Olaf 3243 Report post Posted February 22, 2017 (edited) Over the weekend, Wellymeet hit the Shannon Car Show. Interesting to find two contemporaries - TITANS of the 90's, really - in the same spot. Which would you choose? The e31 850i, or the R129 SL600? On 2/21/2017 at 9:00 PM, Olaf said: CLASH - of the titans... The BMW 850i M70B50 5 litre 300hp or the Mercedes 600 M120 6 litre 384hp? the M70B50, yesterday or the M120 6 litre 384hp v12? Here's the link to Harry's Garage R129 SL600 review So, which would you take? Discuss. Edited February 22, 2017 by Olaf Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Palazzo 438 Report post Posted February 22, 2017 Merc. All day. 8 series is interesting looking, but motor is dull and barely better than the BMW V8. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Eagle 1524 Report post Posted February 22, 2017 I like the E31 shape but the M70 doesn't come close to the M120 in most aspects(even BMW's N73 appears lackbuster for a similar engine that came out 10+ after the M120). The M120 in the E31 would be sweet but otherwise R129 M120 output is more like 388-402hp depending on year and measurement standard. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Olaf 3243 Report post Posted February 22, 2017 me too - there's just something about the R129 with V12 in it. I'd be in the SL600! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NZ BMW 368 Report post Posted February 22, 2017 In my mind the direct comparison for the E31 is the C140 coupe with the same V12 as the R129. Both of those are GT cars, whereas the SL is more of a roadster. For what it's worth, in this case I'd take the BMW but would take the CL600 coupe over the 850i. That M120 V12 is just a fantastic engine. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lucan 196 Report post Posted February 22, 2017 (edited) The E31 all day, aesthetically a much better looking car IMO Sure the engine doesn't stack up but that's not ever the sole factor when chosing a car Edited February 22, 2017 by Lucan 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Olaf 3243 Report post Posted February 22, 2017 I think of the R129 SL as a Gran Tourer. Yes, it's seats are more occasional than in the 850i. I'd not choose the R129 solely for the extra horsepower. The 850i is wicked cool, though in my 'fantasy garage' I'd take this particular SL over the 850. As long as I already had a couple of M5's... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
coop 261 Report post Posted February 22, 2017 (edited) I've recently purchased a NZ new CL600 coupe. 138k on the clock and near immaculate condition. Only problem I can fault is she is bouncy in the rear SLS which is apparently nitrogen accumulators (90 usd each, not bad). I also have an S500 with the M119 in it which is 230kw. A really strong motor and more low down torque than my 290kw FG XR8 6 speed auto. But the 290kw M120 coupled with the five speed auto is out of this world. Actually the whole car is. Smoothest thing I've ever been in and a real pleasure to drive. These things were so ahead of their time. The five Series BMW and S Class Benz are my favourite models of cars. There is something about the 140/129 series that has an aura about them. I don't think there are many cars around that are built and well as these, I guess it takes spending some time in a good one to know what I mean as I can't really describe it. Ive no experience with the E31, but the power figures and price tag of the 850i are a little off putting compared to what I've just bought (I paid not much more than $10k). Id be happy to meet up with an 850i owner for comparison sake if they are too. Im not a huge fan of the coupes exterior. I much prefer the square wedge shape of the grille, tail and head lights of the sedan. But I don't have to look at it when driving so not too much of an issue for me. Edited February 22, 2017 by coop 4 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gjm 3193 Report post Posted February 22, 2017 9 hours ago, coop said: I've recently purchased a NZ new CL600 coupe. 