Founded in 1989 by the Hartge brothers, Carlsson has become famous for its exclusive work with Mercedes-Benz, a specialty that has put the company from Gut Wiesenhof, Germany, into a league of its own. So when it came time to commemorate its 20th anniversary, the company decided something special was needed, something that was more than just another tuned-up Mercedes.
The result is the 2010 Carlsson C25, a unique grand-touring coupe that starts life as a Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG and goes completely nuts from there. Only 25 examples will be built and Carlsson says they're already spoken for at around $650,000 apiece. The car you see here is the first prototype and if it's any indication, those 25 buyers are in for something special.
A Mercedes-Benz and Then Some
Drawn up by Rolf Schepp, Carlsson's in-house designer, the C25 is a bit of a departure for the German company, as its cars have typically followed the look of the corresponding Mercedes models line-for-line. Yes, the Carlsson CK65 RS produced 700 horsepower, gained a super-luxury interior and a chrome grille, but it was still recognizably a CL coupe.
The 2010 Carlsson C25 you see here has been built by DMS Design in Munich. For this project it has had to create a full-size clay mock-up based on the designs supplied by Schepp. Then the DMS crew had to get all the proportions right, carry out wind-tunnel work and finally build this prototype.
Supercar or True GT?
The starting point for the engine is the massively powerful twin-turbo 6.0-liter V12 used for the Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG. Induction, exhaust and engine management have all been tweaked by Carlsson's engineers. The final results are a staggering 743 hp and an electronically limited 848 pound-feet of torque.
The suspension is mostly standard but gains intelligent management courtesy of C-Tronic, Carlsson's in-house management module, which is capable of adapting the suspension to both the road conditions and the driving style of the pilot. The custom brake setup features 15.9-inch discs and six-piston calipers at the front along with 15.0-inch discs and four-piston calipers at the rear. The 20-inch forged wheels are wrapped in 335/25R20 Dunlop tires in back and 265/30R20 rubber in front.
While we were able to briefly drive the car, it was at concept car speeds, so we can't draw any conclusions as to how all this will stack up on the road. All we can really go on right now is the knowledge that the 2010 Carlsson C25's creators wanted this car to be an all-rounder, both usable daily and capable of dusting everything else on a track day.
Customized for Every Owner
Inside the cabin, the situation is everything we have come to expect from Carlsson, even if certain details represent prototype parts. The color combination is clearly not Mercedes-spec, but Carlsson says this is the scheme that the first C25 customer requested, so in went the orange stripes. Overall the C25's interior represents an interesting blend of stock simplicity and aftermarket highlights, none of which are too over the top.
Again we'll have to wait to see a finished car before giving a full assessment, although be warned that anything is possible. So while there might be the odd stripped-down clubsport version, there will undoubtedly also be C25s with 24-karat gold trim and the like. At Carlsson, the customer is most definitely king.
Still, no matter what a well-heeled customer decides when it comes to appearance, the 2010 Carlsson C25 will still be special. Only 25 C25s are planned for production and Carlsson says only one per country, so you'll be lucky to ever see one of them on the road.
While Carlsson is still inextricably linked to Mercedes, it is now starting to plough its own furrow. The 2010 Carlsson C25 really is a significant turning point in the company's history, as it's the first truly original car to come out of the old stables at Gut Wiesenhof and one that deserves all the attention it will surely receive.
Portions of this content have appeared in foreign print media and are reproduced with permission.
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chrisso says:
06:32 AM, 08/09/2010
@DanWilson1
The technique used here is called a rig shot. The photographer places a couple of heavy duty suction cups to the car, with either a metal rod or some such run through special clamps that mount to the top of each cup. The camera is then attached to a special mount at the end of the rod.
Next, the photographer asks the driver the drive very slowly (walking pace at most) while releasing the shutter. On average, the shutter speed is set between a second to several seconds. This means stopping the lens down in bright conditions, but this is often what the photographer wants, as it allows greater depth of field. Sometimes, the driver is actually asked to reverse, because it achieves the same movement effect and driving forward may not be possible due to space constrictions.
So yes, you are right, the car in the first few shots is not moving fast. Something you could tell if you used observation and deduction - no car can drive at speeds approaching what they look like in such tight confines.
And while you may complain about Photoshopping, there is no way any car mag will let RAW shots from the shooter actually end up in the mag. Very frequently, they just don't look good enough. Colours are not saturated enough, depending on the camera used, and the images are not sharp enough. If you like nice, glossy images of cars, get over it.
After the shoot, the 'rig' in the shots is Photoshopped out, as a large metal rod and suction cups would be pretty obvious! If you look carefully in the first shot, you can actually see where the suction cups were - on the bonnet near the bulge. You can tell by the telltale bodgy thin orange line on the right side of the bonnet (from our perspective). Notice how it gets imperceptibly thicker at one point? That's where the artist has worked their magic. Have a look at other such shots and if the post processing has been slightly better, the only way you can tell is a lack of reflection or detail in one section of the bodywork. Reflections are far harder to keep while removing great big suction cups.
Hope this helps.
danwilson1 says:
07:48 PM, 08/07/2010
The title photo of this monstrosity taking that bend at "high speed" looks incredibly FAKE. The car is too still relative to the blurry background. Although such a trick can be created with low shutter times (1/50s and such), there will still be slight blurry aspects visible on the car, particularly on areas farthest away from the camera lens. This isn't the case here at all.
I suspect that a lot of Photoshop was used in this photo. I know this is trivial, but the tackiness and fakeness of it just bugs me.
And the car is hideous.
richcal says:
01:49 PM, 08/07/2010
looks much more like a GT car. same league as M.GrandTurismo, AM...BETTER league than the SL, that's for certain. though, i have to agree with others...the orange accents and color scheme, not quite the best. it'll turn heads though, that's for certain!
drivera1981 says:
07:45 PM, 08/06/2010
dont know about that orange in the center of the steering wheel, kinda looks like they just painted orange.
nuieve says:
04:42 PM, 08/06/2010
I'd rather buy 1300 Geo Metros............... No, wait...... I wouldn't.
curacaosfinest says:
04:10 PM, 08/06/2010
...excuse me i need to go change my boxers...
rdollie says:
11:46 AM, 08/06/2010
Umm...well for me personally everything orange shouldn't be...
Also, get rid of the three-tone hood (again nix the orange.)
911chris says:
11:15 AM, 08/06/2010
It is really great looking! I hope it will be as driveable as it looks like.
exnevadan says:
09:38 AM, 08/06/2010
nicely understated, at least compared to this reis'd out job...
http://www.insideline.com/bmw/x6-m/g-power-rocks-the-bmw-x6-m.html
ns5 says:
05:58 AM, 08/06/2010
Not feeling it. Looks overdone and overpriced. Although, it might be because I don't give a damn about Mercedes besides the new Gullwing.