Just how quick was the fastest sedan in the world in 1992? The famous Porsche-built Mercedes-Benz 500E races the fastest wagons on the planet: the E34 BMW M5 Touring and the Audi RS2 Avant, which was also constructed by Porsche!
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Veteran automotive reporter Jason Cammisa and SCCA hall-of-fame race-car chauffeur Randy Pobst line up and race the Mercedes 500E (known later as the E500) versus the RS 2 and M5, and the results are surprising. Will the Mercedes' 4-speed automatic kill its possibilities versus the 2 other handbooks– a five-speed in the M5 and a six-speed in the Audi?
And what's with the six-cylinder E320 dogleg manual wagon and its DOHC 24V 3.2-liter straight-six?
The 3.8-liter S38 is the most significant straight-six that BMW has actually ever made, and it produced 340 PS (335 hp) at a crazy, independent-throttle-body shouting 6900 rpm. The Audi's much-smaller 2.2-liter, 20-valve turbo five-cylinder made 315 PS (311 hp), and the 5.0-liter quad-cam, DOHC 32V Mercedes V-8 made 326 PS (322 hp) however had variable valve timing so it creamed the others on torque.
The next concern is: can any of these 1990s legends stay up to date with today's slowest cars, the ND2 Mazda MX-5 Miata? You'll be amazed by the result.
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Chapters:.
0:00 Purple Manual Wagons– and a 500E.
0:50 Hagerty Motorist's Club Offer.
1:11 E34 M5 Visiting Specifications and Information.
2:06 Audi RS2 Avant Specs and Details.
2:41 Mercedes-Benz S124 E320T 5-speed Dogleg Specs and Info.
3:11 Mercedes-Benz W124 500E/E500 Specifications and Details.
4:15 1/4-mile: 500E vs RS2 vs M5.
5:28 Walkback: How is the 500E so fast?
6:40 Launching and racing the E34 M5.
7:40 AWD launch in the RS2– plus turbo lag in the 1/4-mile.
9:06 Jason and Randy kiss their own Valentine 1 radar detectors.
9:56 ND2 Miata vs Mercedes 500E 1/4-mile drag race.
11:16 Drag Race Outcomes Leaderboard.
11:25 Conclusion: power-to-weight is wrong!
legendary wagons racing head to head AND a legendary presenter talking about them? what a way to start my morning!
couldn’t have put it better myself
What a way to end my day
@Mabule On Kars What a sight to end my night
Most interesting about this dragrace is that both the RS2 and the 500E are Porsche developments
Audi was built by porsche while the 500E was only assembled by porsche not built
Porsche does some little touch for that 500E, new engine management and also some change in chassis.
@Usman BangashBut Mercedes consulted Porsche on how to fit that massive V8 in there.
Not quite , the assembling line at Mercedes was too narrow for the wide archers of the 500e. And hence it was supposed to get some Porsche parts anyways, they decided to get the cars on a semi, took them a mile and a half down the road to Zuffenhausen for its second stage aaand sent them back for final assembling at merc again
Porsche designed and built the firewall and chassis modifications in house. I definitely wouldn’t claim that it’s a Porsche built car, but they did put their hands on every one.
As a European, there’s something gorgeous about 80s-90s EDM cars that today’s generations lack.
purposeful minimilist design
What’s the matter with you being european😂
as a german, that goes as well with 80s 90s jdm cars. i think its the era.
Wood panels
They had character, not sound generators..
Praise be to the Camissa, may he never cease to deliver amazing car content
Amen
*Cammisa
Love the disappearing drivers, and my favorite was, (I assume Randy) flipping Jason off while he’s breaking down the Audi!
You caught that too! 🙂
I think he is flipping the M5.
Lol….thanks, didn’t realize that
I think the one flipping finger was Derek Tam Hyphen Scott
You have to appreciate people who edit these videos. I think that is very unique.
Bravo!
Anyone know how they do all this stuff?
@MrGamman3ytwith a lot of talented and hard working editors, god this channel is perfect
Thanks
Man the production of these videos is amazing, how many cameras are they using at once, you can count more than 15
Excellent video as always, but the continuous, no-cuts shot of the drag race at 8:42 and 10:59 is something really special that separates these drag races from the rest
agree. And as much love jason gets, anythony with the team deserves it also.
Couldn’t agree more, I understand it has to be also pleasant to see and full of emotions but I’m not really into that many cuts and different angles during the simple 1/4 mile race. Maybe we’re in minority.
The Middle Finger at 8:14 😂 Saludos to the editing and the crew….
Chef’s kiss.
Must’ve been Randy
@Price B I caught that and said “that damn Randy!” LOL
As a German who was a Kid in the early 1990s and a Car Fan this Video reminds me of my Dad’s Audi RS2 Avant he bought new and still owns it now!
Lots of great Memories being allowed to ride Shotgun in it on the Autobahn with my Dad driving and going up to 200km/h (120mph) for the first Time in my Life!
Prost & Cheers from Frankfurt, Germany
Frankfurt is the best place to drive any car fast! The 5 line wide highway near the airport is so great!
@Gyula
You mean the largest parking space?
I always end up in a traffic jam there, doesn’t matter if it’s 2am or 2pm; the road was very busy and the lanes added in the 90s if I remember right. The A3 is the busiest motorway in Germany as it pretty much cuts the country in half, from The Netherlands to Austria.
@Gyula not quite, from hamburg to husum there is the a23 and after itzehoe you can drive 400 if your car does it.
I also owned one hell of a car and i think no car to this day was thirstier
@Squad Goals I drove from Denmark to France thru Germany 2 years ago and I hated every minute in Germany!, roads in bad condition, many, many jams and people driving quite badly. Seriously I had big expectations and at the end I enjoyed way more my driving in France.
Knowing how you guys feel about these cars this was probably one of Jason’s favorite he has done yet. They all look great, love the beamer but dang that Mercedes was fast. Randy flipping you off in the background when sitting in the back of the Audi was classic.
I was hoping I wasn’t the only one who noticed Randy doing that. Priceless!
Fantastic as usual, and the production value is phenomenal!
That 500E is genuinely impressive, 0-60 in 5.5 seconds, this thing is still faster than most hot hatches these days.
Kinda not really
Yes it’s fast but which “most hot hatches these days” are you talking about exactly?
@Rick_ dcivic type R for instance
@Sylvain D. nope
slower than a 1991 gmc syclone/typhoon or a 1987 buick gn, i think even the late 90’s ford taurus sho was quicker
I love these. It’s like Christmas when u see Jason’s drag races
That M5 wagon is to die for. Looks so amazing!
I had an LHD M5 in 99, then got an RHD one in 03 that I drive to this day. (New M5s are too big and I don’t need any more speed.) My dream for over two decades now is to make a one-off E39 wagon M5. (There’s definitely one, I think owned by BMW. It was in I think Evo magazine.)
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I like to see a dragrace with an golf r32 vs Clio v6 vs alfa 147 3.2.
The angles and flybys are the best I’ve seen on YouTube, insane production!
Bringing in a Miata brings another level of perspective ! This is what I love about Jason&co.
I love how Randy’s just flipping Jason off in the RS2 while he’s chilling in the trunk with the tailgate up🤣🤣
I absolutely love these videos with Jason Cammisa. The quality of the videos are Beyond Compare, and really enjoy the effects of the car still racing in slow motion as he walks and talks around them.
Couldn’t help but laugh out loud when Jason sat in the back of the Audi and you can see the driver( probably the great Randy Probst) giving him the finger.
I must say the video angles and shots in this comparison are epically on point.. birds eye, side shot, rear shots you name it its there… love it🙏🏽🙏🏽