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I don’t modify any of my newer vehicles except to get rid of the run flat tires. On my older iron I search out and install every period accessory I can find. The 1957 Nash Metropolitan I am rebuilding now has the famous accessory “Flying Into The Future” naked lady on the hood. Might put one on my SL when I drive the Art Car Parade!
I think in 50's -60's modification business was not as instated as its now or those who were driving those car back then must have been satisfied with the way their cars' looks .Today's car are more prone to modifications as well.
Nobody would bother to replace their wheels with aftermarket multi spoken ultra thin wheels , those were the days thick side wall tires ruled the roads lol
Under 50, and as I age, there is less modification and money spent on cars compared to the roaring 20s. Incurring more debts, investments, bills, life changes leaves less for guns and toys. The S class doesn't have a lot of room for non-factory mods. If you have a stock S-class yes, you open up more options in the future at a cost. My s for example lacks the CF exterior option and that is easier to obtain and do (but LOADS of $$$). But I also lack the reclining VIP seat, which seems harder than unbolting and bolting back a bumper.
Now on another car, I went all out. Bone stock Hummer h1. Does NOT help that it is easily modded because the interior quality is built like military, so simple and basic. Exterior armor, flashing lights, light bars all around, LED to all stock lights, FLIR, winch, upgraded grille guard, the interior had a lot of electronics, switches, basic comfort added, sound deadening, etc. Mid 20s then.
I find the w222 platform way harder to modify than compared to the w220, aside from wheels and caliper color.
I completely agree with the OP. That said, I have toyed with the idea of wrapping the Pano roof in silver to make it disappear, but I guess I’ve gotten used to it now, so I’ve let it go. I was also concerned that wrapping the roof might cause it to overheat and crack. Other than that, I’ve changed out the run flat tires for conventionals and carry a W221 spare in my trunk, if those count as “mods.” For the most part, I don’t care for the exterior looks of my S560, as I felt the refreshed W221 was much better looking. However, the overall driving experience with my 2018 has been so positive, that the car ends up being very attractive to me after all.
I would definitely NOT consider changing from RFT to conventional tires as mods.
Well I can say for me, I am an S class owner and have made In my opinion, modest mods. Mods that most manufacturers offer from the factory, just not on the S.
for me, the e class and CLS are both nice and sporty but dont have the road presence of an S Class. They also do not have the plush interior of an S class.
the S is a a comfortable cream puffer but also handles exceptionally well, whereas the E class and CLS don’t ride as comfortably as an S.
so, for me I modded my S class because it was easier to give an S more sporty appearance while not dramatically changing the integrity of the car.
My mods and reasons for them:
22’s - because the s class is a HUGE car and 19’s look tiny. It also fills the wheel well better.
blackout majority of the chrome - because I like the aggressive look of blackout package...car still looks classy.
Aftermarket exhaust- its a big V8 and I like a little sound. Not c63 cracks and pops sound but a nice grunt.
ECU - who doesn’t want more power?
yes I could’ve just got an s63, but I saw no reason to pay 15-20k more for a more powerful engine when I can easier achieve that through an ECU upgrade.
I have noticed people have this way about them with the S class in particular that it should be “left alone”. I believe any mod is personal preference. The older model S class was dubbed the “old mans car” I believe because the new model w222 is much sleeker and sportier in appearance it has attracted a younger mod interested crowd, including myself...being 26.
when I had an Audi A7, someone asked this same question on someone who downgraded from 20’s to 18’s.. a user said “but it’s a sports car why wouldn’t you want the bigger wheels”. It’s all personal taste.
and as a final note, I live in philadelphia and I am always in NY, where S classes are the taxi cars of NYC... so I would rather my 100k car not be mistaken for a limousine service. 🤪
2014 E350 Sport (sold), 2015 S550 Sport (sold), 2018 S560 Sport (sold), 2018 GLE43, 2014 E550
Originally Posted by Ksellers10
Well I can say for me, I am an S class owner and have made In my opinion, modest mods. Mods that most manufacturers offer from the factory, just not on the S.
for me, the e class and CLS are both nice and sporty but dont have the road presence of an S Class. They also do not have the plush interior of an S class.
the S is a a comfortable cream puffer but also handles exceptionally well, whereas the E class and CLS don’t ride as comfortably as an S.
so, for me I modded my S class because it was easier to give an S more sporty appearance while not dramatically changing the integrity of the car.
