GREATEST ROAD TESTS OF ALL TIME

MERCEDES 400 SE TESTED 11.12.91

We’d been blown away by the W140-series V12 600 SEL’S mix of luxury and ability, but could the (slightly) more attainable V8 stack up as handsomely? A third more expensive than its predecessor and half a tonne heavier, the 400 SE stood nearly five feet tall but still managed a degree of gracefulness. Engine revisions yielded a 27% boost in power and there were improved aerodynamics. However, the 400 SE’S weight penalty made it nearly a second slower to 60mph than the 420 SE that came before. Top speed was up by 9mph, though. The four-speed automatic gearbox was slow to kick down but offered unobtrusive flat-foot upshifts. The brakes felt mushy but were effective. Communicative steering and impressive front-end grip helped produce respectable handling, although sharp corners revealed the car’s bulk, just as sharp ridges interrupted the otherwise sublime ride. Comfort and solid quality abounded inside and there was little need for the SEL longwheelbase option, such was the space on offer. Our test car had £10,000 worth of options, which seemed ludicrous until you learned that leather seats, stereo and air-con were extras.

WHAT HAPPENED NEXT...

The W140-series yielded the SEC coupé a year later, before the naming system was revised to the current S-prefix standard in 1993. The platform was phased out in 1999 with the arrival of the W220 S-class, since which we’ve had the launch of the W221 (in 2005) and W222 (2013) generations, and an all-new W223-gen S-class is due in 2021.