Debuting for the 1970 model year, the Mercedes-Benz 300SEL 3.5 was the first variant of the W108/W109 S-Class to be fitted with a V8 engine. The 300 SEL 3.5 was built on the W109 platform, and was powered by Mercedes' M116 engine. This 3.5L V8 engine generated 197hp, which was sent to the rear wheels via a standard 4 speed automatic transmission, although a 4 speed manual was available as a reduced cost option. Production of the SEL300 3.5 lasted until 1972, with a total of 9,483 examples built.