Exclusive automobile manufacturer Carlsson and the luxury leather brand Etienne Aigner have come up with another exclusive mix of fashion and automotive. They have presented their Carlsson Aigner CK55 RS Rascasse. The Rascasse will be an exclusive limited edition of 20 cars and is based on the Mercedes-Benz GL 500.
The two-tone paintwork screams to the world that the Carlsson Aigner CK55 RS Rascasse is no ordinary luxury car. Carlsson added a specialized body styling kit consisting of wider wheel arches visually linked by side skirts. The front wings have Aigner logos, the door rubbing strips are colour-coded in black and the nose has an impressive new bonnet carrying larger power domes.
But that is not all. There is new larger front grill and sub-grilles featuring chromed wire mesh. Additional driving and fog lights are set into the bumpers and LED daytime running lights are integrated into lower edge of the deeper front apron extension.
The rear valence has cut-outs for the four chromed exit pipes of the freer-flowing sports exhaust system. Next to the enhancements to 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 exterior changes are noticeable when you see it. Changes to the engine will be experienced when you drive it. The 5,461cc, 48-valve, DOHC V8 motor has 388hp (285 kW) and 530Nm of torque in the standard form. The 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. It makes it the most powerful normally-aspirated GL in the world, accelerating from 0-100km/h hundred 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 polished outer rims in 11J x 23-inch size with 305/30ZR23 tyres. The electronic lowering kit, C-Tronic Suspension, drops the ride height of the Airmatic suspension by 40mm.
Where Carlsson did the mechanical parts, Aigner shows what it can do with the interior of the Rascasse. Aigner used hides and Alcantara in the suited colour to cover the seats, dash top, door panels and centre console. The headlining is Alcantara, stitched in a bespoke pattern.
A decision was made that the seven-seater configuration should be ditched in favour of just two individual rear seats. Supporting the two people in the back is an integrated fridge in a compartment between the rear seats. You serve your drinks in hand-blown Carlsson-Aigner glasses stored next to your drinks. The Rear Entertainment System has eight-inch screens integrated into the headrests of the front seats. A surround sound audio system provides any music or DVD when you want to relax on any journey.
