|
Price |
|
-- |
Production |
|
20 |
|
Engine |
5.5
liter V8 |
Weight |
-- |
|
Aspiration |
-- |
Torque |
472
lb-ft |
|
HP |
456
hp |
HP/Weight |
-- |
|
HP/Liter |
82.9
hp per liter |
1/4 mile |
-- |
|
0-62 mph |
5.9
seconds |
Top Speed |
-- |
(from Carlsson Press
Release) Luxury in Unexpected Dimensions
-- Specialist
automobile manufacturer Carlsson and Lifestyle Leather Brand
Etienne Aigner develop a third model.
-- 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.
