The 500SEC was one of the top variants of the C126 Mercedes-Benz S-Class Coupe. When launched for the 1982 model year, the 500 SEC was the top offering for the S-Class coupes. This line of cars was initially powered by Mercedes' 5.0 L 230bhp M117.963 V8 engine, but for the 1986 model year, the new M117.965 V8 unit was used. This updated engine initially generated 240bhp (220bhp with catalytic converter), but improvements in 1988 increased power to 261bhp (248bhp with catalytic converter). Production of the C126 Mercedes-Benz 500SEC lasted until 1991, but the model series would continue life in the next generation S-Class Coupe as the C140 Mercedes-Benz 500SEC.