That's my former 400E on the left and my current 500E on the right. As the others have said, they are two quite different animals. I commute 75 miles a day and the 400E was certainly a more practical commuter car but the 500E is DAMN SURE a more entertaining way to spend that two hours every day!

Is it more expensive to maintain: certainly. I will probably have to put a fresh set of Z-rated tires on it every 18 months (if I'm lucky). I have to put $30 worth of 92 octane in at least once a week. Do I regret it: not one bit.

You said you were concerned about the lack of performance options for the 400E. I agree with you. It's a great touring car, but that's it. The solidity of the 500E is remarkable. You have to drive one to believe how much stiffer the chassis is than the 300E-400E, yet it does not ride harsh at all.

The 500E is not for everybody. It does take a bit of financial commitment for the reasons I mentioned above. Ernest is right, a number of parts are not 500E exclusive, but some are. For instance, benzmac replaced a couple of transmission lines for me. They ARE exclusive to the 500E. Cost me over $100 for the pair.

I had almost given up on finding a 500E like I wanted and was looking at a similar era Porsche. It didn't take much research to show me that I needed to be patient. The 500E gives you surprisingly close performance for a lot less maintenance-money.

Like everyone else said, you have to drive it and make up your own mind. All I can do is tell you I'm glad I decided the way I did!

Tim Vacula
'92 500E