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The original 500E was built by Porsche in Stuttgart. I can probably dig up an article from the MBCA magazine if anyone is interested. The following isummary s from another document I saved:
The 500E is built on the Mercedes W124 platform which first debuted in the U.S. in 1986 as the 300E. The clean lines and handsome modern styling of the 300E proved quite popular, but by the end of the decade the competition (mainly BMW) was catching up to Mercedes. BMW had introduced an all new 5-series for 1989 which was expected to take some sales away from the now 3 year old and familiar 300E. So in 1990, Mercedes decided to develop a high performance version of their successful 300E model. Porsche was contracted to engineer the modifications necessary to transform an ordinary 300E into the very special 500E. However, the extensive modifications to the floor and external sheet metal meant the 500E could not easily be built on the normal assembly line at the busy Mercedes factory. It was decided that Porsche would perform the assembly of the 500E at its Rossle-Bau plant in Zuffenhausen. Compared to modern automobile manufacturing, the 500E was nearly a “hand built” car taking 18 days to completely assemble each vehicle.
Porsche's extensive modifications to the original 300E included splaying-out and reinforcing the frame rails, widening the driveshaft tunnel and modifying the front axle crossmember to accept the 5-liter 322-hp V8 engine. Remarkably, this engine weighed only 70 pounds more than the 300E's inline-6 engine. The battery was moved to the trunk to achieve an ideal 50:50 weight balance. 500SL-sourced wishbone suspension pieces and steering linkages were reinforced to accommodate the 500E's increased weight. The 500E stands over an inch lower than the 300E due to shorter and stiffer springs with plastic buffers and gas pressurized shock absorbers with internal damping springs. A hydraulic self-leveling suspension is standard equipment. 11.8-inch vented disc brakes in the front were sourced from the 300CE while 10.9-inch vented rear discs came from the 500SL. Wider wheels and tires resulted in a 1 ˝ inch wider track so the wheel wells (probably the most noticeable and beautiful 500E enhancement) were flared out to better accommodate the extra width. Modifications to the engine included Bosch LH Jetronic fuel injection replacing the older KE Jetronic and a redesigned intake manifold with longer runners that bumped torque output to a massive 354 lb-ft at 3900 rpm. The engine itself is an all aluminum design with silicon embedded cylinder liners for reduced wear and dual overhead cams with variable valve timing for maximum power throughout the rev range. In fact, the torque band is flat as can be with 90% available as low as 1500rpm. As expensive as the 500E was to buy, this engine’s maintenance requirements were less compared to other high performance vehicles. Hydraulic valve tappets eliminated frequent valve adjustments and a steel timing chain eliminated periodic timing belt replacements. To handle all that horsepower and torque, the 500E's 4-speed automatic transmission was sourced from the 500SL model. Performance figures were 0-to-60 MPH in 5.5 seconds and a top speed electronically limited to 155 MPH in accordance with the German automakers agreement to avoid escalating top speed wars. Numerous aftermarket tuning firms soon developed chips to eliminate the speed limiter and they found the car capable of topping out at over 170 MPH. Numerous journalists dubbed the 500E the first 4-door Porsche!