,000 price tag, equivalent to around £135,000 in 2024, meant only a handful were registered new here. But overall nearly 10,500 were built over five years and a facelift that saw branding switched from 500E to E500 (for clarity, I’ve stuck with 500E throughout). Impressive volumes for what was essentially a hand-built car.

Yet despite the love, for some the 500E was not quite special enough – which is where AMG re-enters the story. The tuner’s links to Mercedes were growing closer throughout this period, heading towards what would be an outright takeover in 1999. But while still independent, AMG was already collaborating on production models – with the first C36 and then, in 1994, the introduction of the innocuous-sounding Option Code 957 for the 500E, this being the ‘AMG Technik-Packet.’ Ticking this box added DM 34,270 to the cost of the 500E – the equivalent of €32,000 at current prices – and would see the car sent to AMG to receive a more brawny 6.0-litre engine plus suspension upgrades. Also, ‘E60 AMG’ badges.

This takes us well into crème-de-la-crème-de-la-crème territory. Mercedes’s own Heritage division admits it does not know exactly how many of these ‘factory’ E60s were built, but online sources reckon the total was no more than 45 cars – with another hundred or so existing 500Es retro-converted to E60 spec. On the rare occasion a fully documented factory car reaches market the bidding tends to quickly turn serious, with lower mileage examples having sold for north of £200,000.

Which makes the chance to drive the Mercedes Classic Centre’s own car feel even more of a privilege. This is part of the vast corporate collection of more than 1,100 cars, with the E60 being a frequent exhibit in the company’s museum. But it is also registered and road-legal, which is why - after some undignified begging - I got the chance to take it out for a few hours and add to the odometer’s modest tally of 76,500km on the roads around Stuttgart. For a Merc übergeek like myself, it felt like being given the chance to borrow the holy grail for the afternoon.

I’ve been lucky enough to drive several 500Es over the years, and the E60’s core experience is predictably similar. AMG definitely didn’t want to bring any compromises to the subtlety that was always core to the 500E’s appeal. Visually, the E60 is close to unspottable for anybody not looking at its badge. There are still more than enough ‘90s Mercs on the roads of Stuttgart for any W124 to earn little attention. AMG did fit more aggressive body kits to some E60s, the ‘factory’ spec was unchanged over the regular 500E but for 17-inch alloys of the same pattern as fitted to the 190E 2.5-16 Evo 2 and – the smallest of details – square section exhaust tailpipes.

To no surprise, Classic Centre’s E60 is the most comprehensively specced W124 I’ve ever sat in, featuring what was pretty much every available option including power-operated heated seats with memory function, an electrically-adjustable steering column and even automatic air conditioning; basically an early form of non-digital climate control. But the retro gadgets get very little attention as soon as I start rolling, overwritten by the specialness of the driving experience.

The mighty V8 is the standout feature, to no surprise. Compared to shouty modern sports saloons, the engine is hushed. There is background V8 humble at low speeds, which harmonizes nicely with more throttle or more revs, but never becomes loud. When cruising the E60 is barely more vocal than any of its lesser siblings.

The idea of a performance car with a slushy four-speed torque converter auto seems alien these days, but the 500E’s 354lb ft maximum torque precluded use of the sharper five-speeder that was optional on the six-cylinder W124. The E60 has a considerably higher peak, and while 428lb ft might not deliver shock and awe, in 1993 it gave the E60 one of the highest torque outputs of any passenger car. It still defines the driving experience.

The gearbox itself does feel dull-witted and slow to react. Mechanical kickdowns only happen with the accelerator pedal most of the way to its stop, and choosing gears manually through the selector brings a second-long delay between ordering a lower gear and feeling it arrive. Yet that matters little given the immediacy of the V8’s responses and quantities of low-down muscle. Even before the ratios shift, acceleration is already strong.

No, I didn’t get the chance to unleash the E60 on a derestricted Autobahn and confirm its 250km/h limiter. But even on limited roads it still feels quick, with the muscle to deal with the dinky acceleration lanes of Germany’s urban highways and to exploit gaps in faster-moving traffic. It felt rock steady at an 80mph cruise, and I’ve no doubt that would hold true when travelling at nearly double that. There’s something very Bentley-like about the way the size of the iron fist that’s wrapped in the E60’s velvet glove.

But that comparison definitely doesn’t extend to the chassis. The E60 feels both more refined and agile than any Bentley built within a decade of it would have done. AMG’s chassis tweaks to the 500E were subtle, consisting of new springs, dampers and anti-roll bars. But they didn’t get ride of the pliancy that was always a huge part of the 500E’s appeal. By modern standards it is definitely soft, a sinuous stretch of country road producing the sensation of body roll as cornering forces build. But this just helps orientate to the rising loads, and although the E60 will always be happier cruising at speed than carving backroads, the basics are all spot-on. Steering delivers linear responses and comes with chatty feedback, grip levels seem perfectly matched between front and rear axles. It actually takes an admonishing flash from the traction control light and the unmistakable sensation of the tail growing light to remind me I’m hustling an irreplaceable museum piece.

The E60’s rarity is a vital part of its legend. But behind the market-driven hype for such a scarce pinnacle model lies real substance – this is the ultimate version of what is already an acknowledged classic. On a personal level it is special in another way, too – as my new favourite car.

Specification | Mercedes E60 AMG

Engine: 5956cc V8
Power: 375hp @ 5500rpm
Torque: 428 lb-ft @ 3750rpm
Gearbox: Four-speed automatic, rear-wheel drive
Kerbweight: 1710kg
0-62mph: 5.4-sec
Top speed: 155mph (limited)
Fuel consumption: 17.5mpg (EU ‘urban’)
CO2 emissions: Lots!
Price new (1993): 179,860 DM (equivalent to £71,900 in 1993)
Price now: £200,000+