I am finally back in Southern California and this is the 2^nd wagon that I shot upon my return stateside. I have been in touch with the owner, Jeff since late 2022. At the time, he was in the process of doing power upgrade and his wagon was down for the count. Since he did most of the work himself, the work may or may not have taken longer than expected (though Jeff didn’t confirm nor deny that the work was taking longer than expected LOL).

Having owned an E55 AMG sedan previously, this is the platform that Jeff is familiar with. The only difference now is that Jeff is a proud dad of 3 and he wanted his kids to enjoy the car with him. Now let’s talk about the E55 AMG wagon itself. While the E55 AMG sedans are more widely available, its wagon counterpart is a different story. Mercedes Benz only brought a total of 194 wagons between 2005 and 2006. And only 5 wagons were finished in this Granite Gray Metallic color. Such a rare beauty!

Inspired by the CLK Black Series, Jeff’s S211 E55 AMG Estate has some parts that came from the famous Black Series. Most notably are the wheels. Those who noticed may also see the Black Series treatment in the cabin: starting from Recaro Pole Position seats (that was available as a ROW option) and the steering wheel. Not happy with the wood trim in the car, they were all replaced with carbon fiber pieces.  Wanting the kids to be able to enjoy the estate with him, they also got their own Recaro seats! The exterior received an updated front bumper from an E63 AMG; complete with a carbon fiber front lip. The rear received a carbon fiber diffuser. For classier looks, all chrome trims and bits were then finished in piano black. To add a cool dad factor, THULE cargo box was sourced to complete the exterior. And I must say that the silver cargo box really compliments the Granite Gray Metallic exterior paint. AMG is famous for making big power cars. Unsatisfied with 469HP, Jeff wanted more power out of the M113K engine: smaller pulley was sourced along with a tune. To be able to put down the extra power on tarmac, LSD was then added. To add a cherry on top, a Gruppe M intake setup was acquired. As a final touch to the car, Jeff cleaned every inch of the estate: starting from paint correction to full engine detail. The result doesn’t disappoint!

From having seen Jeff’s E55 Estate in person, I think that he has tastefully completed his mission in building a fast OEM+ wagon that can haul his family in style to the local Cars and Coffee!

Introduce Yourself:

My name is Jeff, I live in Southern California. I have a beautiful wife, 3 boys, and a golden doodle.

WHY A WAGON?

I used to have an E55 sedan, modded it and absolutely loved it for many years. When my wife and I started having kids, my racing career began to slow to focus on our family. My original plan was to sell my E55 sedan and get a CLK63 AMG Black Series (part of me wishes I did at this time as it turned out to be the absolute bottom of the market, they have since climbed significantly). With my second son on the way my wife made a good point, there’s no room for the kids to enjoy it with me. So I began to search for a wagon. I knew the E55 wagons were rare and hard to come by, so I was thinking about getting a new E63. I began to look all over and post some feelers for E55’s just in case. Someone hit me up on Instagram and said their friend had one they might be interested in selling. I met the dude at my bank’s parking lot. It wasn’t the best example, but it had my ‘must-haves’ (2006 year, keyless go, & 3rd row seats). I didn’t haggle him over the price, just went inside and gave him the cash. 

Did you consider a different WAGON instead of this one?

 I considered an E63 wagon, and a 6-speed CTS-V.

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

 My main plan for the build has been my version of a CLK Black Series Wagon.

What style would you say best describes your car?

 OEM+++

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

 I’ve done pretty much everything myself.

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

 There were only 194 E55 wagons imported to the USA in ‘05-‘06. 64 of those were 2006’s, and apparently there were only 5 in Granite Gray Metallic. I like that if someone wants one, they (for the most part) can’t just go buy one. They only go up for sale so often, and now they pack a premium. I’ve also allocated some pretty rare parts for it as well.

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

 I’d have to say some of the modifications I’ve done. The seats and steering wheel completely transformed the driving experience.

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

 It has it flaws, but that allows me to drive it, let my kids in it (no food or drinks of course lol) and just enjoy it as a driver.

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

 Trying to find a tig welder to finish my back half exhaust, I’ve had the mufflers for a couple years, just need to find the right guy with some free time.

What one word best describes your car?

Dad-Spec. 

What is your final goal with this car?

Final goal is to just enjoy it as much as I can. And enjoy the process of modding it. It’ll probably never be ‘done’.