Vix dwells on the Mercedes-Benz E500 for several seconds before picking a companion wine. "Maybe what's called our French Connection, an old-world blend of primary bordeaux varietals including cabernet sauvignon, merlot, and cabernet franc. It has a velvety finish of dark chocolate."
Although the 2005 E-Class has a V-8 just like the rest, four-doors like the rest, and rear drive like the rest, it's a different animal. In its door pockets, a valet might notice, say, tickets for Verdi's "Rigoletto" or a scorecard from the Bel-Air Country Club. No proletarian Garth Brooks CDs or Princess Cruise pamphlets lying around here.
At 302 horsepower from its 5.0-liter, single cam, three-valve-per-cylinder V-8, the Mercedes cracks the whip with less authority than the others, but the E has its technical compensations. For instance, its seven-speed automatic transmission that can downshift two gears at a time and Airmatic, a compressed-air supplemented suspension that offers three ride/handling settings plus the reckoning to lower the chassis 0.6 inch at speed to reduce air drag. Indeed, this may be the car for aficionados of pneumatic devices, what with its front Drive Dynamic seats infested with six air bladders to tailor their shape, plus side bolsters that automatically firm themselves around corners. There's even a magic-fingers massage function. But don't expect a car that'll massage you to come cheap: Starting at $59,175, our E500 is embellished with a $1440 appearance package and a $3950 premium package. Ka-ching! $63,910.
Studying the 545i, Vix puts a finger to his lips and suggests his Cupa Grandis. "Admittedly, there are wines with more zip, but this is an elegant wine with a lot of character and less flamboyance. We age it for 20 months in toasted-oak barrels." We're not exactly sure if BMW seals its sedans away in barrels, but they do seem soaked in German automotive history.
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