W140 S‑Class deep dive

Regular Car Reviews posted an episode titled "1996 Mercedes Benz W140 S Class LWB" that foregrounds a 1996 S420 long‑wheelbase as its subject vehicle. (youtube.com) The Regular Car Reviews channel is credited to hosts Brian (Mr. Regular) and Nick (The Roman) and the channel shows about 949,000 subscribers on its YouTube page. (youtube.com) The episode’s YouTube description says it examines the W140’s “disastrous” production cycle, including why the program took “over a decade” and “why the chief designer quit,” framing the S420 as a candidate for the brand’s best Mercedes. (youtube.com) Contemporary coverage and histories cited by the show note the W140’s huge development bill—often nicknamed the “Billion Dollar Car”—and record the model’s public reveal at the 1991 Geneva Motor Show with sales beginning in April 1991 and a North American launch on 6 August 1991. (autocar.co.uk) The specific S420 featured uses a 4.2‑litre M119 V8 rated about 275 hp (279 PS) and roughly 400 Nm of torque, and the W140 long‑wheelbase wheelbase measures about 3,040 mm (119.7 in) in factory specs. (ultimatespecs.com) Auto‑industry observers and buyer guides have documented rising collector interest in over‑engineered W140 examples, and used‑car listings aggregate values in the mid‑five‑figure range for low‑mileage, well‑preserved 1996 examples (Edmunds lists an average price around $17,435 in recent data). (hagerty.com)