Brabus may have beaten them to the punch by a few weeks, but you knew nothing was going to keep the engineers at Carlsson from getting their mitts on the big, bold Mercedes GL-Class SUV. The Carlsson CK50 begins life as a Euro-market GL 500 (currently, we only have the GL 450 here in the States). The base car is no slouch, dishing out some 388 horsepower, but we’re talking Deutsch tuners here, and with these guys, horsepower numbers beginning with number “3” are routinely laughed at. Continue reading Carlsson CK50 antes up 435 HP for the Mercedes GL-Class
Categories:Mercedes Benz
For the 2007 Model Year, VW is introducing some new special editions to the mix. The familiar “Wolfsburg Edition” returns in the form of a specially-badged 2.5L Jetta that also features 16″ alloys, a sunroof, leatherette (we won’t call it pleather…oh wait, did we just do that?) seats, the winter package and upgraded floormats. Depending on the tranny buyers shoose, it’ll retail for either $19,360 or $20,435. Five color combos are available. 
Toyota will begin selling their newest iteration of the Corolla in Japan later this month and the image above is a stark departure from the recently debuted Auris concept in Paris. The new JDM Corolla is a subtle redesign and will not form the basis for future sedans sold stateside, which will draw more cues from the Auris and come equipped with a 2-liter engine. 
Dahlback Racing, Swedish tuners of all things German, has tuned this 2004 Volkswagen Golf to 900 break-horsepower. The computer-controlled twin turbochargers vary the boost to channel anywhere between 600 and 900 horses to the tarmac through 285/30-ZR20 Bridgestone Potenza S-02 riding on twenty-inch rims. All that power is enough to propel the smokin’ hot hatch to 60 in 4.5 seconds on to a top speed of 183 mph, which is impressive, but you’d think it could do better with that kind of juice. 
Audi AG has announced the European pricing for its new TT S-line trim. When we first reported on the TT S-line, all we were able to do was bring you the photos Audi released and make some observations based on what they showed. Today, we finally have the rest of the story. It turns out there are actually a pair of S-line packages – S-line sports and S-line exterior. The car depicted in the photos is equipped with both. 
The Chrysler Group has gotten tons of PR mileage out of the popularity of the Dodge Caliber, to the point where dealers haven’t been able to keep them in stock and consumers have to beg for a test drive (new Calibers net more profit than demos, after all). Unfortunately for the automaker, the Caliber’s stablemate, the Jeep Compass, isn’t enjoying the same successes. As the first car-based Jeep to hit the streets, the Caliber’s sales have been lower than projected despite the vehicle’s distinctive styling and sharp interior. 
The Audi super-forum, Fourtitude, recently had a chance to sample the automaker’s newest attempt at iPod integration in an S8, while joined by Audi of America’s Product Planning Manager Filip Brabec. The new system, dubbed the Audi Music Interface (AMI), builds on the MMI system in the A3, A4, S4 and RS 4 models. Although the system appears to be one of the best at getting full functionality out of Apple’s iPod, 
Motor Trend put together a list of future vehicles to come out of Stuttgart over the next few years and although most of the vehicles listed have either already debuted (Targa, GT3 RS) or are common knowledge among devout readers of Autoblog (GT2, Panamera, 928), the article contained a few minor revelations, in the form of new models and technological hurdles. 
Looks like the 21st century has crowned its new shaggin wagon according to UK car insurer Yes Insurance. Suprisingly, the staid Volve Estate was chosen in a poll conducted by the insurance company of 4,000 people as the best car to have sex in. Why an insurance company needs to know which vehicle sees the most action is beyond us, but it’s an interesting tidbit nonetheless. 
The Wall Street Journal is reporting that talks between General Motors and Renault/Nissan have ended. The news comes from an unnamed person familiar with the situation, which could be the guy that fills the water glasses on the conference table, and Renault so far is refusing to comment. 
Nissan finally got into the hybrid game today with the world premiere of the 2007 Altima Hybrid at the OC Auto Show. The Altima itself is all-new for ’07, and has grown into an even more handsome sedan. Based on the D-platform, it is roomier and should offer an even more solid package. But the big news here is Nissan’s first hybrid system.