Hardly any other car was as polarizing in the 1990s as the Mercedes-Benz S-Class W140 series. Too big, too ostentatious, that was the criticism. This criticism has since been silenced, because a W 140 is no bigger than a current Passat. Only much more sophisticated. But how does the top saloon, the 600 SEL from back then, feel today? This driving report focuses on the twelve-cylinder version of the Mercedes-Benz W140 series and portrays it in current and historical pictures.