My mods and reasons for them:
22’s - because the s class is a HUGE car and 19’s look tiny. It also fills the wheel well better.
blackout majority of the chrome - because I like the aggressive look of blackout package...car still looks classy.
Aftermarket exhaust- its a big V8 and I like a little sound. Not c63 cracks and pops sound but a nice grunt.
ECU - who doesn’t want more power?
yes I could’ve just got an s63, but I saw no reason to pay 15-20k more for a more powerful engine when I can easier achieve that through an ECU upgrade.
I have noticed people have this way about them with the S class in particular that it should be “left alone”. I believe any mod is personal preference. The older model S class was dubbed the “old mans car” I believe because the new model w222 is much sleeker and sportier in appearance it has attracted a younger mod interested crowd, including myself...being 26.
when I had an Audi A7, someone asked this same question on someone who downgraded from 20’s to 18’s.. a user said “but it’s a sports car why wouldn’t you want the bigger wheels”. It’s all personal taste.
and as a final note, I live in philadelphia and I am always in NY, where S classes are the taxi cars of NYC... so I would rather my 100k car not be mistaken for a limousine service. 🤪
well put. I remember building my F15 X5 and choosing the factory "Shadowline" package that deleted the majority of the chrome and replaced it with black. Infiniti and other brands do this as well. What chip and exhaust are you running? I'd love to do an exhaust but would hate to ruin that silent cabin on road trips.
well put. I remember building my F15 X5 and choosing the factory "Shadowline" package that deleted the majority of the chrome and replaced it with black. Infiniti and other brands do this as well. What chip and exhaust are you running? I'd love to do an exhaust but would hate to ruin that silent cabin on road trips.
I am running the weistec ECU and Remus axleback exhaust. I think it sounds good. No drone. And it retains the stock butterfly valves, so it’s pretty quiet in the cabin until you mash the pedal and valves open. If I had to give you a comparison, it’s a much more satisfying sound rolling down the highway vs the loud noise that comes from the stock runflats!!
Interested in which exhaust as well, my research only shows a Remus exhaust for a S550 cab
yep Remus is what I am running. There aren’t many options. Aside from a custom downpipe Remus is your best bet. If you want to test the waters first, go with a resonator delete. Super inexpensive and will give a tad bit more sound. The good thing is if you do res delete like I did, and find you want more sound, you can go with the cheaper Remus option which will just be sport mufflers
2014 E350 Sport (sold), 2015 S550 Sport (sold), 2018 S560 Sport (sold), 2018 GLE43, 2014 E550
Originally Posted by Ksellers10
I am running the weistec ECU and Remus axleback exhaust. I think it sounds good. No drone. And it retains the stock butterfly valves, so it’s pretty quiet in the cabin until you mash the pedal and valves open. If I had to give you a comparison, it’s a much more satisfying sound rolling down the highway vs the loud noise that comes from the stock runflats!!
I'm really considering this. I had an AC Schnitzer sport exhaust on my X5 50i and although it is considered the most "tame" exhaust for the vehicle, it was a little too much for me after a couple months. It did have a bit of a drone on the highway although it was very mild. I ended up regretting it. However, this car is MUCH quieter so if I could get some noise on acceleration only I would be over the moon. If you are able to make a video that would be much appreciated. Just cruising around in the car and then mashing the gas pedal. That video the shop sent you was AWESOME and I need that in my life.
I really don’t like the trend of lowering your car.
Popular trend in America.
