Mercedes-Benz 560 SL R107 - 1987

Mercedes-Benz S-Class W126 560 SEL (300 hp), 1986–1991

When Mercedes refreshed the W126 S-Class for the 1986 model year, the long‑wheelbase 560 SEL became the undisputed flagship. At its heart was the 5.5‑litre M117 V8, and in its most desirable European tune without a catalytic converter it produced a quoted 300 PS (296 bhp) and a tidal 455 Nm of torque. It married Autobahn pace to limousine serenity, embodying Bruno Sacco’s restrained, aerodynamically honed design and the brand’s obsessive approach to safety and durability.

The 560 arrived as part of the W126’s second series, which brought the now‑famous colour‑keyed lower body cladding (the “Sacco panels”), updated wheels and running upgrades to electronics and emissions. Against increasingly serious rivals—BMW’s new E32 7 Series (including the later V12 750i), Jaguar’s XJ40 and, from 1988, the Audi V8—the big Benz answered with monumental refinement, vault‑like build and a chassis that combined high‑speed stability with uncanny ride quality. Period road tests lauded its effortless performance and almost eerie quiet at 200 km/h, while noting the steering’s calm, unflustered character and the car’s appetite for fuel when pressed.

Safety tech was a calling card: ABS was widely fitted (standard in many markets on V8s), a driver’s airbag was available early in the W126 run and a passenger airbag arrived by the late 1980s—industry firsts at the time. Rear self‑levelling suspension was standard on most 560 SELs, keeping the car level under load, and late cars could be specified with ASR traction control. Inside, buyers could tick options rare even today: heated and memory front seats, orthopaedic cushions, a power‑reclining rear bench with footrests, a car phone and Becker premium audio.

Fun footnotes abound. The 560 SEL in 300‑PS form was among the world’s fastest saloons of its day, capable of a true 250 km/h without an electronic limiter. Pre‑merger AMG would happily turn one into a 6.0‑litre, four‑valve monster—an aristocratic sibling to the famed “Hammer”—that pushed past 300 km/h if you had the means. As an image car, the W126 lined kerbs in 1980s newsreels, dramas and music videos, serving heads of state, CEOs and jet‑setters; discreet, imposing and unmistakably Mercedes.

The 560 SEL’s broader impact was profound. The W126 became the best‑selling S‑Class generation, cementing the template for modern luxury saloons: aerodynamic efficiency, comprehensive passive safety and electronics deployed in the service of comfort rather than gimmickry. If the E32’s V12 stole headlines at the decade’s end, the Mercedes countered with depth: engineering that aged with grace. Today, a well‑kept 560 SEL—especially a Euro‑spec 300‑PS car—remains a connoisseur’s choice: subtle, swift and built with a thoroughness that defined Stuttgart’s golden era.