When price is no object, only excellence counts.
Sweet. 750iL won. I think I remember reading this issue from Bob's old stash.
I am not that impressed with the Bentley for $175k.
Lexus was even slowerUnder way, the 5124-pound Bentley will astound you with its responsiveness. It is so unexpectedly quick for such a heavyweight that, as you drive by the peasants trying to look like you're a Bentley owner, a grin of surprise repeatedly crinkles the face that you're trying to keep straight. Zero to 60 mph in 7.7 seconds and a standing quarter-mile of 16.0 seconds at 87 mph are impressive numbers for this mastodon.
Astonishingly, the Bentley turned in the shortest braking distance from 70 mph, a surprising 179 feet. Not only does the big, 325-hp turbo V-8, with its 450 pound-feet of torque at 3200 rpm, move things along with strength and dispatch, but the three-speed automatic's electric shifter is as silky as any we've ever experienced, and the turbo boost comes on so smoothly as to go almost unnoticed.
I like this about the 560SEL, though I am totally underwhelmed by engine output.For one thing, its 7.9-second 0-to-60-mph time was the slowest of this bunch. For another, there's too much plastic in the interior.
The M70 V12 was a 5.0Its 238-hp aluminum V-8 launches the Mercedes to 60 mph in seven seconds flat. The car will cruise forever at 125 mph—if only we had the roads, and the permission, to do it—and its every act sends a clear message that, with a big Mercedes, performance never takes a back seat to luxury.
"This car doesn't get fazed by much of anything," one of us wrote in the 560SEL's notebook. And that's a good way to look at the S-class flagship. The minute you're seated in the big, comfortable seat, the car surrounds you with an aura of all-enveloping mass, a kind of battering-ram-solid sense of security. The combination of security, safety, and speed is, of course, a Mercedes hallmark, and it's a mighty comforting piece of baggage to have along.
And check out the reclining rear seats! Now this is the correct performance level.The 296-hp 5.0-liter V-12 leads our field in the number of cylinders and is second in horsepower only to the Bentley (which outweighs the Birnmer by a mere 877 pounds).
Still, pretty much no faster than a 1994 Impala SS which was available only 4 years later.Under way, the car exudes smoothness in every mode, from hard acceleration (0 to 60 mph in 6.5 seconds) to hard braking (70 to 0 mph in 182 feet). We attained a governor-limited top speed of 158 mph—fastest of the group—and did so with ease. At all speeds within reason, the BMW is silent, stable, and satisfying.
I actually didn't realize how much I also like the body style on the E32.