The Dragon (right) is...
The Dragon (right) is the work of Walter Van Beirendonck, who"s famous in Japan for his series of children"s cartoons. It was on display at the recent Brussels Motor Show, and was created to raise money for an Aids charity.
A German tuning firm...
A German tuning firm is showing Mercedes the way! Carlsson has bucked the trend for simply adding garish bodykits and pumped-up engines to existing cars by creating its very own supercar - the C25.
The sporty coupe actually takes the current Mercedes SL as a starting point, but according to a spokesman for Carlsson the similarities are minimal: "Only the windscreen, the side windows, and the A-pillar are still original. The rest of the exterior is done by entirely by us."
This car is about more than the ultra-agressive bodywork however, under the skin it has enough firepower to leave anything short of a Bugatti Veyron trailing in its wake. A remapped version of the AMG-built 6.0-litre twin-turbo V12 producing 743bhp and an electronically-limited 1,150Nm of torque, provides the shove.
That"s enough for a 0-62mph sprint in 3.7 seconds and a top speed of 219mph - just a few mph behind the mighty Ferrari Enzo.
Despite its huge performance potential, Carlsson claims the C25 is docile enough to use every day. And what"s more, it can be maintained at your local Mercedes dealer.
But you"ll need deep pockets and a slice of luck to get your hands on one - the C25 will be one of the rarest sights on the road. Only 25 examples will be built - one allocated to each country Carlsson trades in - with a price tag of around ÷£430,000.