A Dying Breed

With the world being full of lifeless SUV's, the manual 2-door coupe is a dying breed. Brent's here to reinvigorate that trend.

Owner: Brent Blommaert - @deep_c_blue | Photography Courtesy of: @xf.shots

In a world of SUV's and practical hybrid crossovers, one thing that's become a rare sight on the road is a sleek 2-door coupe. With more manufacturers looking to tap into the booming market that is the Sports Utility Vehicle, for those who enjoy something lower and more compact, choices are becoming few and far between.

To put the popularity of SUV's into context, in 2018 these road worthy tanks accounted for 46% of total on-road vehicles. This figure has since sky-rocketed to 57% by 2023 and is projected to rise to over 65% by 2030, so it's only a matter of time before we're all plonked in a tech ridden, lifeless jacked-up box.

Deviating from this mould is Brent who has opted to keep things low, sleek and (in the eyes of soccer moms across the land) impractical with only 2 doors and non-existent ground clearance.

"A friend of a co-worker of mine was selling the Mercedes and my co-worker knew I liked Mercedes a lot. One day he was showing me some pictures of it and I was sold instantly."

It's easy to see why Brent was drawn into the C-Class Coupe - they are super sleek and available with a whole host of trim and spec levels. Plus, you get all the classy interior touches and cabin features that Mercedes are renowned for making for a comfortable yet sporty drive. Whilst, this is music to the automotive enthusiast's ears, for Hugo Boss suit clad board members of Mercedes, this is a nightmare - the modern consumer does not want to sporty coupe's. It is with this that Merc has announced the C-Class & E-Class coupe's have been discontinued and will be replaced with one singular model - the CLE - in an effort to reduce their fleet of coupe's.

For those who are against sporty coupe's there's another weapon in this Merc's arsenal that sparks further cause for concern.

"It's a manual. A lot of people are always extremely surprised when they see the gearstick. It's just always funny to see those people's faces."

Yup, a manual gearstick. In comparison to today's electric offerings, and in the eyes of under 21's, you may as well be driving a horse & carriage. Amazingly, only 29% of new cars registered in the UK in 2023 had manual transmissions. This is a trend that will continue to worsen as the drive for eradicating the internal combustion engine is ruthlessly dialled up ahead of its 2030 target. More EV's with no gears means there's no need for manual gearboxes so you can forget money-shifting for a laugh on your way home from work.

With this in mind, Brent's coupe is a car that will only get rarer as more are written-off over time; its combination of a manual coupe being a thing petrol heads will reminisce on around the pub table in years to come. Not to mention, modifications and a well-tuned exhaust note.

"The real challenge was to keep this one stock. Once you buy one part it's already too late, so I just thought, why not turn it into a show car since I was already buying so much stuff for it."

When building a show car there's almost an unwritten checklist of tweaks that must be met before it can even be considered. Thankfully these are also elements that most petrol heads change almost immediately as they go on the hunt for performance, stance or just a personal touch to their pride & joy. The 3 basics are essentially, a sweet exhaust soundtrack , a solid stance and some crispy clean wheels.

"The success for me has definitely got to be the wheels. When they were put on the car for the first time, I really was like yeh this is a vibe. Also for me it was the first time measuring all the sizes to have a good fitment, and in my opinion, it came out exactly the way I wanted."

We've mentioned it many times before, but navigating the minefield that is fitment really is an art itself. Offset, tyre profile, camber, and rim size are just some of the primary considerations with a substantial amount of maths involved. Achieving great fitment not only enhances the aesthetic of the car but allows for the wheels to be displayed in a complementary manner. There's nothing worse than seeing thousands of pounds worth of alloy being engulfed by massive arch gap or swallowed by a tyre profile big enough for a Boeing 747.

Brent's 3-piece Work Zistance wheels work so well with this Mercedes and the overall white finish maintains a clean and crispy finish, with the arches delicately placed onto the lips.

"I like everything I've installed on the car but if I were to pick one thing I'd pick the wheels again. I recently installed the Air Ride and of course I'm in love when I see the car on the ground. Everything just fits together so well.

The stance was always going to go one way. I've always liked the tucked style you get when a car is slammed. Extreme camber is not my cup of tea so I just wanted a good clean, tucked fitment. I like all kinds of stance, but in my opinion, tucked fitment looks the best to me."

Opinions around fitment are similar to that of how the British public like their tea. How much milk is too much? Is it tea bag or milk first? Sugar or no sugar? Ultimately there is no correct answer (milk, tea bag first and 2 sugars...) but everybody has their own personal preference, and it was one special loved ones preference that inspired Brent to create bagged beauty that is his Mercedes...

Poignantly, Brent's Mercedes pays homage to his late Grandfather who was always a fan of the German manufacturer but sadly never got to own nor ride in his Grandchild's example. A sad reminder of how cruel the tests of time can be and a time for reflection.

"I don't think I would do anything different. Maybe if I would do anything differently I would just buy new black trims instead of wrapping the chrome ones but as it stands, I don't think there is anything I regret changing on the car."

Overall, Brent's C-Class Coupe is a great example of what owners can still receive from the dying, sleek 2- door package. A great exterior, relatively spacious and well designed interior, paired with a punchy and immersive drive - it's a lighter, sportier alternative to a family 4-door saloon. Throw in a revised stance, a burbling exhaust and some additional style, and you have yourselves a classy cruiser capable of providing smiles per mile when you flex your big toe.

"I really don't know what's next. Everything is the way I want it to be. For sure I will find something to buy and install but at this moment I really don't know. Maybe one day I'll change the colour with a nice wrap, or build a nice trunk setup for the Air Ride... I just think I'll go through this season with what I have now and we'll see for next year."

Spec Sheet:

Power Output: 250bhp / 400NM

Performance: