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SEMA 2008: Mercedes reveals its GLK delinquents LIVE

Damon Lavrinc — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 10:57:00 EST

Filed under: Aftermarket, Concept Cars, SEMA Show, Tuners, Crossover, Mercedes-Benz

Click above for high-res galleries of each SEMA-fied Merc GLK

Today is a historic event. No, not that one. The 2008 SEMA show is the first time Mercedes-Benz has participated in the aftermarket antics in Vegas and it's chosen the GLK to be the standard-bearer for its entry into the realm of U.S. tuning.

Four concepts graced the stage last evening ahead of their debut at the show, each attempting to highlight the GLK's strong points while taking sharp aim at the buyers Mercedes hopes to bring into the tri-point fold.

The first, and arguably most extreme of the four, is the Urban Whip from Boulevard Customs, which turns the cute 'ute into a true roadster by removing every pillar aft of the windshield (cut down by 5.5 inches) and fitting a biggie-sized grille, three-inch wider track and 15-inch Brembo brakes eclipsed by 26-inch custom wheels. In addition to adding a 5,700-watt stereo, Boulevard shaved the door handles to keep the GLK's lines clean and installed a remote-opening mechanism into the mirrors.

Gallery: SEMA 2008: Urban Whip GLK from Boulevard Customs

Far more impressive and 10-times more menacing is the RENNTech Pikes Peak model that gets a "concept" turbo/hybrid V6 producing 375 hp and 320 lb-ft of torque to the wheels, massive brakes, a fully-caged interior, tons of race-ready equipment and a functional body kit and rear wing that's been virtually honed on a fluid dynamics system to produce downforce. According to RENNTech, it works... and we believe them.

Gallery: SEMA 2008: RENNTech Pikes Peak GLK Hybrid

Legendary Motor Cars (of SPEED Dream Car Garage fame) was tasked with creating a GLK that would take Xtreme (forgive us) sports addicts to the destinations they crave and allow them to test their predilection for suicide with a winch to drag them at 30 mph (!) up and over the Merc. In addition to side sills that extend out to provide grind rails, a ramp can be pulled out of the rear and a set of roof rails can be (theoretically) ground without fear of crashing through the sunroof (it's been swapped out with a plexiglass piece).

Gallery: SEMA 2008: Legendary Motor Cars Rock Crawler GLK

Finally, there's the Brabus GLK, which is the most subtle and easily most streetable of the four. A new fascia joins 21-inch wheels, redesigned fender flares and 500 sq-ft of brown leather that coats the entire interior, including the floors. In the tuner's own words, "It's black, fast and expensive. Everything a Brabus should be."

Gallery: SEMA 2008: BRABUS Widestar GLK

Check the galleries below for all the details, and we'd be remiss not to mention that the lovely ladies joining the GLKs are all wearing bathing suits pulled from Mercedes' sponsorship of Fashion Week.

Photos Copyright (C)2008 Brad Wood / Weblogs, Inc.

SEMA 2008: Mercedes reveals its GLK delinquents LIVE originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 04 Nov 2008 10:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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SEMA Preview: Mercedes-Benz GLKs go from mild to WTF

Damon Lavrinc — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Aftermarket, SEMA Show, Tuners, Crossover, Mercedes-Benz

Mercedes-Benz' presence at SEMA has traditionally included a smattering of pimptastic E- and S-Classes lining the booths of the Big Balla tuners, and this year, we can expect more of the same. But to get the word out about the new GLK, Mercedes enlisted the help of four firms to accentuate the lil' 'ute's character and clientele.

Gallery: SEMA 2008: Mercedes-Benz GLKs

Continue reading SEMA Preview: Mercedes-Benz GLKs go from mild to WTF

SEMA Preview: Mercedes-Benz GLKs go from mild to WTF originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 30 Oct 2008 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mercedes readying BMW X3-fighter?

Stuart Waterman — Thu, 29 Jun 2006 17:34:00 EST

Filed under: SUV, Mercedes-Benz

Well, Detroit's automakers may be struggling with their SUV models, but that's not stopping Europe's luxury brands from filling out their sport-ute lineups. The latest rumored entry in the soft-roader wars is the Mercedes Benz GLK, which comes to us courtesy of the Photoshop wizards at Auto Bild.

The baby GL will go up against the BMW X3 and the Audi Q5 in the entry-level luxury SUV segment, and offer both RWD and AWD powertrains, the latter to be based on the 4Matic version of the new C-Class. The RWD GLK will be offered with either a new 2.2-liter, four-cylinder diesel or a 3-liter V6, while the AWD version will be available with either a 3-liter diesel or a 3.5-liter gasoline engine.

Auto Bild reports that we can expect the GLK to hit the market around the end of 2008.

[Source: Auto Bild via eMercedesBenz.com]

Mercedes readying BMW X3-fighter? originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 29 Jun 2006 17:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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