Engine

The W140 comes with a few options of engine.

- 2.8L 6I

- 3.0L 6I Diesel

- 3.2L 6I

- 4.2L V8 M119

- 5.0L V8 M119

- 6.0L V12 M120

- 6.0L V12 M120 AMG

-7.0L V12 M120 AMG (S70)

- 7.3L V12 M120 (S73)

I owned the 3.2L, 4.0L, 5.0L and 6.0L of this car. They are all excellent, all very smooth. I could write an article just on the M119. The development story is fascinating. It is a racing engine fitted in a street legal car. And what to say about the 6.0L ! The V12 is a true beast waiting to be unleashed. It truly awakes around 3000 rpm and never stop pulling until it reaches the red lane at 6200 rpm. And by that I mean it will pull you right back to your nappa covered seat in a symphony that only AMG engineer knows to create. Yeah, it is that good. It is well worth $100+ tank fill up.

The S600 AMG 1994 was worth $250 000USD in 1994 (that's $550 000CAD in today's dollar). I parked it next to a S63 AMG W222 2015 at Mercedes-Benz Edmonton a few years back, and believe it or not, the 1994 W140 was way, way better looking than it's $180 000 sibling. The W140 has a presence that no other car ever made has. On par maybe with the Rolls-Royce Phantom. The S63 W222 looked like a cheap Hyundai. And believe me, I am a bit of a Mercedes-Benz fanboy and I thought I wanted a W222. That is until I parked the W140 next to it. It's not even funny how the W140 obliterate the W222 by having such a better presence and badass character.



The V12 in the S600 AMG has 434hp and 454 lbs-ft available from 2500 to 5500rpm. It is fantastic. No turbo lag. Instant trust. It never stop pulling. Ever. Fighter Jet feeling. And coupled to a 4-speed automatic, this car rarely shift. Shifting is a hobby for lesser car, you know.



To put this in context, it will usually start in 2nd gear, and if you keep a steady pressure on the throttle, will shift only at 135km/h and then again at 210 km/h. You can go from 0 to 135 km/h without ever shifting gear. Even better, the 0-210km/h is a matter of one gear shift. The Lexus is a matter of five speed change.



It is just a thing that brings me a smile and that make me happy.



Do you know that the W140 is the only car in production that can back up to 120km/h ?

Do you know that the M120 engine was so good that Pagani Zonda engineers decided to work with this engine for 10 years in their million dollar supercar ?

Do you know that the W140 has 50/50 brake distribution ?

Do you know that the BAS of the W140 is a physical module ? It has a separate brake oil tank for emergency situation.

Do you know that the W140 is heavier than a four-door jeep wrangler or a Ford F150 SuperCab ?

Do you know that the W140 is the safest car on the road ?

Do you know that Mercedes-Benz gives to American firefighters a guide to where to cut the frame in case they need to use the life jaw ?

Do you know that there are marks on the chassis to where to cut with life jaw in case you're trapped in (in case the firefighters haven't read the guide) ? No other car has that.

You know you're driving a W140 when you can do 1000kms on a tank with 4 passengers at 140km/h on cruise control.

You know you're driving a W140 when you get more look than any other cars.

You know you're driving a W140 when you have to slow down to pass other car...

You know you're driving a W140 when it cost you $120 to fill a tank.

You know you're driving a W140 when other cars get back in the right lane when they see you approaching in their mirror.

You know you're driving a W140 when you go for a drive just because you want to listen to a new CD album.

You know you own a W140 when you want to sleep in it.

You know you own a W140 when an oil change cost $100.

Oh and so much more.