I was coming down Crown Valley this morning, approaching Niguel, when I saw in front of me a brand-spanking new, MBLN 2003 E-400.

I wanted to run this past the gurus because I've heard of the E-320, and I have the E-500, but this E-400 is the first I've heard of any new 4.0 E-class.

Anyone else know of this? Driver was an older male, not quite the type that would de-badge, much less RE-badge.

Then the driver went into the drive-thru car wash at that corner in his brand spanking new $60K car.

<Remainder of rant regarding the intelligence of this driver and the use of the carwash edited in case aforementioned driver is a member/observer of this forum>

EDJ

 

It must have been a mirage...no one would run their benz through a car wash???!!!

 

You should have had a camera. The media would have paid big bucks to get a one of a kind picture!

 

huh? i haven't seen a 400 anything from MB for a long long time... aren't those engines ancient by now?

or is it something to replace the 320?

 

could be the engine off of the S400 CDI
http://www.mercedes.com/e/cars/s-class/s400_cdi.htm

 

No such car exists.
This is probably a rebadged car since Mercedes Benz does not put the 4 litre CDI engine in the E class at all.

http://www.mercedes.com/e/cars/e-class/e220cdi.htm

 

i wonder who would rebadge their car with a 400..when no such car even exists..

 

This is a snip from newcarsecrets.com (UK) from some months ago, indicating there was to be an E400 CDI at some point, most likely now on hold or killed by US diesel rules. I suppose an E400 could have been brought over by MB for testing, but I agree with those who say it's more likely a rebadge. Here's the snip:

"At the lower end, the engine range will start with the 2-litre CDI with 115 HP and will be crowned by the E55 AMG Kompressor with about 450 HP. The E400 CDI will be powered by the new V8 diesel with 250 HP."

 

The same kinda person who would rebadge a C320 or C240 to a C32 AMG.

 

It has to be a rebadge.

If they dont sell it anywhere,it dont exist.

 

there is no such thing as a E-400.....i know they are comming out with the E-350 in a few months or so but have not seen expecially if it said MBLN on it.

 

If I recall correctly the new E350 will actually have an engine with more than 350 so perhaps they just fudged a little on the numbers and decided to name teh E350 the E400? Just a possibility though not too probable IMHO

 

The 350 engine has a 3.7 litre engine,a E400 may be a little generous.

 

I'm just saying what I saw. I've been wrong in the past, but I looked three times and saw very clearly that the badging said E400, and it was a 2003 model body style. And it had MBLN paper plates.

I dunno

EDJ
<Shrugging his shoulders>

 

Looks like it is just new math. With the 420 being phased out I can see the marketing guys saying, if we have a 500, why drop all the way down to 350 for the next model? Actually, wasn't there a period of time when European SL's had a different model numbered engine than the US one even though both had the same sized engine?

 

What's the performance expectation? Perhaps the car is close enough to justify 4/5 of a 500?

There's plenty of 3.5s out there, not the least of which is the Infinti. Perhaps they are trying to avoid comparison.

Why don't they just make it a 370? Doesn't have much of a ring to it does it?

 

I live right off Crown Valley and La Plata, a few seconds away from the Niguel/CV intersection. I'll keep my eyes open for an "E400". Do you remember what color it was?

 

lol joe, guess what, i was on the service drive for one of my clients the other day and I saw that car. i asked the owner, he said he was trying to make a statement. :p i told him someone wrote a post it.....he kinda chuckled and said thats what it is meant to do.

 

what statement was that? That he's a poser?

 

WTF..EDJ is VINDICATED!!!!!

Seldom do the innocent go free:p :p :p

Ed


....or wait..did Joe make a payoff here to certain parties at MBLN

 

No, that he hasn't got his Viagra prescription filled yet.

He is going to replace the 4 with a 6 after that.

 

Negative, no payoff invovled at MBLN, lol! And for the guy living at LaPlata/CV, I believe it was brilliant Silver (Michael, what say you?)

See! I *KNEW* I wasn't seeing things!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

EDJ
<who momentarily considered he was perhaps losing his mind>

 

That'd one heck of an idea! Imagine all the stares you will get.
"E600". ROTFL!

 

lol no payoff here.....yeah it was a silver e-320.