For our next project car installment for the Summer 2006 season, we decided a return to our roots was again needed. Mercedes-Benz released its ground-breaking CLS-class as a 4-door coupe midway thru calendar year 2005 as a 2006 model, and ever since the C219's initial release, it has been a great sales success for both the MB brand as well as the aftermarket. Many of Europe and Japan's top tuners tackled the new model immediately so there was certainly no lack of aftermarket support - based on this, we knew we had to get into the mix and build up a demo car in typical Wheel Experts' fashion. Keeping with the current trend of white as the color of choice, we phoned down to our friends at Mercedes-Benz of Sugar Land, where long-time associates Marc Gula and Kenneth Hughes located a suitable donor model right from the pre-owned lot – a early 2006 production model finished in Alabaster White with Stone interior and only 4,900 miles on the clock. This particular car was sold new by the same dealer, and it belonged to a famous local basketball player who rarely drove the car. After agreeing on the financial terms, the car was promptly delivered via flatbed from Houston to North Texas, and we were underway yet again.

Per Wheel Experts tradition, the first area to be addressed on the new project was the suspension. The C219 is based off of MB's excellent W211 E-class platform, and thus it shares the same Airmatic DC (ADC) suspension. The ADC is lowered using an electronically, using a computer module which is spliced into the factory ADC computer located underneath the passenger side floorboard. We have sampled many different types of lowering modules, and we have always found Danish tuner Kleemann's units to stand out above the rest. These units offer a unique feature with overall ride height adjustment, as well as separate rear adjustability for fine tuning the stance. In addition, these units have offered nothing short of 100% reliability since we first tried them back in 2004 – as a matter of fact, we believe they are so good; it is now the only module we offer. Long time friend and MB Sugar Land master technician Tony Acciarri installed the unit and adjusted the ride height settings in the car before it ever left Houston. After some fine tuning, we went on to tackle the next (and most important) step – the rolling stock.

For this project, we wanted to add a bit of a luxurious touch without detracting from the sportiness of the 4-door coupe. We also wanted a bit of an exclusive look – a style not seen or used often, but one that complements the overall lines of the car. For this, we chose Modulare's forged M1 in the brushed aluminum finish, measuring 20x9 front with a 2.5" lip and 20x11 rear with a mind-blowing 4" lip. These 3-piece T6-6061 grade forged aluminum wheels were special-ordered to our specs, with a custom offset both front and rear to allow for a maximum fitment. Upon arrival, the wheels were subsequently mounted up on Continental Sport Contact 2 tires, in sizes 255/30/20 up front and an astounding 305/25/20 for the rear. Even with the aggressively lowered stance, no body modifications were needed to make this setup work with the car. The multi-spoke style of the M1 adds a touch of luxury, while the brushed finish keeps it slightly understated, all offset by the deep chrome outer lips - mission accomplished.

The last phase of the project was to address the exterior styling. Our old friends Yasu and Takuro from Evolution Japan provided their latest Auto Couture "seraphic line" styling kit, made specifically for the C219 chassis. This aero package consisted of a front lip spoiler, side skirts, a rear add-on lip spoiler, and a subtle 3-piece decklid spoiler for the trunk. Upon arrival from Japan, the styling kit was handed over to Justin, Koko, and the crew at Koko's Auto body in Dallas, TX, who expertly handled the paint and installation duties. The parts were a perfect fit and needed virtually no adjustment to fit tight to the body - the sign of a well-executed styling package. An exhaust system was ordered for the car to finish out the rear, but unfortunately it did not arrive in the allotted time frame. Due to timing constraints for the release of the article and photo shoot, this portion of the project was not completed. However, even without the exhaust system, we feel the car leaves little to be desired when rolling down the street, so we decided to cut the project short and debut the car as it is seen here.

Wheel Experts Automotive Group would like to thank the following individuals and organizations for the help with the CLS buildup: Marc, Kenny, and Tony at Mercedes-Benz of Sugar Land, Modulare Wheels Inc., Corey at Kleemann USA, Yasu and Taku from Evolution Japan, and last but not least Justin and Koko from Koko's Autobody. Stay tuned for our next project, coming soon!