For the summer 2004 season, we decided to return to our Mercedes roots for our next project. The new Mercedes E-Class (W211) had already become a good market for us, and the number of inquiries from the hard-to-fit AMG-equipped vehicles (due to their enormous brake calipers) was steadily increasing, so we decided to kill 2 birds with one stone and search for one of the ultimate in luxury performance sedans – the E55. The combination of handsome lines, class-leading comfort, and supercharged V8 power, along with very limited production numbers, has made it a very highly sought-after vehicle. Although initial plans were to order a brand new car, the waiting list was not in our favor, and since we wanted to locate a car as soon as possible, a call was made to long-time friends Hai Ho and Marc Gula at Mercedes-Benz of Sugar Land. The pair promptly located a mint 2004 example, finished in 753 Tectite Grey with a charcoal interior and only 2500 miles on the odometer. Since we were interested in custom-painting the wheel centers to match the car’s color from the onset of the project, this rare metallic paint scheme made this particular car a perfect choice. A deal was struck and the project was underway.

First thing to be addressed (as usual) was the suspension. Although the factory Airmatic DC suspension was more than adequate in the performance department, we wanted to lower the vehicle an additional ½” over its already low factory stance for maximum visual effect. Brabus was called upon for their excellent Airmatic lowering module, which was wired into the factory control unit and lowered the car electronically. This installation is quite simple for any trained MB technician, as it took ours only 1 ½ hours to complete the installation. The technician also performed a 4-wheel alignment while the car was on the rack for the installation.

In keeping up with current trends, we wanted to color-match the wheels to the car’s body color from the inception of this project (as previously stated). To provide this cutting-edge look, HRE Performance Wheels was called upon, this time for their classic race-inspired 540R style. The custom 3-piece forged wheels were ordered in a custom Tectite Grey finish, in sizes 20x8.5 for the front and 20x10.0 for the rear. Being the world’s elite custom wheel manufacturer, HRE’s team was able to build the wheels with a 2” lip on the front wheel and a 3” lip on the rear wheel, while still maintaining enough pad height for clearance of the aforementioned oversized brake calipers. This also enabled us to try out the new ultra-low profile 245/30/20 and 285/25/20 P Zero Nero tires from Pirelli. These new-for-2004 tire sizes allow the use of 20” wheels on most mid-size vehicles (such as the Audi A4/S4, BMW 3-series/5-series/M3, and Mercedes E-Class) without increasing the overall effective diameter of the wheel/tire combo. When the wheels arrived 4 weeks later, the color of the wheels proved to be a perfect match for the color of the car; a testament to the quality of HRE paintwork. The dark wheel centers added to the car’s already aggressive stance, and set it off perfectly.

For this particular project, we wanted to take a slightly different approach to the aerodynamics portion, since the standard AMG sport package already provided a sporty look right out of the box. Instead of replacing the bodywork, we decided to accentuate the clean lines of the factory parts, so Brabus was again called in to provide the finishing touches. The front-end received a rare Brabus front lip spoiler, hand made of genuine carbon fiber. This piece attached to the lower portion of the factory AMG bumper, giving it a deeper and more aggressive look. Perhaps by a stroke of luck, the carbon fiber turned out to be a great match on the Tectite Grey paintwork. Lastly, a Brabus rear deck lid spoiler, made of the finest PU-RIM materials, was affixed to the rear trunk lid. This piece finished off the rear nicely, accentuating the already aggressive rear fascia and diffuser.

Wheel Experts would like to thank the many people who have made this project possible. Thanks is in order for the crew over at HRE, Kevin and Anthony from Brabus North America, Taza at Progressive Autosports Houston, and last but not least, the crew over at Mercedes-Benz of Sugar Land for their assistance with this project. Stay tuned for our next project, which promises to be something completely different, and is scheduled to make its debut at the SEMA show in November 2004.