Matted Merc: Ai Design's CLS AMG

JALOPNICK AUTO NEWS - - One of the Jalops just happened to be visiting Ai Design at its home in Tuckahoe, NY on a day this matte-finish Mercedes CLS 55 AMG sat on a garage lift casting its evil gaze upon the workshop. Naturally, the most striking feature of the car -- customized for DC Shoes co-founder Ken Block -- is a flawlessly applied flat black paint job (whose price tag was pegged unofficially at around $30,000). Using a Brabus K8 performance kit and sport exhausts, the team boosted horsepower to 575 from 469 stock. They also tricked it out with a Brabus suspension module, Michelin Pilot Sport 2 tires over Radenergie R10 20" wheels and Brembo eight-piston racing brake calipers and 15" discs in front, and four-pot calipers and 13.6" discs in the rear. It's really super hot in person, though we'd imagine fingerprints could become troublesome. Hey, there's always cashmere gloves. [Gallery] – Mike Spinelli

[Hat tip to German Car Scene]

Related: SEMA Show: Matte Is This Year's Black [internal]