Welcome to my Car Domain page for my 2008 Mercedes Benz C300 Sport.
Like most people, when I was looking to purchase a new car in the $30-40k range, I was considering the C, 3-series, IS, and G35. Going into it, I was mainly looking for a daily driver with enough visual appeal to reflect the young professional I was, but also hold its own performance wise. As several of my colleagues already sported the G35, I was hesitant to choose that course, even though it was a very solid contender. The BMW 3 hit the nail performance wise, but already having owned a BMW in the past, I wanted to venture out into different makes. The IS250 was too underpowered, but the 350 was very very close to being just right. What killed it was the size. It was just a tad bit too small for my tastes. This lead me to the C class. Now, I know MBs have a stigma of being and old man's car, but it really was love at first sight. I still remember when I first saw the car in LA in front of Lawry's in late 2007, I was like "what is that!". It really was love at first sight and I guess subconciously, I was rooting for the C class to win out when I started shopping for a new ride.
Remember, this started out as a daily driver and I had planned on leaving it stock.....but that lasted all of a month. Although I opted for the 18" AMG wheel upgrade, I quickly grew bored of them and placed an order with IForged for some new wheels. From there, it was a slippery slope to modland.
Due to this being a new model year, and limited MB tuners out there to begin with, I scourged all avenues of information I could from all the web boards (mbworld, benzworld, mymbonline, versus, mbfanatics, 6speed) for any and all information I could get my hands on. I remember the 204 community as a whole rejoicing when something as trivial as clear and smoked side markers became available. This was my first MB and as my knowledge and experience grew with that make, so did my C300. I already knew I took a hit performance wise as stock only sporting a measly 228hp (yeah yeah, I should have opted for a C350 at at least 268hp, but they didn't have one with the options I wanted and as a DD, the extra 40hp wasn't on top of my need list then). This led me to work first on suspension. If it couldn't beat them with 0-60, maybe I can take them on cornering and twists. Only coilovers out at the time were the cost prohibiting KW V3. Too rich for my blood, so opted for cheaper H&R springs. This turned out to be a mistake as the suspension turned to crap. It looked slightly better lowered, but was still pretty 4x4. A few months (and mods) later to my joy, I got word that H&R was coming out with Street Performance coilovers at more reasonably prices just north of a grand. Purchased them as soon as they came out, tossed them on, and the rest is history. Sometime between there, I also got wind that Brembo was coming out with a brake kit for the 204. This came just in time as I was just about to pull the trigger on Rotara brakes (only one available). The same day these became available, order was placed. My general theme for the car was black and white and I knew I wanted to continue that theme, so got the calipers painted white (sucks to clean, but looks so hot). After that, it was just cosmetic mods here and there, with a Speed Innovation ECU tune, BMC Filters (same filters on the Mercedes DTM car), and new exhaust setup for performance.
Through this whole process, I've made tons of friends in the MB community and in the tuner world in general. I've joined up with clubs/teams like DVS (Diverse Vehicle Style) and Eurowerkz and competed under both banners. Yes, it's no longer just my daily driver, but also a show car now. Since I've started competing in 2009 to date (July), I've taken home 3rd place Best Luxury at Wekfest in San Francisco, Hottest Luxury Vehicle at Hot Import Night San Mateo, 1st Place Best Mercedes at Dubfest Norcal and 1st Place Best Mercedes at Dubfest Los Angeles. I'm not a hardcore car show guy, but do it more for sh1ts and giggles and to bring a general awareness to others that the stereotypical old man's mercedes is a thing of the past!
Anyways, thanks for reading my spiel and visiting my page. Remember, stop the hate. We're all car enthusiasts and grown-ups here and should act accordingly.
-Michael
Current:
Wheels & Tires
- Toyo T1R 225/35/19F, 255/30/19R
- IForged Precision Series Variant 19x8.5F, 19x9R
External Mods
- Brabus 3-Piece Spoiler
- Clear Side Marker
- 3M Clear Bra Full Front Wrap
- 8000K PROMAX HID Kit Headlights
- 8000K PROMAX HID Kit Foglights
- Polarg Superwhite Wedge Bulbs
- Blesk W5W Canbus LEDs
- Greystone Limo Tint by Johnson Film
- Cherry Painted Tinted Tail Lights
- Custom Carbon Fiber B & C Pillars
- Custom Carbon Fiber Mirror Wings
- Dechromed Window, Fog, and Trunk Trim
- EuroTeck Carbon Fiber Front Lip
- EuroTeck Carbon Fiber Quad Rear Diffuser
- Custom Painted 2-Tone Grille
- Custom Painted 2-Time Engine Cover & Airbox
Internal Mods
- Brabus Sport Shifter
- Brabus Sport Pedals
- Brabus Door Pins
- Custom Carbon Fiber Fabric Trim
- Second Skin Damplifier Pro
- Second Skin Luxury Liner Pro
Performance and Exhaust Mods
- Speed Innovation ECU Tune
- BMC High Performance F1 Filters
- Meisterschaft GT Exhaust
- Magnaflow Tru-X Pipe
Suspension & Brakes
- H&R Street Performance Coilovers
- Brembo Gran Turismo Custom Painted White 6Piston/4Piston Monoblock Calipers
- Brembo Gran Turismo Stainless Steel Brake Lines
- Brembo Gran Turismo 355x32/328x28 2-Piece Rotors
- MB Arts Carbon Fiber Chromoly Strut Brace
- Eibach Sway Bars
Future:
- Kleeman Headers & Downpipes
- Kleeman ECU Tune
- DPE SP-5
- Custom Diamond white double stitch interior
- CF C63 Steering Wheel
Sponsors:
- DPE Wheels
- Toyo Tires
- Euroteck
- JSDesign Factory
- MB Arts
Special Thanks To:
- Sonic Motorsports
- Promax Motorsports
- Hyevon Motors
- EuroProjektz
- DVStyle
