| Type | Public |
|---|---|
| Industry | Automotive |
| Founded | 1989 |
| Headquarters | Merzig, Germany |
| Key people | Markus Schuster, Chief Executive Officer |
| Products | Automobiles |
| Website | www.carlsson.de |
Carlsson is a German car tuning manufacturer specialising in Mercedes-Benz cars. The Carlsson tuning house was founded by brothers Rolf and Andreas Hartge in 1989. Carlsson's products are available for the entire current range of Mercedes-Benz models including the R-Class [1], SL-Class [2], C-Class [3] and the GL-Class [4] along with many others. The company is most popular for its range of alloy wheels.
Through a new importer Carlsson began a more aggressive push into the US market in 2006 after debuting their newly modified CL500 (Euro-spec) vehicle at the 2006 SEMA Show. In their review, Modified Luxury & Exotics magazine said, "... the CL is starting to resemble something more in line with a Bentley Continental - even if it is a little shy when it comes to horsepower."[1]
Contents |
Based on a Mercedes SLK350 the CK35 RS race car first debuted at the Nurburgring 24 hour race in 2005. The Carlsson Racer produces 320 hp (240 kW) at 6500 rpm and 295 ft·lbf (400 N·m) of torque at 3500 rpm. It can sprint from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 4.8 seconds and reaches a top speed of 265 km/h (165 mph).[5]
Carlsson's first supercar, the C25, made its debut at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show. With a limited run of 25 units, the C25 is powered by a twin-turbocharged V12 engine that generates 753 hp (562 kW) and 848 ft·lbf (1,150 N·m) of torque. Estimated acceleration from 0–100 km/h (62 mph) in 3.7 seconds and top speed is 219 mph.[2]
In 2007 Carlsson began a coachbuilding program with fashion designer Etienne Aigner. The first example of their work together was a coachbuilt Mercedes CL65, titled the Carlsson Aigner CK65 RS "Eau Rouge." The "Eau Rouge" refers to the famous turn at the Belgian race track Spa Francorchamps. Producing 700 hp (520 kW) from Carlsson's engineers the car has a two-tone paint scheme and features a hand crafted wine-colored interior from Etienne Aigner.[3]