138k on the clock and near immaculate condition. Only problem I can fault is she is bouncy in the rear SLS which is apparently nitrogen accumulators (90 usd each, not bad). I also have an S500 with the M119 in it which is 230kw. A really strong motor and more low down torque than my 290kw FG XR8 6 speed auto. But the 290kw M120 coupled with the five speed auto is out of this world. Actually the whole car is. Smoothest thing I've ever been in and a real pleasure to drive. These things were so ahead of their time. The five Series BMW and S Class Benz are my favourite models of cars. There is something about the 140/129 series that has an aura about them. I don't think there are many cars around that are built and well as these, I guess it takes spending some time in a good one to know what I mean as I can't really describe it. Ive no experience with the E31, but the power figures and price tag of the 850i are a little off putting compared to what I've just bought (I paid not much more than $10k). Id be happy to meet up with an 850i owner for comparison sake if they are too. Im not a huge fan of the coupes exterior. I much prefer the square wedge shape of the grille, tail and head lights of the sedan. But I don't have to look at it when driving so not too much of an issue for me. The 140-series really doesn't do much for me. Extraordinary cars to drive or ride in, but the looks... Meh. It's known hereabouts that I'm a fan of the W126, but I also like the W220 and (especially!) the 215 coupes. Things got really serious in those cars, with some standard engines delivering 450+kW and torque restricted to 1000Nm. I'm sure maintenance would be a headache, but I hope one day to park something similar in the garage. Not that I have anything against the E31! I had an 840; my brother had an 850. It was an interesting counterpoint to the Mercedes W126 560SEC I had, while he had a 500SEC. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
coop 261 Report post Posted February 22, 2017 (edited) 30 minutes ago, gjm said: The 140-series really doesn't do much for me. Extraordinary cars to drive or ride in, but the looks... Meh. It's known hereabouts that I'm a fan of the W126, but I also like the W220 and (especially!) the 215 coupes. Things got really serious in those cars, with some standard engines delivering 450+kW and torque restricted to 1000Nm. I'm sure maintenance would be a headache, but I hope one day to park something similar in the garage. Not that I have anything against the E31! I had an 840; my brother had an 850. It was an interesting counterpoint to the Mercedes W126 560SEC I had, while he had a 500SEC. The deal breaker for me with the W220 is that bloody horrid interior. Quality wasn't up to the usual MB standard and the design of it could be mistaken for something out of Korea or America. I couldnt sit in that eye sore of an interior for hours on end. Other wise the supercharged S55 on trademe for $22k would be a nice ride. The only modern MB I could bring myself to buy would be the W221 E63. I think they've lost the plot but that's coming from someone who's only owned w116-140s. I agree with you about the W140 looks. In my opinion their saving grace is the sheer size of them giving road presence especially in the darker colours. Probably not as effective these days with the amount of large SUV and double cab ute fashion statements getting around. I also had a 560sec. NZ New Euro spec with 300hp. The m119 5.0 leaves it for dead. I can only imagine how both the S500 and S600 coupes felt when they were released back in 1991. In comparison to the W126 and E32, or anything else on the road. The 126 series is probably my favourite MB model. But the 140 is easier to live with day to day, and with decent rubber they handle better than a lot of new cars today. Ride quality goes without saying as long as suspension components aren't buggered. Ive only put around 1500km on the CL600, mostly open road, and it has returned figures in the 10s litre per hundred km. Not too bad for something weighing 2.3 tonne and pushing out nearly 400hp. Edited February 22, 2017 by coop Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Eagle 1524 Report post Posted February 22, 2017 The W140\C140 need nice larger rims to look decent, too top heavy looking otherwise. Probably wouldn't got bought mine if it didnt have AMG kit and rims. Ive always liked boxy cars myself. I agree about the presence, had quite a few random people asking me questions. People don't seem to tailgate you in it either. Quality wise im sure there isn't a car out there that would beat it for the price. The TT V12's haul hard but i dont see the point in having the kind of power when realistically you can't really utilize it in NZ, not to mention reliability and extra expenses. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
KwS 2376 Report post Posted February 23, 2017 The R129 has grown on me a lot, i feel it would be quite fun in the SL600 guise. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GorGasm 561 Report post Posted February 23, 2017 That CL600 looks great! I have pining after a facelift R129 SL500 for a while now. It would be a great work hack. Sadly I can no longer use one for a weekend car :(. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
