All In The, Mercedes-Benz Obsessed, Family

Words: Ezekiel Wheeler | Photos: Rami Garcia & Abraham Raheem

There is a man near the beach who can customize a car to your wildest 80’s and 90’s kingpin fantasy. His specialty? Mercedes-Benz. Long story short, if Scarface were to resurface today and want a proper widebody, full-custom Merc, he’d likely go to Shant Meshefedian at CMS Motorsports in Marina Del Rey, California.

CMS Motorsports has been in the business of keeping 80's and 90’s euro cars on the road for several decades now. Owned by Shant, CMS Motorsports gives new life to forgotten status symbols with a touch of modern customizations that doesn’t leave the cars stuck in the past but helps invigorate a new generation of fans. 

When you meet Shant, you are immediately taken in by his charm, enthusiasm, and deep knowledge of the tri-star badge. From the entrylevel models to the rare one-off coachbuilds that helped establish the symbolism of 80’s excess. Shant has a grip on it all. Not only that, he has a team of craftsmen that can bring the essence of a car back to life. It’s not just a shop to remove a dent or two, buff out a scratch or swap a bumper. We’re talking full-custom fabrication, chassis and body panel restoration, trick wide bodies in steel, fiberglass or carbon fiber. Do you want screens, telephones, refrigerators, and curtains in your car? No problem? Want to restore an old SEC Gulwing? They got you.

Hell, want to import a 1994 Mercedes-Benz C43 AMG Wagon with a manual transmission. You know, the one that was never released here in the United States? Yeah, he did that, and then decided… let’s turn it into a DTM wide body with custom hand-fabricated louvers and thicker doorjambs to make it all look factory. Shant is a madman with a drive to keep custom Mercedes-Benz builds on the road.

Shant and his team decided not to hold back this year. Sure, last year they debuted a one-of-one shooting brake 500 SEC two-door widebody. The cloud white over vibrant Tiffany teal blue interior shut down Monterey Car Week in 2025. How could they possibly top that? 

Oh, create a custom Sprinter car hauler with an imported AMG front fascia kit. Surely, THAT ought to outdo themselves… surely. Forgot to mention, they also restored and tastefully modified a DTM livery-matching C43 sedan for good measure as well. 

Just to make sure they didn't leave the audience wanting more, CMS decided to bring a one-off, full-steel, widebody 1990 Mercedes-Benz 500 SEL. Affectionately named the "Red Pig". Complete with reclining rear seats and independent rear entertainment screens for both rear occupants. Child’s play creation. 

The obsession surrounding the tri-star marque stems from a childhood dream. “Seeing a Mercedes-Benz as a kid meant something to me. It was the pinnacle of success and meant you earned it.” Shant explained. “When I had the opportunity to buy one, I shared it with my family. Since then my brother and I have bought and sold several hundred for ourselves, clients, and projects worth saving and exploring our creativity. Sometimes you just have to go a little wild but make sure you pay attention to the details. That’s what we do. We make sure that we go the extra mile to bring our creations to a level of OEM quality. We’re not here to tear things up simply to make a splash. We want what we create to last for generations and get that next kid excited.” 

That’s what made the partnership with CMS Motorsports this year special for XPEL. XPEL wanted to ensure these machines had the protection they deserved to continue to make an impact on the community well into the future.