SP Rides: B is for Brabus
BY MICHAEL KITCHENS
Name: Justin Lam
Age: 34
Occupation: Nurse Consultant
Hobbies: Exercising, Cars & Bikes, Video Games
Year, Make, Model: 1996 Mercedes E320
Color: Pearl Black
Engine: Brabus exhaust
Exterior: Brabus lip kit & sideskirts, Brabus flat hood badge, 2002 E Class mirrors, Blacked out grille, 2002 E55 AMG taillamps, OEM Mercedes Xenon headlamps
Interior: Brabus steering wheel, Brabus 200 mph cluster, Brabus doorsills, Brabus pedals, Brabus door pins, Brabus shift knob, 2002 E Class airbags, various Italian Leather-wrapped interior panels, 2002 E Class wood command trim, Kenwood DVD player, Rockford 15-inch subwoofer, Kicker 1000-watt amp
Suspension: Ksport coilovers, Koni yellow shocks, Speedway camber arms
Wheels/Brakes/Tires: Brabus Monoblock VI 18 by 8.5 and 18 by 9.5, Pirelli PZero tires at 225/40 front and 245/40 rear, Brabus billet center caps, Brabus 6-piston front calipers, Brabus 4-piston rear calipers, Brabus two piece front 370-millimeter front rotors, SL600 silver arrow 300-millimeter rear rotors
Justin Lam is no stranger to performance machines. He grew up loving Hondas alongside his high school buddies while also being known for his blazing fast Ducati addiction. Yet when it comes to his daily driver, being comfortable amidst the lap of luxury is more important than outright speed. He’s even kept it in the family by breathing new life into a 1996 Mercedes E320.
Originally owned, new, by his aunt, this sleek, Pearl Black Mercedes was purchased from his father in 2005. At the time, Lam had felt good about the purchase thanks to knowing the full-service history and the reliability of the car. At the time, he couldn’t have known how much he would invest in what has become quite a showpiece for the Brabus name brand.
Alongside AMG, Brabus are the big dogs of the Mercedes aftermarket scene. Founded in 1977, they’re famous for taking luxury cars and turning them into absolutely bonkers performance behemoths. Since it was an older car, Justin had only intended to fix a few issues, however, a visit to a popular Mercedes forum revealed an entire world of tuning potential with Brabus at its center point.
Justin began by sourcing used Brabus parts off the Internet which wasn’t a small feat considering that Brabus stopped making parts for the E320 in 2002. After collecting some choice mods, he then went directly to the source and purchased all of Brabus’ remaining inventory for this model. Ever since then, he’s continued to source parts from all over the world.
Take one look at the laundry list of Brabus specific parts and you know this car has had some work done. The seemingly stealth profile belies the actual amount of modification work that has been done to it. Although there’s plenty to look at, Justin is very proud of several choice items.
First, are the extremely rare Brabus 6-piston and 4-piston brakes and rotors. These babies are top-of-the-line, and took quite a bit of effort to find. Soon after, he was able to acquire an entire kit of Brabus exterior components including a front lip kit, side skirts and rear lip. An exclusive Brabus exhaust, blacked out grille and hard to find OEM Mercedes Xenon headlamps give the exterior even further refinement.
The car is stanced perfectly thanks to the Ksport coilovers and Koni shocks. It is so perfect, in fact, that there’s not even a finger gap between the fender and the Brabus Monoblock V is set at 18 by 8.5 and 18 by 9.5, respectively. Pirelli PZero tires keep this black beauty on the road.
The interior has also been lovingly upgraded. Various Italian leather-wrapped interior panels mix with numerous upgrades including, a Brabus steering wheel, 200 mph cluster, doorsills, pedals, and a shift knob. The sounds pump through a Rockford 15-inch subwoofer blasted through a Kicker 1000-watt amp.
Lam has exceedingly more plans for this ride, including some severe power modifications. But, he is content with building at his own pace and for himself. “I don’t do shows, I don’t go to car meets … I do this for me. It’s all about what makes you happy in the end” said Lam. And with a car like this, who wouldn’t be?
