Renntech and Mercedes Refresh Pikes Peak GLK350

Content provided by BenzInsider.com

Premier Mercedes-Benz tuner has once again put its radical GLK350 Pikes Peak Rally Car on the road. Initially redisplayed at the Pittsburgh International Auto show two weeks ago, the radical GLK will next stop at Milwaukee, then on to Cincinnati, Cleveland, Kansas City, Minneapolis and Denver. Final stop will be at the Mercedes-Benz Classic Vehicle Museum in Irvine, California.

In its initial appearance in 2008, this GLK had a hybrid powertrain consisting of a 72-volt electric motor providing an additional 26kW to the SUV’s 3.5L V6 engine. There is no indication of a drivetrain upgrade but Renntech and 3M’s Commercial Graphics Division cooperated in refurbishing the GLK with 3M’s 1080 Scotchprint textured automotive vinyl wrap. Preprinted 3.5 mm dual cast film was applied to all exterior surfaces, mixing a carbon fiber and brushed steel appearance. Red striping adds a touch of color to the otherwise matte surface finish.

Says a Renntech press release, “This original body kit was entirely designed and engineered by RENNtech in-house, using the latest in Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) software and rapid prototype capabilities. The concept behind the restyling was to not only completely change the vehicles appearance, but utilize vinyl materials in finishes rarely seen in the automotive world.”