Have we fitted the wrong wheels on our Brabus W126?

Internationally renowned photographer Mark has been working with TG for many, many years. When not taking photos he’s buying inappropriate cars. Here he shares his addiction with the world…

Recently I’ve used a bedside lamp to illuminate my shower. Not in a sexy way either; two of the ceiling lights have gone pop and they’re a bit of a faff to replace. So, while a ghetto solution exists, I figured a better use of my time would be spent building Lego models from Christmas.

This is particularly important because – as an adult – the window in which you can safely build Lego rapidly declines into questionable browsing history as soon as the festive period is over. Unless you can utilise the loophole of having children.

Also, for the past six months, my garage door has refused to lock without it being lifted slightly. Rather than try to fix it, I’ve spent many hours working out which household tool would offer the optimum lift versus effort required to lock it. For the record, that turned out to be a 3ft axe.

Priorities are somewhat skewed in my brain. And, unsurprisingly, this has transferred into the world of cars too. The Brabus W126 bought last year is currently sat awaiting work required to get it roadworthy. Namely the engine which, once started, sounds like an improv jazz drummer being kicked down a flight of stairs.

You might also have noticed the lack of numberplates. That requires registration, something I’ve continually put off despite the fact that every 28 days I have to renew the insurance cover note on it. Something which probably takes approximately the same amount of time as it would take for me to fill in the DVLA forms.

But, what I have done is something much more exciting...

Because while it may not really move, it does now have some new (old) AMG Penta wheels tucked under its arches. And in the spirit of keeping things authentically Eighties, I’ve gone for a set of meaty 50-profile Falken ZE310 tyres in 225/50/16 fitment. There is a time and place for low profile tyres, but this isn’t the car for it.

Technically these aren’t the right wheels for a Brabus W126 either. AMG Pentas belong on AMG-equipped Benzs, whereas the Brabus range of tuning always opted for either Ronal (early models) or ACT (facelift models). Don’t worry, I’ve got that covered though.

Rather than replace the key battery in my loved E63 – which now needs manually starting each time – I managed to find a set of ACT Mesh wheels on German eBay which should turn up any day now. They’ll need refurbishing, but it’s dawned on me the boiler is due a service soon. So I’ll have plenty of time to orchestrate a diamond-cut finish rather than worry about hot water throughout winter.