The W211 generation of the Mercedes-Benz E-Class was the third generation of the mid-size model produced between 2002 and 2009. It wasn’t known for its reliability since this was a period with unexpected quality issues for the Stuttgart-based automaker. However, it was a comfortable and fast family car, especially in the AMG versions.
What we have in this video is a Mercedes E55 AMG, which means this particular car was built between 2003 and 2006. By today’s standards, it’s a dinosaur with a supercharged V8 mill under the hood but we will get to the engine in just a second. But before that, we’d like to take a moment to praise the W211's design, which aged very well and in this AMG version, the white sedan still looks fantastic almost two decades after it rolled off the assembly lines.
Back to the engine. The E55 AMG was the predecessor of the E63 AMG but it wasn’t slow by any means. The 5.5-liter supercharged unit had a peak power of 469 horsepower (350 kilowatts) at 6,100 rpm and 520 pound-feet (720 Newton-meters) of torque at 2,650 rpm. There are way more powerful sedans available today but this particular car isn’t stock as a Stage 1 tuning brings those numbers significantly higher.
We don’t know what’s the current output of this vehicle but we know it’s fast. How fast? This new video from the Autobahn shows it effortlessly reaching around 175 miles per hour (around 280 kilometers per hour) but this isn’t the vehicle’s actual speed limit. Unfortunately, the humid weather and what seems to be a low-grip highway surface prevent the E55 AMG from hitting its limiter. But if we have to guess, a speed of 186 mph (300 kph) doesn’t seem impossible.
In 2006, Mercedes replaced the E55 AMG with the E63 AMG, which brought a higher displacement engine with more power. Those glory days seem to be over now as the automaker is reportedly planning an electrified six-cylinder engine for the next generation AMG-tuned E-Class, which is likely going on sale at some point next year.
