The W211 generation of the E-Class is what you'd call a modern classic. Long and fitted with four headlights, it's the car most people think about when you say "Mercedes from the 2000s."
Even though it's quite old, it still does everything you expect from a luxury car, and it also served as the underpinnings for the first CLS-Class.
For going to a country club or chauffeuring a client from the airport, this old Merc has what it takes. However, this particular E-Class has something dirty hidden under its businessman suit. A 5.5-liter AMG engine resides under the bonnet, good for terrorizing the neighborhood, racing Porsches and laying down a thick carpet of rubber.
By today, standards, the old E55 AMG is not that impressive. Today's roster of absurd hatchbacks uses 2-liter engines to deliver the same amount of power and performance. That's why this project car is more about looking good than anything else.
Meet Darth Vader's idea of a classic German saloon, The E55 by American auto shop 503 Motoring.
“The E55 is the perfect mating of power, style, and comfort,” says 503 president Tim Walbridge. “At 469hp and with positions for four adults it is one of the most understated rocket sedans made, in my opinion.”
Being a native to the Pacific Northwest, Tim saw that he needed to combine German performance with some utility and sport. So he mounted the LDG 700c bicycle made by Livery Design Gruppe to the roof of the car on a set of racks and installed a color-matched travel box.
This otherwise standard black sports saloon has been equipped with a set of Vossen limited-edition VLE-1 wheels in a staggered setup, 20×9 in the front and 20×10.5 in the rear. With color-matched center caps, the VLE-1s look right at home, adding just the right hint of aggression to the supercharged V8-powered E-Class.
Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida. Full profile
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