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eMercedesBenz The Unofficial Mercedes Benz Weblog

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.”

This is not just rumormill, this is rumors of hints and suggestions made by anonymous people. Just last week we wondered whether Mitsubishi’s Concept-RA would lead to a new — and proper — Eclipse. What Car? went further, and although citing nothing more than “insiders,” said that the red zinger “could be a forerunner for a new Eclipse coupe, which could go on sale in Europe.”

True, that’s a lot of coulds. But it wasn’t so long ago that the Eclipse was an object of desire, and there can’t be any doubt that Mitsubishi would love to see those days return — especially after watching rival Nissan revive brand lust by slowly reinjecting its products with feeling.

[Source: AutoBlog]

Filed under: Aftermarket, Tuners, SUVs, Porsche

Well, ‘08 Porsche Cayenne owners hankering for that TechArt Magnum look can now achieve their goal, thanks to the newly-released TechArt SUV package, which gives non-turbo Cayennes a suite of body mods providing a Magnum-ish look, but none of the 620-horsepower punch. If you have a Cayenne Turbo, TechArt can make the power thing happen for you as well (with or without the aero kit, presumably). They’re also more than happy to trick out your interior and modify your Cayenne’s active suspension (on trucks so equipped) to drop the lowest ride height an additional 30 mm. It’s all business as usual at TechArt, where the only real constraint is the size of your child’s college fund.

[Source: Techart]

Filed under: Aftermarket, Tuners, Hybrids/Alternative, Wagons/Estates, Audi

Abt’s AS6 Avant.

When we envision the most quintessential European conveyance we normally imagine something diesel-powered with a hatch. The Audi A6 Avant springs to mind immediately, but with only 233 HP and 332 lb.-ft. of torque on tap, it could hardly be defined as sporty. Enter Abt.

The German tuner has done something remarkable to Audi’s mid-sized people mover, modifying the turbo on the three-liter TDI and reprogramming the stock ECU to create 300 HP and 443 lb.-ft. of torque. That’s 100 HP per liter… from a diesel.

While performance remains relatively unremarkable, with a run to 60 taking a somewhat leisurely 6.9 seconds, we can only imagine the wave of torque that lucky owners will get to experience on the way to taking their collie to the dog park.

Included in Abt Sportline’s package is a new front spoiler, rear diffuser and side skirts, along with upgrade brakes, an adjustable suspension and Abt’s customer AR20 alloy wheels.

It’s a sweet piece of kit that we’re hoping we’ll have access to soon, as Audi plans on bringing more diesel-powered vehicles Stateside in the next few years.

[Source: Abt Sportsline]

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.