Renegade’s 2000 Mercedes-Benz C280 may be 26 years old, but it does not spend its days parked under a cover, treated like an elder.
He drives it every day. The car, which he calls Gina, named after his long-time crush, has been with him for five years. While some people see an old Mercedes, Renegade sees a car that still feels good to drive and can outperform the much newer cars on the road.
‘For such a tiny little car, it surprised me a lot,’ he told Crank of 234Drive, referring to an incident that happened years before Gina became his.
A 2010 Drive Led Him Back to the C280
Renegade first drove a C280 in 2010 while he was still reviewing cars on his blog. The European-spec model belonged to a colleague, and the experience stayed with him.
Years later, when he wanted a Mercedes of his own for the club he was helping to create, he returned to the C280. His wife already owned an ML-Class, but he wanted a car that felt like his personal choice.
He found Gina on an auction site and imported her himself. The car had covered about 87,000 miles and had only one previous owner. A minor rear accident had damaged one light and left the boot open, but the rest of the car remained in good condition.
Gina Can Still Surprise Newer Cars
The C280 comes with a 2.8-litre M112 V6 engine.
Renegade enjoys how people often mistake the car’s agey appearance for a lack of speed. Some drivers pull up beside him expecting an overtake, only to find out that Gina can still keep up.
A lot of people feel that because it is an older car, they can overtake you,’ he said. ‘When we get to the higher speeds, you find them not being able to keep up.’
Although speed is an attribute he loves in Gina, it is not the only reason he enjoys the car. He likes how the steering, suspension and tyres give him a clear sense of what is happening on the road. He can feel when the surface becomes loose or when a tyre has less pressure than usual.
‘The car talks back to you,’ Renegade remarked.
Having driven newer Mercedes models, including the C43 and C450, this Mercedes lover claimed those models do not offer the same mechanical feel. Yes, they are faster and more advanced, but Gina feels more connected to the driver.
The W202 Still Has Some Clever Features
Gina still carries a few features that can catch people off guard.
The most obvious is the single windscreen wiper. Instead of two blades, Mercedes fitted one large wiper that sweeps across most of the glass.
Renegade found out how unusual it looked when he stopped at a Mobil station for a replacement. The attendant brought out two blades and struggled to believe the car needed only one.
‘My guy uses one wiper,’ Renegade told him.
The surprises continue inside. The remote opens the boot, while the cabin comes with automatic windows, electric mirrors, powered seats and a button that drops the rear headrests. Its early smart key also takes over the cranking once the driver turns it.
Not everything has stayed original, though. Renegade swapped the 15-inch wheels for 17-inch rims from a newer W203 C-Class after replacement tyres became harder to find.
A blocked catalytic converter also had to go. Once it came out, the exhaust was adjusted to give the car a cleaner and more fitting sound.
Maintenance Has Been Fair, but Not Cheap
Renegade has spent enough time with different cars to know when one is giving him trouble.
His first car was a Volkswagen Golf Mk2. After that came a BMW X3 bought for his wife, a Mercedes-Benz W124 E300, an Infiniti M35, a Toyota Sequoia and an ML500. The M35 later went to his brother and is still in Abuja, while the Sequoia served as the family’s larger option.
Among them, Gina has been one of the easier cars to live with. The Infiniti, for example, needed two alternators and two power-steering pumps in less than two years. The C280 has asked for much less, though old-car ownership still comes with the occasional heavy bill.
A fan module cost ₦25,000, while a transmission service came to about ₦150,000. Replacing the front and rear lights added another ₦200,000.
The biggest expense came from the air-conditioning system. A new compressor, condenser, dryer and labour pushed the total to around ₦350,000.
‘₦350,000. I cried blood!’
Although age is also starting to show on the body now. Renegade highlighted that the car paint needed attention and the sunroof is currently stuck, so a full-body repair is already planned. And he adds that even with these works ahead, Gina has still cost less to maintain than the Infiniti.
Gina Fits Renegade’s Way of Thinking
Years of owning and driving different cars have helped Renegade understand what works for him. His older Mercedes gave him the classic experience, but Gina offers a better balance between old-school character and daily use.
That choice also reflects the name Renegade. He picked it because he does not like society deciding what he should drive or enjoy, while the ‘247’ on his personalised plate means that mindset never takes a day off.
So when people assume he chose an older Benz because he could not afford something newer, he does not feel the need to explain himself. A newer W204 was within reach, but the W202 felt more personal.
‘I just wanted something that speaks to me. I do not care about what anybody thinks.’
Gina carries that same personal touch. The reason behind her name, along with the photo Renegade shared of the woman who inspired it, appears in the full Owner’s Corner video.
For Renegade, the experience has only strengthened one belief: newer does not always mean better.
