1996 Mercedes-Benz W140 S600 AMG V12 – Brilliant Exhaust Demo Car (F1 sound)

1996 W140 Mercedes-Benz S600 AMG – Brilliant Exhaust/TG Sasaki Demo Car

- Mileage: 112,189km (69,700-miles)

- Colour: Brilliant Silver Metallic (744U)

- Interior: Exclusive Black Leather (511A)

- Engine: 6.0-litre V12 M120 with AMG Power Pack – 439bhp

- VIN: WDB1400571A332569

If you’re worried the future of motoring looks too quiet and EV, here lies the perfect five-metre-long solution, with twelve cylinders and electricity powering just about every component bar the actual engine.

For sale is a truly unique and entertaining Mercedes-Benz S600 AMG, made famous by its F1-sounding exhaust system which has been featured across many media channels including Top Gear, Speedhunters and of course YouTube. That’s because this W140 is the original Brilliant Exhaust/TG Sasaki demo vehicle – the very same car seen flying through the tunnels outside of Tokyo with an exhaust sound straight out of 90s Formula 1. And if you thought it sounded mad in videos, wait till you hear it in person.

What about the basics?

Exhaust aside, this isn’t your typical W140 Mercedes-Benz. Finished in Brilliant Silver Metallic with Exclusive Black Leather interior, this particular car is an S600 AMG – one of just 112 produced for the Japanese market – which used the 6.0-litre M120 V12 engine fitted with an AMG Power Pack to raise power from 408bhp to 439bhp. This was only found on the later S600/CL600 AMGs and not the pre-facelift 600SEL AMGs, and comprised of different pistons, ECU and camshafts to position its performance between the stock S600 and the 7.0-litre S70 AMG.

In addition to the AMG Power Pack, each S600 AMG was fitted with a full AMG aero pack, 18in Monobloc Wheels and AMG interior upgrades including the dials, door locks and much more. Extra features (as found on the VIN here) include multi-contour seats, electric tilt/slide sunroof, roller blind, footrests in the rear plus many other features.

Car History

Built in 1996, it’s covered just over 112,000km (70k miles) and the MOT is valid until August 2023. The car was imported through Harlow Jap Autos in early 2019 and has been serviced and maintained at Mercedes-Benz Bristol and most recently Edward Hall Mercedes. It’s most recent work included a replacement lambda and general health check. Previous work carried out includes a replacement alternator, 4 x new Conti Sport Contact tyres and all fluids and filters.

But the real party piece is the exhaust system. Developed and built by TG Sasaki in Japan – also known as Brilliant Exhaust – it includes the tubular equal-length manifolds which provide the distinct high-pitch F1 sound as well as the complete exhaust system ending in a valved back-box which can be controlled at the push of a button. This is a race-spec exhaust system and with the valve open it is extremely loud at any RPM. The valve – while it does quieten down the system significantly – isn’t designed to be used shut for long periods due to its small size which restricts engine power as well as noise.

Many have tried to replicate this sound over the years or fit similar systems, but this is the original car used by Sasaki-san for the development and the same car used in that infamous YouTube video. Due to the (lack of) room within the W140 engine bay, these manifolds will only fit the S600/600SEL platform and not the SL or CL due to clearance issues with the steering rack and subframe. There’s a reason why the entire system costs upwards of $12,000.

Additional Upgrades

The exhaust isn’t the only upgrade fitted. This S600 AMG also benefits from Brembo GTR brakes – 6-piston on the front, 4-piston on the rear – and Aragosta adjustable coilovers all round. It is incredibly clean underneath with no modification to any other components meaning that stock brakes/suspension/exhaust could be retrofitted if you so wish.

NOTE: The S600 AMG was a Japan-only model, and as such all the instrument descriptions on the centre console are written in Japanese along with the aftermarket Pioneer headunit which still thinks it’s in the port of Yokohama. There’s also an ETC card machine fitted which will chat to you every time the ignition gets switched on.

It’s a massively entertaining car and I’ve loved every minute of ownership. For a 27-year-old car it’s in fantastic condition throughout, will all the electrics working including the soft close doors (front and back), rear window blind, heated seats and pop-out boot handle. It’s not free from wear and tear over those years, but it wouldn’t take much to make it perfect.

The S600 AMG comes with the original Mercedes-Benz and AMG owner’s manuals/handbooks from Japan, along with service history and past registration documentation. In a world downsizing and electrifying, few things deliver a two-finger salute like a naturally aspirated V12 luxury car which sounds like an old F1 car at 30mph.

International buyers welcome, please contact in advance for shipping/export options.