Body style: Coupé (two-door)
Segment: Premium Coupe
Production years: 1996, 1997, 1998
In its pursuit to offer a coupe version for its flagship model, the S-Class, Mercedes-Benz struggled to find a proper name and, in 1996, it came up with the CL designation.
The 1996 CL was more of a facelift for the SEC model, that was built since 1992. Both the SEC and the CL shared the same modified platform from the W140 S-Class sedan. It was built more like a grand tourer, with four rear seats and comfortable suspension.
The CL didn't look like a sports car. It was tall, wide, and with a big front fascia. It borrowed some styling principles from the S-Class. On the side, the frameless windows and the rear windows could roll down and, without a B-pillar, the car offered the image of a faux-cabriolet (fake cabriolet).
Inside, it was built as a luxury vehicle, with a big and tall dashboard, a straight center stack and more features carried over from the S-Class. Its instrument cluster featured five round dials with a total of seven gauges for various information. The leather upholstery and the wood grain were standard. As a novelty for those times was the parktronic system, which added parking sensors and digital displays for it.
For the engine bay, the car-maker installed only V8 and V12 gasoline units mated to a standard 5-speed automatic gearbox. For safety systems, the CL was fitted with a traction control system.
ENGINE SPECS - 420 5AT RWD (279 HP) | |
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Cylinders: | V8 |
Displacement: | 4196 cm3 |
Power: | 205 KW @ 5700 RPM 279 HP @ 5700 RPM 275 BHP @ 5700 RPM |
Torque: | 295 lb-ft @ 3900 RPM 400 Nm @ 3900 RPM |
Fuel System: | Multipoint Injection |
Fuel: | Gasoline |
Fuel capacity: | 26.4 gallons (99.9 L) |
PERFORMANCE SPECS | |
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Top Speed: | 155.3 mph (250 km/h) |
Acceleration 0-62 Mph (0-100 kph): | 8.5 s |
TRANSMISSION SPECS | |
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Drive Type: | Rear Wheel Drive |
Gearbox: | 5-speed automatic |
BRAKES SPECS | |
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Front: | Ventilated Discs |
Rear: | Ventilated Discs |
TIRES SPECS | |
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Tire Size: | 255/45 R18Z |
DIMENSIONS | |
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Length: | 199.4 in (5065 mm) |
Width: | 75.3 in (1913 mm) |
Height: | 56.9 in (1445 mm) |
Front/rear Track: | 63.5/62.5 in (1,613/1,588 mm) |
Wheelbase: | 115.9 in (2944 mm) |
Ground Clearance: | 6.2 in (157 mm) |
Cargo Volume: | 17.8 cuFT (504 L) |
Aerodynamics (Cd): | 0.29 |
WEIGHT SPECS | |
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Unladen Weight: | 4508 lbs (2045 kg) |
Gross Weight Limit: | 5643.8 lbs (2560 kg) |
FUEL ECONOMY (NEDC) | |
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City: | 14.2 mpg US (16.6 L/100Km) |
Highway: | 24.1 mpg US (9.8 L/100Km) |
Combined: | 18.6 mpg US (12.6 L/100Km) |
CO2 Emissions: | 355 g/km |
ENGINE SPECS - 500 5AT RWD (320 HP) | |
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Cylinders: | V8 |
Displacement: | 4973 cm3 |
Power: | 235 KW @ 5600 RPM 320 HP @ 5600 RPM 315 BHP @ 5600 RPM |
Torque: | 347 lb-ft @ 3900 RPM 470 Nm @ 3900 RPM |
Fuel System: | Multipoint Injection |
Fuel: | Gasoline |
Fuel capacity: | 26.4 gallons (99.9 L) |
PERFORMANCE SPECS | |
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Top Speed: | 155.3 mph (250 km/h) |
Acceleration 0-62 Mph (0-100 kph): | 7.5 s |
TRANSMISSION SPECS | |
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Drive Type: | Rear Wheel Drive |
Gearbox: | 5-speed automatic |
BRAKES SPECS | |
---|---|
Front: | Ventilated Discs |
Rear: | Ventilated Discs |
TIRES SPECS | |
---|---|
Tire Size: | 255/45 R18Z |
DIMENSIONS | |
---|---|
Length: | 199.4 in (5065 mm) |
Width: | 75.3 in (1913 mm) |
Height: | 56.9 in (1445 mm) |
Front/rear Track: | 63.5/62.5 in (1,613/1,588 mm) |
Wheelbase: | 115.9 in (2944 mm) |
Ground Clearance: | 6.2 in (157 mm) |
Cargo Volume: | 17.8 cuFT (504 L) |
Aerodynamics (Cd): | 0.29 |
WEIGHT SPECS | |
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Unladen Weight: | 4519 lbs (2050 kg) |
Gross Weight Limit: | 5643.8 lbs (2560 kg) |
FUEL ECONOMY (NEDC) | |
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City: | 13.1 mpg US (18 L/100Km) |
Highway: | 23.2 mpg US (10.1 L/100Km) |
Combined: | 17.1 mpg US (13.8 L/100Km) |
CO2 Emissions: | 365 g/km |
ENGINE SPECS - 600 5AT RWD (394 HP) | |
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Cylinders: | V12 |
Displacement: | 5987 cm3 |
Power: | 290 KW @ 5200 RPM 394 HP @ 5200 RPM 389 BHP @ 5200 RPM |
Torque: | 420 lb-ft @ 3800 RPM 570 Nm @ 3800 RPM |
Fuel System: | Multipoint Injection |
Fuel: | Gasoline |
Fuel capacity: | 26.4 gallons (99.9 L) |
PERFORMANCE SPECS | |
---|---|
Top Speed: | 155.3 mph (250 km/h) |
Acceleration 0-62 Mph (0-100 kph): | 6.6 s |
TRANSMISSION SPECS | |
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Drive Type: | Rear Wheel Drive |
Gearbox: | 5-speed automatic |
BRAKES SPECS | |
---|---|
Front: | Ventilated Discs |
Rear: | Ventilated Discs |
TIRES SPECS | |
---|---|
Tire Size: | 255/45 R18Z |
DIMENSIONS | |
---|---|
Length: | 199.4 in (5065 mm) |
Width: | 75.3 in (1913 mm) |
Height: | 56.9 in (1445 mm) |
Front/rear Track: | 63.5/62.5 in (1,613/1,588 mm) |
Wheelbase: | 115.9 in (2944 mm) |
Ground Clearance: | 6.2 in (157 mm) |
Cargo Volume: | 17.8 cuFT (504 L) |
Aerodynamics (Cd): | 0.29 |
WEIGHT SPECS | |
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Unladen Weight: | 4861 lbs (2205 kg) |
Gross Weight Limit: | 5908 lbs (2680 kg) |
FUEL ECONOMY (NEDC) | |
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City: | 11.3 mpg US (20.8 L/100Km) |
Highway: | 19.7 mpg US (11.9 L/100Km) |
Combined: | 15.1 mpg US (15.6 L/100Km) |
CO2 Emissions: | 400 g/km |