It’s always fun to go to the SEMA show for one simple fact — you never know what you are going to find. As you surely know by now, this event is enormous. There is no way you can see it in its entirety in the time allowed — even though we try. SEMA 2019 was, of course, no different, as we made our way up and down the aisles looking for the most innovative products and builds. We stumbled across one build that caught our eye, but not while walking the show floor. We found this on our social media feed. We loaded up and headed out on a trek to find it.

The car we spotted was a grey Mercedes that had obviously been LS swapped. But that was about all we could tell from the pictures other than the fact we could also see that it was in the TOYO tires display. After we walked what seemed to be miles, we finally made it to our destination and were greeted by the car’s owner and builder, Tim Lajambe.

The car is a 1993 Mercedes-Benz 190 EVO, which Tim built as a Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters (DTM) tribute. DTM is a German-based touring car racing series that started in 1976 and is still going strong today. While this series is based in Germany, races are also held in Europe. These race cars consist of coups that have wildly modified aero, including monster wings, ground effects, and scoops. However, Tim’s plan was never to build a DTM race car, but rather a street car terror. Tim said, “Overall, I just wanted a badass street car that will kill the tires and have fun.”

The Mercedes-Benz was built on SL600 front and rear subframe that Tim and his crew at Filthy Fab widened about 6-inches. Tim then took the EVO 2 Kit and widened it to match the track width, which gives the car an aggressive and exaggerated stance.

For the engine, A Texas Speed and Performace LS3 408 cubic-inch stroker was utilized in conjunction with a Late Model Engines (LME) intake with dual throttle bodies and twin Precision Turbos. On low boost, the combination makes 700 horsepower, but 1,000 is no problem when needed. When asked why he opted for an LS, Tim said, “I’m a big Mercedes fan and I was planning on putting a V12 in the car. The problem is, the power numbers I was trying to produce versus the cost of building, the V12 didn’t make sense. The LS is tough to beat when it comes to power and performance. My pockets aren’t bottomless, so the LS is perfect. I’ve pissed off a lot of people with this car, but by now, they are starting to get it. You see guys like Cleetus McFarland banging out 100 to 150 passes with no problem, and it’s very understandable of why the LS is so popular.”

For the driveline, Tim selected a TREMEC T-56 Magnum XL with cryo-hardened gears. The transmission mates up to the factory SL600 independent rear suspension (IRS) axle.

While a lot of attention to detail went into the body and under the hood, the interior was not neglected. The red and black theme continues on the inside of this killer ride and is a work of art. An AEM digital display shows the car’s vitals and looks right at home against the black suede. Even the shifter in the Mercedes is trick and made of billet and carbon fiber.

We hope to see Tim’s creation blazing the tires all over the Internet as soon as good weather returns to Canada.