What’s the deal with this Renntech E60 RS? Well, it began life in 1997 as a $55,000 E420 sedan, powered by a 4.2-liter V8 that produced 275 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of torque. Stock, it achieved a zero to 60 time of 6.7 seconds. Respectable numbers, but not befitting of making an indelible impression upon Jerry Seinfeld.
So Mercedes-Benz worked with AMG in Germany—it did not yet own the company—as well as Renntech, a Florida tuner (founded by the former North American director of AMG) on a $115,000 overhaul to create this one-of-one Renntech E60 RS, just to loan to the comic, then at the height of his eponymous show.
The upgrade list is extensive. The V8 mill was converted to a 6.0-liter, bumping the output to 420 horsepower and 472 lb-ft of torque, and Renntech reprogrammed the engine before affixing a full stainless steel exhaust from the headers back, a sport resonator, and a sport muffler. A high-volume carbon fiber air intake was added, along with a heavy-duty oil cooling kit. The gearbox was swapped to a specially-modified five-speed, and a limited-slip differential was added to help get all that extra power down smoothly. The brakes behind those stylish 18-inch magnesium monoblocks were upfitted, too. The resulting specs: 434 ponies and 525 lb-ft of yank. (A 1997 Ferrari F355 only boasted 374 horses.)
Then there’s the bodywork and suspension. Those are hand-hammered steel wide-body fenders, atop a full Renntech body kit, which gives it a clean but subtly aggressive stance and presence. Renntech lowered the car, and completely redid the rear subframe and rear lower wishbone, as well as affixing performance sway bars to the front and rear. The E420 was already built upon the sturdy and solid W210 platform; with Renntech’s mods, Seinfeld’s steed became the master of its domain.
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Image Credit: Mercedes Completing the modifications list is a custom set of Renntech white gauges that have the speedometer maxing out at 200 mph, Renntech floor mats, a Renntech sport steering wheel, a blueberry and dark gray interior colorway—capped with a maple veneer trim—and custom sill plates that read “J.S. Edition.”
A little context around what makes this even more special: according to Renntech, only 60 of these E420 to E60 conversions were ever completed, and fewer than half of which were wide bodied. Within that rarefied subset, only a handful were RS variants. This was, and still is, a true unicorn.
After putting about 10,000 miles on it, Seinfeld returned the E60 to Mercedes, where it ultimately found its way to the Mercedes-Benz Classic Center, a subsidiary of MBUSA which maintains a fleet of this and other pristine tri-stars. Loaned to us to make the four-hour trip from Los Angeles to Monterey, California, for the 2024 Monterey Car Week, it was nothing but a dream to drive.
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Image Credit: Mercedes Turning the key, you can’t help but smile as that ported and cammed V8 turns over in a low growl. Despite the stiffened suspension, the pockmarked city streets on the way out of Los Angeles towards Malibu aren’t teeth-shattering; the cushy seat helps sop up bumps, but Renntech’s chassis is also forgiving.
As local streets give way to the freeway, there’s a chance to open it up, and it absolutely flies. The host of modifications shaves 2.6 seconds off the 0-60 time—bringing it down to 4.6, only one second slower than the 2024 C63 AMG. Under hard acceleration, you feel every ounce of the 525 lb-ft of torque smashing you back as the E60’s prow rises.
The steering is direct and responsive, neither too heavy nor light. And when slicing through some esses in the foothills outside San Luis Obispo, it’s easy to find a fun rhythm as the car glides around corners. There’s no under- or oversteer; there’s no body roll; it stays smack in the middle of the lane, regardless of how hard you’re pushing. The E60 simply complies with whatever your input.
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Image Credit: Mercedes The E60 can, allegedly, hit 200 miles per hour, though we didn’t test that out on public roads. Still, somewhere about an hour away from Monterey, where the 101 freeway is straight and visibility is exemplary, a Lamborghini Aventador SV and Porsche 911 GT3RS buzzed by. Mashing the gas, the 27-year-old E60 lurched forward and eliminated the gap in a hurry. Even at unmentionable speeds, reining in two supercars, the E60 felt rock-steady and sturdy.
Apace with the Lambo and Porsche, with no vibration or the odd creak (something this author cannot say about his 2014 E63 daily driver), it felt like the E60 was barely breaking a sweat. With performance like this, it’s unclear why anyone would ever give this beauty back.
Authors
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Sean Evans
