The 4L80E transmission is the advanced progeny of the legendary TurboHydramatic TH400 automatic transmission, and is based heavily on the 400 in both parts and strength, yet featuring an added overdrive gear, a lock-up torque converter and advanced electronic controls. The Novak Guide to the GM 4L80E Automatic Transmission Introduction.Figures recently released by consumer warranty company Warranty Direct show that Volkswagen, Audi and BMW make some of the least reliable engines on the market. full 2008 Mercedes-Benz C-Class review: 2008: 4dr Sedan 228-horsepower 3.I quite fancied the idea of a Mercedes OM617 (5-cylinder) turbo swap, but that's a much less common change. Does anyone have experience of the M51 vs M57 ? The M51 has an obvious simplicity benefit in having 2 valves per cylinder (vs 4 valve per cylinder in the M57) but the M51 is also significantly lower in output.