Lorinser package for Mercedes M-Class Facelift

Lorinser will not leave Mercedes-Benz ML customers in the lurch when it comes to keeping up with the official styling changes applied to the luxury SUV. The sportiness of the ML has been accentuated through the use of an aggressive body kit that extends from front to back.
Starting on the front end a new massive Lorinser four-fin grille was fitted. Then there are Lorinser-branded side skirts and wide wheel arches. Wheels pictured here are by no means the standard; customers will be given an extensive menu of light alloys to choose from in either black or silver.
The rear features an integrated spoiler with four tailpipes. Lorinser says a "startling whistle" is heard when the driver steps on the accelerator, regardless of whether it's a petrol or a diesel.
No power or performance figures were made available but a 2008 Lorinser package for the ML 320 CDI upped power to 192kW (261hp) and torque went up to 580Nm.

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Mercedes-Benz Concept BlueZERO E-CELL PLUS: Petrol-Electric Hybrid Hints at Production Model

Mercedes-Benz will be presenting an updated version of its BlueZERO E-Cell concept car at this month's Frankfurt Motor Show. Originally presented in Detroit at the beginning of the year, BlueZERO E-Cell is propelled exclusively by a battery-powered electric drive that allows the car to travel up to 200 km or 125 miles on a single battery charge. The Frankfurt Show-bound 'PLUS' ads a rear-mounted 67HP 1.0-liter turbocharged three-cylinder gasoline engine to the mix.

Sourced from the Smart Fortwo, the three cylinder engine is hooked up to a generator and is used exclusively to provide juice for the electric motor - just as in the case of the Chevy Volt. With this configuration, the car has a total range of up to 600 km (375 miles), of which up to 100 km (62 miles) can be covered solely on electricity.

The concept hatch is equipped with a high-performance, 18 kWh lithium-ion battery that can store enough power within around 30 minutes for a 50 km (31 miles) cruising range while the complete electric range of 100 km (62 miles) requires a charging time of a little more than an hour. Mercedes said that charging time with a standard charge cycle at a conventional household outlet with 3,3 kW is around 6 hours.

The BlueZERO E-CELL PLUS' electric motor that produces 100kW or 136 horsepower and a maximum torque of 320 Nm, drives the front wheels. According to 'das' Germans, the car can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h (62mph) in less than eleven seconds while the vehicle's top speed is electronically limited to 150 km/h (93mph).

The 4.22-meter-long BlueZERO models are based on the sandwich-floor architecture known from the A-Class and B-Class. It is believed that the concept model will form the base for a production model in the very near future.

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