Girl Gets in the way of Carlsson C25 Photoshoot

We don’t really mind when a car is shot with a model in the picture. The problem comes when the girl is more interesting than the car is. Not the case for Carlsson’s C25.

Carlsson’s better known for subtle and classy kits more than hardcore conversions, so seeing something so focused from them is different. Normally the most exciting part of their exterior work is the two toned paint job. But is it more interesting than the latex-clad lady? You be the judge.

Underneath the molded sheet metal of the C25 is the body of an SL65 AMG. The biggest news here is the body kit. Carlsson, and Mercedes kit builders in general, tend to make cars look worse. They add and remove styling elements with all the subtlety of a drunk plastic surgeon. The C25 is more coherent and complete than just a simple body kit. Thank goodness for that, because it looks great.

Look closely, and you can see where Carlsson pulled design elements form earlier Mercedes. For example, the razors behind the front wheels are a little like the ones on the SLR McLaren. Carlsson says they drew inspiration from the W196 race car, and the Autobahnkkurier as well.

They were also kind enough to mirror the increased performance those cars had over their contemporaries with the C25. In typical Mercedes style, the twin-turbo V12 of the C25 creates an epic 750 hp and and electronically limited 880lb/ft of torque. Considering how much it looks like a race-car, it should have the guts of one too.