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| Carlsson Aigner CK55 RS Rascasse |
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| Basis: |
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GL 55 |
| Owner: |
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Conversion at Gut Wiesenhof |
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| Carlsson Tuning |
· Carlsson Aigner® CK55 RS Rascasse powered by a 456 hp V8.
· Special edition limited to 20 cars.
Exclusive automobile manufacturer Carlsson Autotechnik GmbH, and
the luxury leather brand Etienne Aigner AG are proud to present the
third model to emerge from their co-operative venture.
The Carlsson Aigner® CK55 RS Rascasse, based on the Mercedes-Benz GL
500, makes its world premiere at the Geneva Auto Salon. The Rascasse
will be an exclusive limited edition of 20 cars.
Distinguished Exterior Design
The star qualities of this car are obvious at a glance. The striking
two-tone paintwork, a hallmark of the Carlsson Aigner® range, confirms
that the Carlsson Aigner® CK55 RS Rascasse is no ordinary luxury car.
Several coats of perfectly smooth, hand-rubbed Bordeaux Rouge metallic
paint have been applied to just below the window line. Above this, rich
black paint takes over with a thin, black coachline softening the
transition between two shades. The visual marraige of these two
contrasting yet complementary colours imparts a regal air to the
Rascasse.
Adding to that presence is the Carlsson Aigner body styling kit
consisting of wider wheel arches visually linked by side skirts. The
front wings carry white illuminated Aigner logos. The door rubbing
strips are colour-coded in black, which visually lengthens the car.
The nose of the Rascasse has been made more imposing with a new bonnet
carrying two larger power domes. Under this, a new larger front grill
and sub-grilles feature chromed wire mesh.
Additional driving and fog lights are set into the bumpers, stainless
steel grids and LED daytime running lights are integrated into lower
edge of the deeper front apron extension. All these elements give the
Rascasse a much stronger face, reinforcing its already commanding
presence.
The rear valence incorporates cut-outs for the four chromed exit pipes
of the freer-flowing sports exhaust system. This is optimised for both
lower backpressure and a throaty V8 soundtrack.
Apart from enhancing the look of the car, the front spoiler, side
skirts and rear valence extensions are designed to help reduce
aerodynamic drag and lift. All these parts are made from PU-RIM, the
flexible material used by OE manufactures like Mercedes-Benz for their
production bumpers.
PU is much more expensive than glass-fibre in small runs, but is
lighter and has good low speed bump resilience. It also requires a much
larger tooling investment, demonstrating Carlsson’s commitment to OE
quality levels.
The 5,461cc, 48-valve, DOHC V8 motor has 388hp (285 kW) and 530Nm of
torque in standard form. Carlsson’s proven conversion for this engine
uses a free-flow exhaust system with metal catalytic converters,
gas-flowed cylinder-heads, high-lift camshafts and a remapped ECU to
boost output to 456 hp (335 kW) with 640Nm of torque.
Thus endowed, the Carlsson Aigner® CK55 RS Rascasse is the most
powerful normally-aspirated GL in the world, accelerating from 0 to a
hundred km/h in just 5.9 seconds. This compares to 6.5 sec for the
standard GL500.
To help transmit this extra power and torque to the road, Carlsson use
their three-piece 3/11 UL forged alloy wheels with highly polished
outer rims in 11J x 23-inch size with 305/30ZR23 tyres.
The forging process creates a very light but exceptionally strong alloy
wheel that helps to counter the increased unsprung weight of the larger
diameter wheels and tyres.
The Carlsson electronic lowering kit, C-Tronic® SUSPENSION AIR, drops
the ride height of the Airmatic suspension by 30mm. In combination with
the wider wheels and tyres, this delivers superior handling and
roadholding characteristics.
An abundance of precious materials
Colour matching is one of the keystones of the fashion industry. Where
Carlsson elevates the mechanicals to new heights, Aigner demonstrates
the art of haute couture with the plush interior of the Rascasse.
Picking up the Bordeaux Rouge dark red shade from the bodywork, Aigner
uses the finest hides and Alcantara in this colour to cover the seats,
dashtop, door panels and centre console. All four seats are covered in
perforated softwalk-nappa-leather with applications in alcantara,
large, styliced Aigner logo discreetly stitched into the seating. The
headlining is also softwalk-nappa leather, stitched in a bespoke
pattern. The RS sport airbag steering wheel in a leather-alcantara
combination, the floor mats and the fine wood equipment match the
Carlsson Aigner leather interior. Aluminium pedal protectors, the
aluminium foot rest and the entrance panels with the white illuminated
Carlsson logo support the interior.
Total comfort for rear compartment passengers means sumptuous seats and
plenty of space in all directions. For that reason, Carlsson and Aigner
decided that the seven-seater configuration should be ditched in favour
of just two individual rear seats.
Supporting this hedonistic concept is an integrated fridge in a
compartment between the rear seats. Drinks can be served in bespoke
hand-blown Carlsson-Aigner glasses also stored in this compartment.
The comprehensive Rear Entertainment System is centred around the
eight-inch screens integrated into the headrests of the front seats. A
surround sound audio system provides the soundtrack as well as just
music if you just want to relax on a journey.
Rascasse – A Sting in the Tail
Carlsson, manufacturer of special cars based on Mercedes Benz models,
and high fashion leather goods manufacturer, Aigner, are proud to
present their third unique limited edition model in the short space of
one and a half years.
In September 2007, this dynamic duo introduced the Carlsson Aigner®
CK65 “Eau Rouge“, based on the CL-Coupé. This was followed in July 2008
by the Carlsson Aigner® CK65 RS “Blanchimont“, a car to fill the
obvious void between the S-Class and the Maybach.
The Carlsson Aigner® CK55 RS “Rascasse“ completes the family, and is offered at a basic price of 228,500 euros excluding VAT.
As with the first two automobiles designed by the Carlsson and Aigner
team, the new model is also named after a legendary racetrack bend. But
unlike the Eau Rouge and the Blanchimont, the Rascasse name does not
origin from the racetrack Spa-Francorchamps. Rascasse is the second
last bend of the Monaco Grand Prix Circuit as well as a famous street
café located by the track.
In fact, the Rascasse name originally comes from the French red
rascasse, a member of the Scorpion fish family that is an essential
ingredient in Bouillabaisse, the most famous French gourmet soup. A
perfect blend of performance, speed and breeding, the Carlsson Aigner
Rascasse is also red, tasty, sporting, and carries a sting in its tail.
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