Of all the 400+ horsepower vehicles in existence, none represent frivolity better than the two vehicles pictured above.

What purpose is there in creating a 469 horsepower Mercedes station wagon that can accelerate from 0-60 in 4.1 seconds? Is that even legal? Could a small child even survive the G-force excerted by the wicked V8 on his helpless little body?

Who am I kidding? Screw rationalism, America is a frivolous society bathing in decadence, and these two vehicles are what make us great.

Alright, so maybe these two vehicles aren't the best example of America's self-indulgence, but is there really a purpose in creating a vehicle of this type? Nope, but I for one am never going to fault a carmaker for putting too much power under the hood.

So why the rambling epilogue? The reason I bring up the topic of these two unholy station wagons is because Motor Trend recently took a closer look at both, and found that despite their subdued mom-friendly qualities, the Mercedes E55 AMG Wagon and the Dodge Magnum SRT8 both contain the soul of the devil. 0-60 times of 4.1 and 5.1 seconds, respectively. Quarter mile times of 12.3 sec @ 113.8 mph and 13.1 sec @ 108.2 mph, respectively. Are these station wagons or are they Ferraris?

Whether you support the shameless self-indulgence of the two vehicles or you don't, they still exist - so you might as well enjoy them. Head over to Motor Trend to check out their in-depth article comparing the two. You can find the full article here.

Me personally... I'm still waiting for the 517 horsepower V12 B63 AMG. Get on it Mercedes.

by.emercedesbenz.com

Road and Track also has the same test, but they add the S4 Avant to the mix. I have to say that these three wagons are the coolest wagons on the U.S. market.

I have yet to see a E55 Wagon in the flesh. It is likely the rarest Mercedes-Benz on the U.S. market since it is by special order only.

I'm waiting on Mercedes to stuff a V12 of some sort into one of their SUVs, not to make an AMG "65", but a luxury "600" version of the new GL perhaps.

M

Does anyone know how many E55 wagons were imported into the states?

Good question. Since they're special order only it is going to be very hard to find out. I just wish Mercedes would breakout their "classes" by models sold instead of just the class itself, you know like BMW does. That would be most interesting I think.

M

It looks like they sold every last one of them? I have to wonder though, are wagons really making a comeback in the U.S.? I would hope so...

It would be much better to account for, but theses wagons are much more abundant in Europe than the US by alot. Cant find how many were sent over since '03, but when i look for an E55 Estate for sale, i find many in Europe, and like 1 or 2 here.

I think that's because most of the ones sold here were purchased. I'll find some pics of U.S. spec ones and post them here.