Dream Car Achievement: “UNLOCKED.” Always awesome to hear every story where an individual gets to purchase their dream car! Enter Michael Long; a business owner (BENZTEC) by day and a full-time car enthusiast, who has worked very hard in achieving his goals. BENZTEC is in business to repair and modify Mercedes Benz cars and it is no surprise that Michael chose the S212 E63 AMG Estate to be his latest project. In fact, Michael admitted that he was the one responsible in getting Henry to acquire his S211 E500 Estate (see Blog Entry #8). And I believe Michael also got a few more people hooked into Mercedes Benz wagons.  A wise man once said, “a good person never let his friends live a wagon-less life.” 

Originally a black color, Michael wanted his wagon to stand out from the crowd. He went to Impressive Wrap to get the color that you see on this blog entry. It’s a very tricky color: matte black from some angles with subtle dark brown shade under direct sunlight. Subtle side graphics in gray were added to provide contrast to the matte wrap. Carbon Fiber aero (front and rear) were acquired to make the wagon more aggressive looking. The wagon was then dropped and finally a set of 21” BBS LM-R wheels were added as the final piece to the puzzle. To get these wheels to fit was no easy task as they were originally for F10 BMW M5. To spice up to the exterior some more, all brake calipers were powder-coated in darker shade of blue metallic and blue/gold BBS center caps were sourced. AMG wagons are known for their big power from the factory; a tune and an exhaust upgrade were deemed enough by Michael for the performance department. 

Michael described his wagon as “Luxury Performance Wagon” and I think this AMG wagon easily fits into that description with Mike’s well-thought-out modifications.

Introduce Yourself

Hey, I’m Michael Long.  Born and raised in Long Beach, California. My whole life, I’ve worked on cars. Taught by my dad and assisted him as we worked out of our driveway since I was 12 years old. At the age of 24, I owned and began my own business, Benztec.

WHY A WAGON?

I wanted to be different in terms of owning a car that you don’t see quite often. Something that is fast, but also a sleeper. So, when the opportunity was given from a good friend of mine, I went for it.

Did you consider a different WAGON instead of this one?

I did consider a W213 E63S wagon or an Audi RS6 Wagon, but….out of my price range at the time, lol.

What was your original objective with your car and has that objective changed?

I wanted to make it fun to drive, as in pretty fun to drive…fast. But to also keep the bill simple. First things first, wrap the car, tune the engine, upgrade the exhaust, and lastly, wheels.

What style would you say best describes your car?

Luxury performance wagon

Who assisted in the planning/building/modding of your car?

My team at Benztec did the performance. SSA Haus worked on the alignment. Impressive Wrap did the wrap. Also, a shout out to my friend Charlie out in Hong Kong for supplying  the carbon diffuser and exhaust tips.

What do you feel makes your car unique/special in your eyes?

I love the BBS LMR wheels since it’s not common to see it on Mercedes and it fits the car so well.

What is your favorite part/feature/function of the car?

Let’s just say it’s a wagon. I can fit so much shit in there.

If you could pick one thing you aren’t satisfied with about your car, what would it be?

There is nothing I am not satisfied about the car. It’s mainly about the city and the damn potholes where I’m too scared to take this car out on the road. My butt clenches every time there’s a pothole.

What has been the biggest obstacle you’ve faced while building this car?

Nothing.

What one word best describes your car?

Special.

What is your final goal with this car?

Possibly change the wrap in the future.