Or taxes reach 75% or more of the selling price of petrol in NA...

But I am taking of body size, not engine size.

In Europe the smallest S engines is 2.8 l petrol with 197 hp.  It may be
insufficient for NAs but it is still rather big.  It enables people to have
an S body without a giant engine.
http://www2.mercedes-benz.co.uk/content/unitedkingdom/mpc/mpc_unitedkingdom_webs
ite/en/home_mpc/passenger_cars/home/products/new_cars/s-class_saloon/technical_d
ata/petrol_models.html

(BTW, McBrue et al: here is a ref to "short wheelbase" on that web page...)

The S 280 weighs 1.79 t.  Thus its power-to-weight ratio is less favourable
than my CLK 320 (Cab), which weighs about 1.6 t and has 218 PS.  However, as
I think I have more than enough power I would be very happy with an S280 if
I wanted a large (LARGE) car but did not want or could not afford a bigger
engine.  The next petrol is the S 350 with a huge 3.8 l engine and 245 hp.

There is a GBP 5 500 post-tax difference between the two with the only
included extras on the 350 being and electric glass sunroof (price GBP 890)
and headlamp wash (a waste of money in my opinion; I have it).

S 280 combined fuel consumption is 25.5 mpg, the 350 is the same.

DAS

For direct contact replace nospam with schmetterling
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