I've been on the hunt for a V8 anything that was fast, comfortable, and just the right side of obnoxious.
I started with the 1990 Audi V8 Quattro. A fine car plagued by some nagging issues I never remedied, and thus, never felt totally comfortable taking long distances. (Ironically, this car just sold on Bring A Trailer with a different owner than the one I sold it to, so it's still looking for its forever home.) I loved the stealthy nature of the inconspicuous styling, but it was slightly too subdued.
The Dodge Dakota R/T was another attempt to live that V8 life, and it went dramatically in the other direction. Loud, tawdry, and poorly screwed together, it was impossible not to wake up half the neighborhood on a cold start. I hustled this muscle truck all over Alabama and loved it, but in the end, I just couldn't see myself living with the pitiful domestic build quality for the long term. I actually just sold that truck for a fair - not great - price, but I was done with it.
A big driver for buying the 2002 E55 AMG was because I knew the Dakota was going to leave and there'd be a V8-shaped hole in the garage. Thankfully, this car is checking all the boxes, with loads of luscious torque, completely stomp-on-it-and-go-RIGHT NOW acceleration, and plenty of comfortable in the spacious E-Class cabin. It's a car for all seasons that has a reputation for going 300,000 miles before needing a rebuild, and the dramatic styling still looks contemporary in modern traffic.
So far, I am very happy with the car, and glad to have found a V8-powered machine I'm not already itching to unload.