Mercedes 500E
Back in the early ’90s, Mercedes produced a successful W124 E-Class. The elegant sedan was known for its comfort and refinement rather than speed. That was soon to change. In 1991, they presented the mighty 500E model. This was a high-performance version of their main sedan, with a new drivetrain, suspension, brakes, and engine. The main feature of the 500E was the 5.0-liter V8 engine that produced 326 hp. It’s not an impressive number by today’s standards. But it was a crazy figure for the early ’90s, especially in a sedan. The 500 E could accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in six seconds, almost as fast as a Ferrari 348 (via Mercedes Benz)!
The best thing was the design. The 500 E looked identical to the regular W124 Sedan. Only if you looked carefully could you notice more prominent wheel arches and brakes. But nothing else revealed that there was a monster waiting under the hood. Mercedes offered badge deletion as a no-cost option for its customers, and if you chose a black or silver color, you got a stealth sedan that ate Corvettes for breakfast. Interestingly, you can pick up one of those German muscle sedans for around $20,000 in decent condition today.