Last updated on November 4, 2026
Today’s car is a 2019 Mercedes-Benz GLC 300 owned by Kaspian, which I photographed at Amelia Dalgaard’s 2nd Annual Freak of the Week Car Show in Topanga, CA. Named Sapphira, it is finished in Brilliant Blue Metallic with a Silk Beige interior that Kaspian transformed with a custom underwater theme. Power comes from a 2.0L turbocharged inline-four producing 241 hp, paired with a 9G-TRONIC nine-speed automatic transmission and 4MATIC all-wheel drive. Both front and rear axles are geared at 3.27:1. Four-wheel disc brakes provide stopping power, while a four-wheel independent suspension handles the ride.
Sapphira is the fourth in a series of cars at Amelia Dalgaard’s 2nd Annual Freak of the Week Car Show, co-sponsored by Scott Martin and Caruso Classics. The event brings together cars with character and people with personality, celebrating the weird, the wacky, and the wonderfully original. Kaspian and Sapphira certainly seem comfortable here.
Mercedes-Benz introduced the GLC in 2015 as a replacement for the GLK-Class compact luxury SUV. Built on a platform shared with the C-Class, the GLC offered a more rounded design, improved interior space, and updated technology. The GLC 300 became the mainstay of the U.S. lineup, with the comfort and refinement expected of a Mercedes-Benz.
The first-generation GLC 300 was offered in the U.S. from 2016 through 2022. In 2019, Mercedes-Benz sold 73,650 GLC-Class vehicles in the U.S. The GLC 300 SUV had a starting MSRP of $42,550 for the 4MATIC all-wheel-drive version. The all-wheel-drive model has a curb weight of 4,001 pounds (1,815 kg), accelerates from 0–60 mph in 6.4 seconds, and has an electronically limited top speed of 130 mph (209 km/h).
Kaspian believes a car’s interior should offer more than comfort and convenience. It can also be a place for creativity, personal expression, and a little fun. Kaspian deliberately chose a Mercedes-Benz luxury SUV, demonstrating that even an upscale vehicle could become something playful and unexpected. Rather than concentrate on exterior modifications, the focus was on creating an underwater world that complements the car’s Brilliant Blue Metallic exterior. Having never owned a blue car before, Kaspian wanted a name that reflected its color. The inspiration came from a series of books Kaspian read as a child featuring a large blue dragon named Sapphira.
Kaspian replaced the factory wood-look trim with genuine abalone shell veneer, bringing the iridescent blues and greens of the ocean into Sapphira’s interior. Freshwater pearls and rhinestones arranged in wave patterns border the shell panels. The treatment extends across the dashboard, center console, and door panels, transforming the original Mercedes-Benz interior into something entirely unique. Kaspian also added blue stitching to the Silk Beige seats, adding another touch of blue to Sapphira’s underwater theme.
Kaspian created custom floor mats made from sand, colored rocks, seashells, and starfish embedded in resin. Blue faux fur surrounds the mats and covers portions of the floor, creating the impression of ocean waves. The treatment extends into the rear passenger area, where the combination of materials adds another dimension to Sapphira’s underwater feel.
Kaspian also added a special privacy window film, normally used on residential windows, to Sapphira’s panoramic sunroof that creates colorful reflections throughout the interior. After seeing the rainbow reflections the film produced in a room at home, Kaspian decided to try it in the car. As sunlight passes through the roof, patterns of blue, green, purple, and other colors appear across the seats. The changing reflections resemble sunlight filtering through ocean water, with the colors and patterns shifting as Sapphira moves along the road.
Kaspian believes automotive interiors offer opportunities for creativity that manufacturers have yet to fully explore. As self-driving technology develops, the interior may become more important than the exterior, giving designers greater freedom to rethink the passenger experience. With Sapphira, Kaspian hopes to demonstrate that imaginative interiors can be both practical and enjoyable, encouraging automakers to offer customers more opportunities for self-expression.
Sapphira may look like an ordinary Mercedes-Benz GLC 300 from the outside, but opening the doors reveals an entirely different automobile. And if you’re fortunate enough to have Kaspian arrive as your Lyft or Uber driver, you’re in for more than a ride to your destination. You’ll be taking a little trip under the sea, courtesy of Sapphira and Kaspian’s imagination.
Thank you for riding along with me and for being part of the Frank’s Cars in the Hood community.
Frank