Hofele Design Back In The Mercedes Tuning Game With S-Class And GLS Builds

We hadn’t heard from German tuning company Hofele Design in a long time, yet they are now making a comeback as an approved Mercedes-Benz tuner.

In January 2018, the firm became a contractual partner of Daimler AG for the conversion of Mercedes-Benz passenger cars, which gives it the right to place its own badge on the automaker’s products. The first projects released after the agreement were based on the GLS and G-Class SUVs.

Now, Hofele turns its attention to Stuttgart’s flagship, the S-Class — both the regular and Maybach-branded models. The brand’s exclusive program for the S-Class focuses on “discrete individualism.” That’s because the company has learned that the owner of a Hofele vehicle wants just “a little bit of extra exclusivity” to go with the Mercedes-Benz brand experience.

Rather than fitting lots of carbon fiber and aerodynamic add-on parts as some tuners do, Hofele opted for subtle changes. Those include 20-inch multi-spoke alloy wheels, the Hofele hood ornament and logo replacing the three-pointed star, and not much else, actually.

The Mercedes-Maybach S-Class receives the same wheels and Hofele identification marks while losing the Maybach badge that the factory places on the C-pillar. Instead, it gets Hofele lettering on the front fenders.

We suspect the changes regard the interior and powertrain departments as well, but that’s all Hofele is willing to share for now.

The company is also showcasing a Mercedes-Benz GLS 400 build that is not as subtle as the S-Class. It adopts a muscular body kit that makes it look like the GLS 63, a Maybach-style leather interior, and many other exclusive Hofele features.

The aftermarket company says it is currently working on C-Class and E-Class projects, as its ultimate goal is to cover the entire Mercedes-Benz passenger car lineup.