Guess Who's Selling His Rare V8-Powered Mercedes 500 E?

Rowan Atkinson is not only arguably one of the best comedic actors in the business, but he's also a hardcore gearhead. TheBritish actor famously owned a McLaren F1, which he crashed. Twice. He's also owned several Aston Martins, including a V8 Vantage that starred in Johnny English: Reborn, a Honda NSX, and a Ferrari 456 GT. Next month, a rare Mercedes-Benz 500 E sedan owned by Atkinson will be going under the hammer at a Classic Car Auction in Warwickshire, UK, on May 25.

This particular Mercedes 500 E is a 1991 pre-facelift example and one of just 29 left-hand drive models that were imported into the UK. It was bought by the comedian brand new and was kept for four years before being sold to its second owner. Atkinson loved it so much that he bought the car back from its owner 23 years later. In fact, this isn't the only Mercedes 500 E Atkinson has owned, asanother example was sold last year along with a Lancia Thema 8.32.

TheMercedes 500 E is one of the coolest sleeper sedans of the 1990s. While it may look like an ordinary W124 Mercedes E-Class, the limited-production 500 E was developed and built in collaboration with Porsche. Compared to a 300E, it featured 1,100 new components including new inner front wings to accommodate the large V8 engine and self-leveling rear suspension.

Power was sourced from a 5.0-liter V8 that produced 326 hp, enabling the German sedan to sprint from 0-62 mph in 5.9 seconds. It was also one of the first cars to have a top speed limited to 155 mph. Inside, the 500E was fitted with leather upholstery. Unusually, Atkinson's car listed for sale also has cloth inserts.