Vehicle Description
2017 Mercedes-Benz E550 Coupe
Sweeping fenders, curving roof lines, and a laundry list of
standard features graced the 2017 E-series from Mercedes, released
in mid 2016. It was billed as the most technologically advanced
Mercedes to date and that's saying something for a company that
never shied away from technology. "German engineering" is
synonymous with "over-engineered", the point where complexity
shares a room with preciseness in the pursuit of seamless
function.
For consignment, a showcase of German engineering and technology,
the 2017 E550 showing a title verified 57,103 actual miles.
Development of this model took 48 months and consumed 1,200
prototypes. One look at the car and a few minutes behind the wheel
confirms that the countless hours spent thinking, talking, and
writing about this car, has indeed paid off in a specular
automobile.
Exterior
Tinges of AMG abound on this car bathed in Selenite Gray Metallic
as the Sport Package includes AMG body styling, spoiler, and
wheels. The side profile shows a car seemingly designed by the wind
as lines lean back in a continuous, sinuous flow. The pillarless
dome of the car is striking and when all the windows are down, the
driving experience for all occupants is open air with a canopy. A
canopy that partially opens with a large panoramic sunroof that
slides open over the back of the hardtop. There are no sharp edges
on this car as the front dynamic LED headlights and taillights are
flush with the rounded perimeters of the body. The gray paint is
accented by the black features of the car including the mesh style
grille and lower air intakes, the black top, and the black and
chrome detail of the rear valance. The windshield is steeply raked
while the rear window mirrors this shape in a perfect arch that
stretches from the wipers to the decklid. The side mirrors are
equipped with futuristically shaped turn signals in smoked lenses.
Six spoke Mercedes-Benz AMG wheels provide some sport to this
luxury car. We notice minor adhesive separation on two of the
center caps and two very minor paint blemishes on an otherwise
nearly flawless exterior.
Interior
Porcelain leather inserts on the door panels hint at what's
covering the seats. The doors, in true Mercedes fashion, include
the seat shaped electric seat adjustments, a feature that never
gets dull but often gets copied. We turn our attention to the front
bucket seats which pop with lightness in their Porcelain leather,
well bolstered, high back configuration. The leather inserts are
perforated for a reason, they are heated and ventilated. The back
buckets are similar with a cup holder and storage bin between them.
The sport steering wheel is not overladen with buttons, but does
have paddle shifters. A center stack includes more buttons than a
craft store and houses the Harmon Kardon audio system that is XM
capable, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatible. This is part of
the Premium 2 option which also includes a rearview camera,
navigation, a power window shade in the back, and a 7 inch screen
on the dash. The rest of the interior is modern and black with dark
wood accents and piano like finishes. The low pile black carpet is
in great shape and the panoramic sunroof adds to the greenhouse
effect.
Drivetrain
A 4.7 liter twin turbo V8 lurks under that sleek hood and is rated
at 402 horsepower, more than adequate to set this car into quick
motion. A 7G-Tronic 7-speed automatic can be rowed with paddles if
that's your preference, otherwise sit back and let the smooth
shifting 7G do its thing. Rear gears are set at 2.47. Power disc
brakes are standard on the car and include a brake assist system
and predictive brake priming along with a myriad of dynamic
suspension systems that improve stability, reaction to road
conditions, and ride quality.
Undercarriage
With the car up on the lift, we're happy to report it's all clean
and dry underneath. The center tunnel that holds the drivetrain and
exhaust is flanked by flat belly pans. A heat shield lines the
center tunnel and likely adds to even more sound deadening. The
dual exhaust flows through catalytic converters, resonators and
mufflers to exit from sculpted openings in the rear valance. A
three link and five link suspension are present in the front and
back respectively and are accompanied by an electronic system as
noted above.
Drive-Ability
Suddenly, I'm back in my valet parking days, driving the high end
luxury cars of VIP clientele and being extra careful in a car I
feel somewhat out of place in. But alas, we have a job to do and
that is to make sure everything on this 2017 piece of German
engineering is working just at the Motherland intended. It starts
and goes, that's for sure. And like an iPhone, there is no way to
test every single feature this car has to offer, but the essentials
are all there and working and one cannot help imagine what it would
be like to daily drive this car. In a word, wunderbar!
This is a mighty fine ride we have here in our Hallowed Halls.
Classic? Not at the moment, but we handle our fair share of late
model upscale cars as well and this one fits the bill. It's a very
nice car with some of the attributes of the no holds-barred AMG E63
of the era but at a fraction of the cost. If you're ready to step
up your game, step into the mall.
Classic Auto Mall is home to more than 1,000 classic and
collectible vehicles for sale via consignment in a climate
controlled 336,000-square foot showroom (that's more than 8
acres!). The largest single location consignment dealer of classic
and collectible vehicles in the country is located in Morgantown,
Pennsylvania, just 1-hour west of Philadelphia off Exit 298 of the
I-76 Pennsylvania Turnpike. For more information visit
www.classicautomall.com or call us at (888) 227-0914. Contact us
anytime for more information or to come see the vehicle in
person.
With so many great cars, you know we have a lot to talk about, and
we do that each week on the Classic Auto Mall Podcast with host
Stewart Howden. Stewart discusses new inventory as well as trends
in consignments and car prices, while interviewing celebrities and
automotive professionals about amazing cars and their history. Tune
in each week to the Classic Auto Mall Podcast wherever you enjoy
listening. You can also watch on YouTube!