European 400E specs and questions
 

Greetings,

While on holiday in Europe recently, I came across a Mercedes mystery of sorts. Experienced members of this forum and my local indy MB shop have stated that the 400E did not exist for European markets. As I read on this forum and elsewhere, the 400E was aimed directly at the LS400 in North America as an affordable compromise between the 300E and 500E.

A friend in the NL recognized my E420 and recited some very basic specs (Porsche rebuilder/tuner at heart). He insisted Europe also had a 400E during the W124 era, and brought out a car guide for proof positive: "1993 Auto Test", an 800+ page reference for Euro autos. From the cover, it appeared to cover the Benelux (Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg) and Germany regions for the 1993 model year.

Forgot the camera during this visit (no, really!), so the factory specs below are only from memory and translated:

1993 Mercedes-Benz 400E Specifications
Engine V-8
279bhp (brake horsepower)
4-speed automatic transmission
2.82 differential
Optional ASR
0-100kp/u (62mph) 7.4 sec
16x7 alloy wheels
225/55ZR16 tires
Price fl. 122,000 (Dutch guilders, approx Euro 60k)

So a couple of questions emerge from this finding:

Does this mean typical Euro model components are available for the US 400E (economy switch that controls R16/2, transmission programs, etc.)? Anyone with a Euro EPC care to compare against the US partlist?

Since cars are much more expensive to keep on the road in Europe in terms of fuel costs, why the 2.82 rear end? That one really throws a loop given increased fuel consumption and driving styles. That 0-100kpu figure was... interesting compared to the same vehicle with the US 2.24 differential.

Thanks in advance,
-dm

225/55/16 tires? Those are as big as 500E's! Do they really fit?

0-60 times wrong
 

There is no way that a 2.82 rear end in that car could give a 0-60 time SLOWER than a U.S. spec 2.24 rear end.

From all that I've read - the Euro car had a 2.65 rear end (same as the 1990-1993 SL500).

Not sure about the wheels, but it makes sense to widen the tires. The stock 195s on my 275HP car are less than adequate.

Regards,
Troy
1995 E420 78k

You know I did notice seemingly different MB models in Belgium and The Netherlands than in the rest of Europe. I remember seeing a 124 coupe with something like "300E - 24" on the rear deck. This badge was in GREAT BIG letters, much bigger than I've ever seen on an MB. In Germany on the other hand, most cars have NO badge on the trunk lid indicating that it is a base model with a four cylinder.

In general many of the MB's in The Netherlands were higher end cars.

Have a great day,

Re: 0-60 times wrong
 

Agreed, that figure caught me off-guard as well. I thought the publisher might have inadvertantly swapped specs with the 500E listing (225 width tire, 2.82 rear end), but the trend was not consistent. In fact - now really cursing my lack of camera - the spec table had a breakout of effective gear ratio in each of the four driving gears. I will try to find the magazine online later today using some non-english search engines.

With regards to the confusing 0-60 spec - In Europe, it was common practice to "underrate" manufacturer published specifications for a number of reasons. Given that these are test numbers rather than quoted specs, the lower acceleration might be caused by an inexperienced or conservative driver.

Also keep in mind that 100kph is quite close to the posted limit on major highways (120-130 in NL, 140 on the autobahn in DE), so greater low-end torque with a quick 0-100 is not as relevant to the market there as in the States. Another reason why (if true), the 2.82 in a highway cruiser does not make sense.

-dm

Larry, this is also true of Mercedes in the Dutch market as well. The trunk lid badge is offered as an option on new vehicles ordered from a dealership regardless of model. I have even seen several "CLK" and "SLK" cars during this past trip, so it appears that a partial badge is also now an option. There is another reason for de-badging a Mercedes that I found interesting:

Most new car buyers in Germany and elsewhere intentionally order high-end models without identifying badges to deter thieves. I first learned of this while admiring a mint E34 M5 in Germany a few years ago. Since then (with this new awareness), its been quite easy to pick out the more expensive cars by their _lack_ of a badge :-)

Greetings,
-dm

The information I have on the 400E is that the European version could do the 0-60 in 7 sec. with the 32 valve variable timed V-8 from the SL. The US version was slower because of the taller differential installed to get under the CAFE standards.

DangerMouse,

The Netherlands IS the Dutch market. There is no such thing as Holland any more, it is part of the The Netherlands.

Eindhoven is where I saw the badge that I spoke of.

Have a great day,

Regional
 

Larry, this is quite true. I suspect your earlier statement regarding the German market was lost in response ("In Germany on the other hand"). Holland does exist within the NL of course.. Noord-Holland (a beautiful province especially along the North Sea coast) and Zuid-Holland. Anyhow, we can take the discussion offline before the gods of moderation strike me down :)

Mercedes provides a rainbow assortment of models for the European crowd from my casual observation. Many of these model differences are related to optional engines within a common family (ie. C180), or a regional offering (ie. A-klasse). Does anyone know of a source listing the Mercedes "family tree" across global marketing regions? Suspect that mercedes-benz.com has a limited memory (1-2 years at most) of such information.

Alternatively, is this a project worth pursuing if the taxonomy does not already exist?

Kind regards,
-dm