After completing the CLK buildup (for now), we decided to turn our attention to another project. The basis for the project was our sales manager's daily driver, a 1996 Mercedes E320 (1st year of the W210 chassis), black on black, with about 70K on the clock. The car was parked outside for many years and was showing signs of age (door dings, swirls and scratches paint chips, etc…), so we decided to revitalize the trusty ol' sedan and see what we could do.

In its first life, the car wore Brabus aerodynamics and was slammed using cut Eibach springs and #1 pads on 19" Lowenhart BSDs, 19x8 F and 19x9 R, with 235/35 and 265/30 Pirelli P7000s. After a couple of years, we grew tired of this setup, at which point the Lowenhart wheels were retired to the garage (for use later on Project CLK) and a facelift was in order.

At this point, the suspension had really begun to sag, so we replaced the old cut Eibach springs with a fresh set of H&R sport springs and Bilstein SP-series sport shocks. This brought comfort and convenience (the car had become increasingly difficult to drive) back to the ride, but the old Brabus aero package was cracking and fading, so it was replaced with a fresh set of Carlsson bumpers and side skirts. This brought the car new life, while a set of Carlsson 2/6 wheels in chrome, measuring 19x8.5, with Michelin Pilot sport 245/35/19s at all four corners, were installed as new rolling stock. The car would remain unchanged for the next 18 months.

Finally, it was deemed that a new project car was in order, so once again, we proceeded to strip off all of the previous mods and start anew. After extensive searching, we found what we were looking for in the land of the rising sun. For many years, the Japanese sedan market had been booming, and with that, a new style of customizing (now referred to as "VIP") had emerged. VIP luxury sedans bore very aggressive styling, with the use of deep spoilers and fender flares, thus creating a low, wide, exaggerated look. This look was further enhanced by the extreme lowering and wide, reverse, multi-piece wheels. This style, though initially applied only to domestic market sedans such as the Toyota Celsior (Lexus LS400), began to spread over to some of the European sedans. In keeping with the company's philosophy of constant innovation, this seemed to be the way to go.

After some negotiating with a Japanese liason, we specially imported a prototype version of the "Complete Version 2000+ looks" kit from Auto Couture. The unique feature of this particular style converted the 1996-1999 cars to resemble the 2000+ facelift cars with their integrated bumpers, split front bumper mouldings, and smaller chrome trim. The package also included special Hella foglamps and euro-spec chrome mouldings for the new bumpers. This package was expertly installed by the crew at Sunrise Paint & Body, along with a custom RennTech 3-piece decklid spoiler from Randy Stevens at Brumos Motor Cars in Jacksonville, Florida. In keeping with the "update" theme, the headlights were swapped for euro-spec Hella Xenon units from Tony at Bekkers, while the rear taillight assemblies were swapped for the newer style smoked lenses, which are standard equipment on the 2000+ E55. Finally, a complete exterior detail took care of the swirls and scratches so commonly found on neglected black paint (and this car was no exception).

With the bodywork finished, it was time for some new wheels to round out the package. For this, we imported a set of 19" Auto Couture Magnifique wheels, finished in metallic silver with polished lip, measuring 9" fore and 10.5" aft. For tires, we chose the Dunlop SP9000 in 245/35/19 for the front and 275/30/19 for the rear. In staying with the Auto Couture theme, an Auto Couture "Ornament B" flat badge was installed on the hood (replacing the upright Mercedes Star) and Auto Couture side fender badges were installed on the front fender mouldings. With the exterior now complete, we turned out attention to the interior, which received an OEM burlwood steering wheel and a custom-tailored Auto Couture 5 pc mat set in black with silver piping and embroidery.

Future plans for the car include an audio buildup and more wheel changes (for promotional purposes, of course). Wheel Experts would like to thank everyone involved in this project.