Ares Brings Coachbuilding Back with the 760HP X-Raid
The Ares Design X-Raid is a 760 hp coachbuilt SUV based on the Mercedes-Benz G63 AMG, created by Ares Design, the Modena-based coachbuilding company founded by former Lotus CEO Dany Bahar. Announced in 2017, the X-Raid is the first vehicle produced by the studio and serves as a declaration of intent: where conventional tuners add horsepower, Ares replaces the entire body, rethinks the interior, and delivers something closer to a bespoke commission than a modified production car.
Why Modena? The Logic of Location
Bahar chose Modena deliberately. The city is home to Ferrari, Lamborghini, Pagani, and De Tomaso. Locating Ares there placed the studio in direct conversation with the finest hand-built automotive traditions in the world. The decision also allowed Bahar to recruit from the same talent pool that feeds the Italian supercar industry, including Andrea Galletti, former head of R&D at Pagani, who joined the Ares team.
Engineering the X-Raid: Carbon and Aluminium Over a G63 Platform
The donor vehicle is a Mercedes-Benz G63 AMG. Ares replaced the factory bodywork with a new skin made from carbon fibre and aluminium panels, stripping over 200 kg from the vehicle's weight in the process. Headlights, rear lights, side skirts, front and rear bumpers, and all exterior surfaces are redesigned and bespoke. The visual result trades the G63's upright, boxy architecture for a more curved and assertive form, while retaining the commanding road presence of the original platform.
Performance: 760 hp from a Tuned 5.5L V8
The Mercedes-AMG 5.5-litre twin-turbocharged V8 is retained and tuned to produce 760 hp, up significantly from the factory G63's output. Top speed is electronically limited to 155 mph, though the real-world performance benefit of the weight reduction is felt most at the corners and in the car's overall agility. The combination of high power and reduced mass gives the X-Raid a driving character that is markedly different from any factory G-Class variant.
Interior: VIP Rear Seat and Full Custom Cabin
Inside, the factory Mercedes dashboard and steering wheel are removed entirely. A new sports steering wheel and a completely redesigned instrument panel take their place. All surfaces are trimmed in nappa leather and carbon fibre. A single VIP rear seat occupies the back of the cabin, emphasising a driver-and-passenger configuration over conventional five-seat practicality. The X-Raid is not a family SUV with extra horsepower. It is a chauffeur-grade performance vehicle with coachbuilt credentials. For more context on the X-Raid and Ares Design's history, see the coverage from Top Gear and Ares Design's official site.
Ares Design also produced the Project Panther, a coachbuilt supercar based on the Lamborghini Huracan. Explore more rare and bespoke vehicles in the TheArsenale Cars Collection, or discover the Lamborghini Huracan V10 Engine Coffee Table and Rolls-Royce Phantom V12 Engine Coffee Table for automotive objects that double as interior art.
