But its virility was questioned by the current BMW M5. Anything the E55 could do, the M5 could do that little bit better. If not death by a thousand cuts, then at least agonising submission. The real damage, though, was psychological. In any spec-sheet comparison, one figure jumped out as if its typeface had burst into flames: 400bhp. Finally in the saloon arena, the stuff of supercars. The M5 had it and the E55 didn't. Then the Jaguar S-type R had it, too. And the Audi RS6. Plus another 44, just to make the M5 and Jag squirm.

Revenge, therefore, must be all the sweeter for Mercedes. It has timed the arrival of the new E-class, and its inevitable AMG-badged flagship, to perfection. As if the thoroughly evolved E-class range wasn't already impressive enough, the ΂£60K E55, which hits UK showrooms around about now, is so fast you begin to question if the increasingly intense game of Top Trumps currently engaging Germany's premium car manufacturers is spiralling rapidly out
of control.

Clearly in no mood to make the same mistake as its predecessor, the new E55 doesn't so much pluck the 'world's fastest production saloon' crown from the RS6's grasp as snatch it mid-air as the Audi's ashes flutter to the ground. This car's firepower, courtesy of its SL55 engine, is simply astounding. The IHI-supercharged 5.4-litre V8 develops 469bhp at 6100rpm (the SL55's original 'lower-end-of-production-tolerance' output before it was re-certified at 500bhp) and the same 516lb ft of torque between 2650rpm and 4500rpm. And you thought the 413lb ft of the RS6 was torquey.

Weighing 1760kg - heavier than the old model but still lighter than the RS6 - the new E55 has a power to weight ratio of 266bhp per ton, which shatters both the M5's 236 and the RS6's 245. Mercedes claims 0-62mph in 4.7sec, the ton in under 11sec and 124mph (200kph) in 16.1sec. Upper-echelon supercar performance but, then again, with a power to weight ratio comfortably better than a Vanquish's, what did you expect?

So, an SL55 with four doors? In some ways, yes. Altered induction geometry, longer exhaust plumbing, taller intermediate gearing and absence of ABC active anti-roll suspension electronics define a subtly different dynamic and aural character for the saloon; one that's appropriately more comfortable and refined. But, toe to the floor, the E55 feels just as relentlessly rapid as the 500bhp convertible (if the acceleration claims are confirmed, it is). And although the exhaust note is more muted, it's no less exciting, the soft-edged V8 burble acquiring a nape-tingling edge and resonant bellow as the acceleration grows more intense. The five-speed auto trades a little smoothness for shift speed at maximum chat - just what you need if you're calling the shots via the soft-touch shifters behind the wheel's horizontal spoke - but restores a gentler regime for normal, fully automatic motoring.

The chassis, with its air suspension and variable damping, treads a deft line between loose-limbed suppleness and accurate body control. It must be getting it right because the ride seldom draws attention to itself, yet neither are you aware of the body falling outside a very tightly prescribed range of movement.

Steering is speed-sensitive and very direct (2.75 turns). At speed, it has meatier weighting and more feel than that of its German rivals. And with the aid of ESP and traction electronics, the E55 can make quite stupendous progress on twisty roads. Hit the ESP 'defeat' button and a bit of smoky sideways action isn't out of the question, either, though curiously it isn't as much fun as it would be in an M5 or S-type R. But then it doesn't feel as if Mercedes has optimised the E55 for that style of driving, anyway. Either way, I'm not complaining.
And I'm sure this car has got Harry wondering. Audi RS6 and SL55, or E55 AMG and ΂£93,000 in your back pocket? Just a thought.