Its disgusting to my European eyes and mind.
so do you think that using air suspension and putting the car in sport + (which obviously lowers the car), is disgusting? Just curious. I believe everything is perception. If a person lowers their car a few mm, people think it’s tacky, but if the manufacturer does it, then it’s “sporty”?
so do you think that using air suspension and putting the car in sport + (which obviously lowers the car), is disgusting? Just curious. I believe everything is perception. If a person lowers their car a few mm, people think it’s tacky, but if the manufacturer does it, then it’s “sporty”?
I don’t like the way you think.
just as I don’t like the way you Americans do.
I couldn't pretend to have a foreign view.........I have no idea what it's like to live anywhere else. Although I have traveled to nearly ALL 50 states, I'm not that worldly. I do find other cultures very fascinating however......many different people making up the world is incredibly interesting.
2014 E350 Sport (sold), 2015 S550 Sport (sold), 2018 S560 Sport (sold), 2018 GLE43, 2014 E550
Originally Posted by Mercbenzking
I don’t like the way you think.
just as I don’t like the way you Americans do.
I'm not sure where you are from sir/ma'am but I will say your statement is unfortunately quite common. I've been in the military for 14 years and have traveled the globe. I've met people from over 10 different countries and inevitably bump into someone who has this shared what I would call "misconception". After great conversations with dozens of these people, they typically end up saying "well, I guess I had it all wrong; you guys aren't so bad". I mean there are 325 million people in the US, I'm sure there's a massive population of "Americans" here who's thinking would be aligned with whatever yours is. Hopefully this forum will be a place where my previous statement will become obvious. You are not the first person to bash car lowering and I'm quite sure those guys were American so there you go. We're all just people with different opinions, regardless of birth place.
2019 SL450, 2019 E450 Luxury Trim Wagon, 2024 BMW I7 xDrive60
Originally Posted by Mercbenzking
I don’t like the way you think.
just as I don’t like the way you Americans do.
Well, rather than dance around the issue, why don’t I just ask this gentleman: Sir, what is your nationality?
(By the way, I don’t like lowered cars either!)
2016 S550 sport, 2018 GLC300, M3, Zo7, 2021 Sierra Denali
Originally Posted by tkelley.EClass
I'm not sure where you are from sir/ma'am but I will say your statement is unfortunately quite common. I've been in the military for 14 years and have traveled the globe. I've met people from over 10 different countries and inevitably bump into someone who has this shared what I would call "misconception". After great conversations with dozens of these people, they typically end up saying "well, I guess I had it all wrong; you guys aren't so bad". I mean there are 325 million people in the US, I'm sure there's a massive population of "Americans" here who's thinking would be aligned with whatever yours is. Hopefully this forum will be a place where my previous statement will become obvious. You are not the first person to bash car lowering and I'm quite sure those guys were American so there you go. We're all just people with different opinions, regardless of birth place.
He's not just giving an opinion he cannot hide his contempt and dislike of Americans. As you pointed out this is a narrow, ignorant way of thinking. The video shows you the type your dealing with.
Well, rather than dance around the issue, why don’t I just ask this gentleman: Sir, what is your nationality?
(By the way, I don’t like lowered cars either!)
so Mr. Streamliner, I am going to assume that you also don’t like the idea of the airmatic suspension lowering your car for you? just curious. Or am I reading too much into it... when you say you don’t like lowering are you saying slammed like a souped up civic, or a clean lower to close out the hideous wheel gap? Which is it?😀
2019 SL450, 2019 E450 Luxury Trim Wagon, 2024 BMW I7 xDrive60
Originally Posted by Ksellers10
so Mr. Streamliner, I am going to assume that you also don’t like the idea of the airmatic suspension lowering your car for you? just curious. Or am I reading too much into it... when you say you don’t like lowering are you saying slammed like a souped up civic, or a clean lower to close out the hideous wheel gap? Which is it?😀
I have no problem with factory suspensions that lower the car for performance purposes. I just don’t like things like the car pictured below.
Mercedes SLR McLaren 722 S Is Extremely Rare Example Modified by McLaren
Slideshow: A one-of-one U.S.-spec Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Roadster became even rarer after a factory-backed transformation at McLaren's headquarters.
