753-HP Carlsson C25 Supercar Coming To Geneva Motor Show

By Nelson Ireson

Nelson Ireson

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Carlsson C25 Supercar

Carlsson, the popular German Mercedes-Benz tuner, is delving into the world of in-house car design with the upcoming Carlsson C25, a twin-turbo V-12-powered, 753-horsepower supercar limited to just 25 units. Though the car is Carlsson's own creation, the company's Mercedes-Benz influence shows through.

The 6.0-liter twin-turbo V-12 engine dumps 753 horsepower and an electronically-limited 850 pound-feet of torque through a gearbox of unknown type to the rear wheels. Acceleration is a bit less than you might expect with such lairy numbers, clocking 3.7 seconds to 62 mph. The 219-mph top speed is more in line, however, suggesting acceleration from a stop is hampered by traction--not uncommon with a high-torque, rear-driven car--despite huge 12-by-20-inch rear wheels shod with 325/25 tires. The front wheels are 9.5-by-20-inchers that predict a bias toward understeer--until the go pedal comes down, that is. The wheels are also super light for their size, weighing in at just under 25 pounds. Massive 15.9-inch front and 14.9-inch rear brakes get ducted for maximum performance.

With proportions not unlike the SL 65 AMG Black Series in profile, and its own wide-body, flared-fender and monstrously overworked front-end, the C25 cuts a unique yet still familiar profile.

Despite the aggressive styling and bonkers power output, Carlsson promises the C25 is up to the rigors of the daily commute, as well. “There are more than enough super sports car in this world which can only be safely driven on a race track”, says Carlsson CEO Markus Schuster. “Therefore, we deliberately wanted to develop a car which is highly exclusive on the one hand and can be used for the daily journey to office on the other hand." Accordingly, the Carlsson C25 is engineered with pedestrian safety considerations, ESP, ABS, airbags and "crash behavior," presumably a sort of emergency impact mitigation.

The images depict a very low stance--too low for the daily drive. It achieves this low-slung ride height while still being able to navigate streets and driveways through use of a C-Tronic suspension lowering system, which adjusts ride height and damping constantly to match driving and road conditions.

Inside, the C25 gets a luxury treatment befitting the car's bespoke status, complete with real carbon fiber, buffalo leather, ultra-suede and a trapezoidal geometric theme.

If the Carlsson C25 sounds like your dream car, it is--all 25 units of the 2010 production are already sold out. The C25 will be unveiled in March at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show.

[Carlsson]