This has turned into a very interesting thread. Yhliem suggests that the "unique heritage" of the 500E/E500 renders a comparison to the new E500 inappropriate, while Daesun finds comparison appropriate where the vehicles exhibit similar "lineage and mission." I find both tests for comparison sound, but are they reconcilable? I think they are.

Let's start with the lineage element: Commencing with the modern period of Mercedes high performance sedans, we probably begin with the 6.3, then the 6.9, then (after a long gap) the 500E/E500, then to the E50 and finally the E55. Do these cars also share the same mission? I submit they do. They are all four door Mercedes limited production, performance powerhouses, albeit built using different tools, sometimes in-house, sometimes with the assistance of Porsche, and sometimes with the assistance of AMG (later of course, in-house).

Only our 500E/E500s, though, bear the Porsche connection. This is precisely their unique heritage. Can we properly compare our 500E/E500s to the E55s? While different, they both evolved from the same "mission," and, I think, deserve to be compared. The new E500, on the other hand, meets neither test.

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'94 E500 Anthracite
'92 300E 4Matic (donated to charity)
'90 300TE 4Matic