The Mercedes-Benz 400E was a variant of the W124 Sedan that debuted for the 1992 model year. The 400 E was powered by Mercedes' M119.975 engine, which was a 4.2L V8 that generated 279hp and 292 lb ft of torque. This engine was paired to a 4 speed automatic transmission that sent power to the rear wheels. For the 1994 model year, Mercedes changed their naming conventions, moving the "E" designation to the front of the model series name. During the naming change, Mercedes decided the update the displacement number to accurately reflect the displacement of the V8, thus the 400E became the W124 Mercedes-Benz E420.