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.
Heading the line-up is the unfortunately named Urban Whip (above), the handy work of Florida-based Boulevard Customs, who removed the roof, fitted a custom wide-body kit, 26-inch wheels and wrapped up the package with a redesigned interior and booming sound system. We're impressed with the execution, but the proportions are far from becoming.
Just as odd, if slightly less ridiculous, is the Four Corners Rock Crawler created by Legendary Motor Cars. The GLK gets a handful of off-road upgrades to make treks to the beach a breeze, but the party-piece is a winch that can bring skateboarders up to speed, allowing them to grind down the integrated side rails.
Any assembly of M-Bs wouldn't be complete without a Brabus-massaged model, so the Widestar was born. Based off a GLK equipped with a reworked 320 BlueTEC V6 turbodiesel, the Widestar's extra grunt is complimented by new front and rear arch flares, redesigned bumpers, Brabus wheels and a custom interior.
Finally, there's the RENNTech Rally Racer, inspired by the unlimited-class rally cars that attack Pikes Peak during the annual Hillclimb. Aside from the Cessna-sized wing and aggressive body kit, the only thing we know about the RENNTech is that it features a hybrid powertrain that supposed to make quick work of the corners.
