The German automotive producer’s performance division is offering us its vision(s) of what the CL-Klasse should be like by releasing the CL63AMG and the CL65 AMG.
The 2011 model year CL63 and CL65 won’t necessarily be spotted immediately by an untrained eye, as the exterior changes featured on the two vehicles are subtle.
However, while the designers seem to have treated the vehicles as week-end projects, the engineers used a “nine to five” approach, so expect to find big changes under the hood.
The CL63 AMG has ditched the naturally aspirated 6.2 liter V8 for a more efficient 5.5 liter unit that uses twin-turbocharging, with the latter offering two power levels. The basic one, if we can call it so, delivers 536 hp and a maximum torque of 590 lb-ft, while the addition of the optional AMG Performance Package ups the output to 563 hp and 664 lb-ft of torque.
The engine is matted to a Speedshift seven-speed automatic gearbox and takes the big coupe past the 62 mph mark in 4.4 seconds (the AMG Performance Pack cuts 0.1s off that time). Even though the new CL is faster than the model it replaces, it manges to offer a 27% efficiency increase.
As for the supreme CL65 AMG, this has kept its twin-turbo 6.0 liter V12 powerplant, but the engine has received a 17 hp power premium, offering the driver 621 hp and 738 lb ft of torque to play with.
Mercedes now offers a richer standard features list for both models, with the additions including the Direct-Steer system, a vectoring-toque braking system and others.
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