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With its poised, confident presence, the mere look of the GLK-Class leaves one in no doubt about its intent to conquer the premium compact-SUV segment. All while displaying unmistakable echoes of the G-Class, the forefather of the Mercedes-Benz SUV family. As Head of Design, Gordon Wagener, remarks: “Combining the puristic design of our style icon, the G-Class, with the latest Mercedes-Benz design idiom makes the GLK a model with genuine character.”

Filed under: Aftermarket, Frankfurt Auto Show, Tuners, Sports/GTs, Mercedes Benz

Carlsson Aigner CK65 Eau Rouge.

Random Benz tunage? Frankfurt’s got more than you can shake a schnitzel at. But the only reason we snapped off a few shots of this particular CK was because of its two-tone hue, even though it is a subtle rip on the Veyron. Only after we got back and started going through some of our overlooked photos did we realized that this particular M-B was something a bit more special.

The Carlsson Aigner CK65 Eau Rouge is the product of a collaborative effort between the German tuning house and Etienne Aigner, a high-end leather purveyor. As you can imagine, the interior appointments are luxurious to a fault, with acres of dyed dead cow, Alcantara and wood lining every conceivable surface. What lies beneath though is far more compelling.

A turbocharged V12, aided by everything from new intercoolers to some heavy ECU tuning, produces over 700 HP and 800 lb.-ft. of torque, making the CL capable of a blast to 60 in 3.9 seconds. Ultra-light aluminum wheels, sized 21×9-inches in front and 21×10.5-inches in the rear, are wrapped in Dunlop SP Sport Maxx ZR 21 tires, reducing unsprung mass by a full 50-percent at all four corners.

There are more mods than we can mention, so Carlsson’s press release is posted after the jump. And you can check out a gallery of live and press pics below.

Filed under: Tuners, Coupes, Supercars, Mercedes Benz

Project Kahn’s SLR.

There isn’t much left to do with a supercar. That’s why they’re called “super.” Tuners of late, thankfully, seemed to be restraining themselves from going buck wild on them. On that note, with traditional British understatement, the tuning house Project Kahn has taken the Mercedes McLaren SLR and done, well, not all that much to it.

The car gets Kahn’s trademark RS-X wheels, 20-inch up front and 21’s in the rear. It also gets a 60 HP power boost to 677, a lowered suspension and high-flow pipes. Kahn expands on the smattering of colors that Mercedes offers by providing custom leather upholstery and paint jobs. Sure, it’s not much, but at this level of the financial stratosphere, every little bit of individual luxury counts, no?

[Source: Motor Authority]

ASMA Design released today images and some technical specifications on its new version of S-Class model named “Eagle II”. Pained in silver and black, the newcomer looks more stylish than the previous version.

The car is equipped with new sport exhaust system, lowering suspension and ASMA Design wheels. 9,5 x 21 inch on the front axle and 11 x 21 inch on the rear axle. Front tiers are 255/30/21R and rear - 295/25/21R.

Technical data:

Engine 5.5-liter V-8
Horsepower 425 bhp @ 6000 rpm
Torque 430 lb-ft @ 2800 rpm
Transmission 7-speed automatic
Brakes, Front 13.9-in. vented discs
Brakes, Rear 12.6-in. vented discs

ART’s Program 216 is aimed at the new CL in the exclusivity of the Mercedes- Benz luxury class with an abundance of top-quality tuning components.

The ART aerodynamics set for the front and rear optimizes the contours of the vehicle with an individual touch. In perfect harmony with the series design of the front spoiler, fine parallel grooved lines enhance the vehicle’s front silhouette. The eye-catching elegant lines of the ART rear skirt give the series rear an entirely new appearance. A rear spoiler shaped like a separation edge on the rear hood is the third element in the ART design system for the exterior of this beautiful coupé.

The ART interior upgrades the vehicle with an alcantara roof liner and upholstery. Elegant combinations of alcantara and leather, in one or several colours, leather with contrasting seams, quilting and perforations, provide marked elegance. In conjunction with fine wood paneling in a variety of different woods and nuances, carbonized surfaces in magical colours, sports steering wheels with paddle shifter, steering wheels in alcantara/leather, leather/wood, and leather/carbon offer an ART tuning GmbH, IGA, 04.01.2007, 14:31, Pressemitteilung Programm 216 extensive range to choose from for the design of the CL interior. Every custom feature is the owner’s choice. There are no limits to the individualization.

And under the hood: engine performance from ART includes a Vmax delimiter for the CL and electronic performance optimization of the motor control. They give the powerful series V8 and V12 power units that final performance kick.

The four highly polished chrome-plated 80mm tailpipes of the ART sports exhaust system with the ART logo draw the gaze to this successful rear skirt solution. One right and one left rear muffler ensure the sound is right.

The electronic suspension system from ART for the series ABC suspension system lowers the ride height by 25mm. All other built-in chassis control functions remain unchanged. Only the speed-dependent ride-height control is suppressed.

For the wheel concept, ART proposes the monoART1 light-weight metal rims in dimensions 18, 19 or 20 inches for the CL class. This individual choice of rims is multiplied by the range of three different surfaces:
- TITANIUM special coating with highly polished spoke backs
- TITANIUM special coating with allover silky-matt surface
- Black or customized color, even two-tone, special coating in NANO technology

The stylish three-part ARTstar2 light-weight metal rims are an equally good choice. With a 6-spoke design, with 36 titanium screw joints, inside valve, shiny-silver rim star and mirror-finished rim base it is offered in sizes 19 and 20 inches.

To customize a car still further, it is possible to have the rim star and wheel-base painted in a special color. Of course, with a protective nano technology coating.