I bet you get 30 mpg on the highway all day long too. My dad had a manual 5-sp 300E.

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1987 300SDL (324000)

1986 Porsche 951 (944 Turbo) (166000)

1978 Porsche 924 (99000)

1996 Nissan Pathfinder R50 (201000)

My 300SDL has a 2.87 - 2.88 rear-axle ratio I think. Anyway it turns these speeds(cruising with light throttle):

@60 mph 2600 rpm

@70 mph 3000 rpm

@80 mph 3400 rpm

@90 mph 3700 rpm

@100 mph 4000 rpm

@110 mph 4200 rpm

@120 mph 4400 rpm

Haven't been beyond there yet! I ran out of adrenaline. My 350SD tachs exactly the same. Notice how the torque convertor tightens up. The speeds are accurate too.

Here's my M103 300SE with 3.46 rear-axle

@60 3000 rpm

@80 3900 rpm

@90 4800 rpm

Haven't been beyond that speed, yet. Boy, that is one hard working six!

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1987 300SDL (324000)

1986 Porsche 951 (944 Turbo) (166000)

1978 Porsche 924 (99000)

1996 Nissan Pathfinder R50 (201000)

'86 300E with auto trans on level ground and cruising:

60mph indicated = 2900rpm

65mph indicated = 3100rpm

Our '90 300TE shows around 2750rpm at 100km/h (62mph) which by calculation is spot on for the 3.27 rear axle ratio.

For what it's worth, my 5-speed 190E 2.3 shows 2500rpm at 100km/h in 5th gear (0.8:1). My 350SLC runs at about 3000rpm at 100km/h.

Seems funny, the V8 has the shortest gearing, then the six, then the four. But then the four has the 5-speed whereas the V8 has the 3-speed auto.

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107.023: 350SLC, 3-speed auto, icon gold, parchment MBtex (sold 2012 after 29 years ownership).
107.026: 500SLC, 4-speed auto, thistle green, green velour.
124.090: 300TE, 4-speed auto, arctic white, cream-beige MBtex.
201.028: 190E 2.3 Sportline, 5-speed manual, arctic white, blue leather.
201.028: 190E 2.3, 4-speed auto, blue-black, grey MBtex.
201.034: 190E 2.3-16, 5-speed manual, blue-black, black leather.

When those old 350's churn out those RPM's, they'll go through fuel like water though, eh?

Reliable as heck, but has a 3.46 rear-axle, which makes it work hard.

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1987 300SDL (324000)

1986 Porsche 951 (944 Turbo) (166000)

1978 Porsche 924 (99000)

1996 Nissan Pathfinder R50 (201000)