Back in 1997, Mercedes-Benz had yet to formally acquire aftermarket tuning group AMG. But when it wanted to impress Jerry Seinfeld with a loaner Tri-Star, it couldn’t just give him a base model E420. Seinfeld needed something ratcheted up; all the soup for him. So Merc turned to well-known tuner Renntech, which installed more than $100,000 in updates in an E-Class — resulting in an E60 that remains a diabolical land rocket some 22 years later.
From the outside, the car appears bone stock. Only embossed Renntech logos on the exhaust tips offer a hint of the demons lurking within the drivetrain. Open the door and a sill plate emblazoned with “J.S. Edition” greets you, as does a comely blueberry-and-black-leather interior accentuated with bird’s-eye maple wood and an Alcantara headliner.
Turn the key to awaken an enlarged 6.0-liter V-8, featuring larger intake and exhaust valves and a more aggressive camshaft. Renntech’s completely stainless steel exhaust, boasting a sport resonator and muffler, emits such a deep, throaty note that you start salivating at the prospect of hearing it at full gallop.
With the throttle open wide, the E60’s growl is intoxicating. 434 horses and a staggering (for its day) 525 lb-ft of twist mean there are few cars of its age this sleeper can’t best. Mat the throttle on take-off, and you’re rewarded with satisfying wheel spin before the 18-inch magnesium monoblocks bite down into the asphalt and chuck you backward into the plush seat. The tear from 0 to 60 happens in 4.6 seconds. For reference, that’s faster than a 1997 Acura NSX or Ferrari F335 Berlinetta.
A specially-modified Mercedes-Benz five-speed automatic transmission pumps the power out through a limited-slip diff, which does a wonderful job of propulsion. A potential Mercedes customer was on a test drive of a new Mercedes-AMG GT C right ahead of us and would mash the gas whenever the road cleared. The E60 caught up in a few seconds, every single time.
