Photo: Ares
Ares Design is a brand new company specializing in coachbuilding exotic new cars. It was established two years ago by former Lotus CEO Day Bahar, and the X-Raid is by far its weirdest creation.
Yes, there's a G63 somewhere under there. But all the corners have been rounded off and turned into curves no G-Class ever had.
Dressed in black and white, the Ares X-Raid looks a bit like Casper the Friendly Ghost, which is just what you want ahead of Halloween. At a fancy facility in Northern Italy, Bahar's team fabricates new fenders, doors skin, bumpers and more. Not even the roof is left intact.
Although we've never seen the components being made, it's said that they are fabricated from carbon fiber to save as much as 200kg (440lbs) over the standard G63.
No expense is spared in turning the boxy former army vehicle into the 4x4 of the future. However, we believe that the headlights and taillights might have been borrowed from the old generation E-Class or some other Mercedes model. Still, the X-Raid wouldn't have been the same without them.
The 5.5-liter twin-turbo V8 has also been boosted to produce 760 horsepower. However, high-speed lift is still a problem, so the model is limited to 250 km/h (155 mph). But reaching 100 km/h should take less than 5 seconds.
Inside, The G-Class gets treated to VIP seats which in the back are separated by a massive console. The design is now a little closer to that of a GLE-Class. And everything is covered in a two-tone leather combination. It's been reported that one such SUV could set potential customers back $700,000. However, that's still not bad for the almost exclusive design.
“Our aim is to sharpen its looks and increase its appeal. For example, our new bumpers now flow into the wheel arches, better linking each angle of the car”, says Mihai Panaitescu, Head of Design for ARES Performance.
Dressed in black and white, the Ares X-Raid looks a bit like Casper the Friendly Ghost, which is just what you want ahead of Halloween. At a fancy facility in Northern Italy, Bahar's team fabricates new fenders, doors skin, bumpers and more. Not even the roof is left intact.
Although we've never seen the components being made, it's said that they are fabricated from carbon fiber to save as much as 200kg (440lbs) over the standard G63.
No expense is spared in turning the boxy former army vehicle into the 4x4 of the future. However, we believe that the headlights and taillights might have been borrowed from the old generation E-Class or some other Mercedes model. Still, the X-Raid wouldn't have been the same without them.
The 5.5-liter twin-turbo V8 has also been boosted to produce 760 horsepower. However, high-speed lift is still a problem, so the model is limited to 250 km/h (155 mph). But reaching 100 km/h should take less than 5 seconds.
Inside, The G-Class gets treated to VIP seats which in the back are separated by a massive console. The design is now a little closer to that of a GLE-Class. And everything is covered in a two-tone leather combination. It's been reported that one such SUV could set potential customers back $700,000. However, that's still not bad for the almost exclusive design.
“Our aim is to sharpen its looks and increase its appeal. For example, our new bumpers now flow into the wheel arches, better linking each angle of the car”, says Mihai Panaitescu, Head of Design for ARES Performance.
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