The 443-HP AMG CLE 53 Convertible Is Coming to a US Dealership Near You Later This Year

In short, it’s an all-wheel-drive, all-wheel-steering ragtop with nine ratios in the go box, six cylinders upfront (taking up three liters of piston travel volume), spitting out 443 hp and 413 lb-ft of torque (443 lb-ft in overboost for up to 10 seconds). That’s 449 PS, 560 Nm (600 Nm in torque boost) from the turbocharger/electric-compressor combo architecture.

AMG has fitted a starter generator to help the engine in the low-rev end of the powerband to get the new cabriolet going quicker. The generator provides 23 hp and 151 lb-ft (24 PS, 205 Nm) while feeding the 48-volt electrical system. The AMG SPEEDSHIFT TCT 9G transmission and AMG Performance 4MATIC+ fully variable all-wheel drive put the engine efforts down to the blacktop.

It’s not just about what lies hidden under the shell that’s screaming ‘Performance;’ the design is very much in-your-face, too, from the LED headlights (Digital Light headlamps with projections are also available at extra cost) to the round double tailpipe trims in the rear fascia. As if the ‘standard’ AMG styling wasn’t performancey-looking enough, there’s the choice for the AMG Performance Studio Package. It adds more dynamic lines and touches – see the gallery – but that’s not all she wrote.

A pair of AMG Night packages are offered, and what they do is pretty much self-explanatory – put on the black garment. It ain’t over ‘till the carbon lady sings: AMG Carbon Fiber packages ‘further sharpen the look of the vehicle’ (it doesn’t look dull, to begin with, but to each their own). The beauty theme is carried on the inside, where high-tech meets the driver. A 12.3-inch digital instruments cluster and the driver-oriented 11.9-inch central multimedia display (in portrait layout). The latter can tilt (via an electric motor) to avoid glares when the top is down (15 to 40 degrees). Sixty-four-color dynamic ambient lighting illuminates the cockpit across the doors to behind the rear seats.

Integral sports seats with lateral support come in Black MB-Tex/microfiber upholstery, the standard offer, with AMG graphics and red seam stitching. Leather is available as an option, and AMG thought this through. We all know what leather feels like after a car sits in the sun for some time. The Germans treated the hide with a special coating designed to keep seat surfaces cooler in direct sunlight (up to 53 degrees Fahrenheit – 11.6 degrees Celsius - compared to untreated bovine skin. And then there’s the third option: Nappa leather furnishings with the AMG emblem embossed in the front headrests.

AMG Performance seats are another extra cost add-on, with more aggressive bolsters to support ‘highly dynamic driving’ (whatever this means in AMGese is up to the owners) and vertical backrest openings for the ‘look cool, feel cooler’ ventilation. Whoever opts for the go-fast seats will probably appreciate the ‘Classic,’ ‘Sport,’ and ‘SuperSport’ themes on the driver’s display. The former is an AMG-exclusive style with a central round tach and horizontal menus on either side. The driver can monitor engine, suspension, and transmission settings via the AMG menu. The above are centered around the M256M three-liter inline six-cylinder turbocharged powerplant.

AMG engineers have optimized the combustion chamber design, redesigned the intake and exhaust ports, developed new piston rings, and altered the injection. The turbine delivers a boost pressure of 22 psi (the predecessor topped out at 16 psi). Factor in the uprated electric auxiliary compressor that can run nearly around the clock to raise torque outputs across the board, particularly at midrange engine speeds. Thanks to the added supercharger, the exhaust gas turbo can afford a size increase for higher peak performance (the ultimate goal of the A, M, and G badging on every Mercedes).

Combine all the wrench wizardry under one cylinder head, and accelerate from zero to sixty miles per hour in 4.3 seconds. If the torque boost is activated, the time cuts to 4.1 seconds. The drop-top AMG CLE 53 will fly at a top speed of 155 mph (250 kph), but I suspect the rag-roof should be up for this attempt unless the driver doesn’t mind the sweet tunes of a roaring tornado.

Naturally, this high-performance machine comes standard with a matching brake system. The front wheels have 14.6 x 1.4-inch (371 mm x 35.6 mm) four-piston fixed caliper discs (perforated and ventilated). The less exposed rear has to do with 14.2 x 1-inch (361 mm x 25.4 mm) internally ventilated discs with single-piston floating calipers.

The car has five AMG DYNAMIC SELECT drive mods – ‘Slippery,’ ‘Comfort,’ ‘Sport,’ ‘Sport+’ and ‘Individual.’ Should the drivers wish to take immediate control of the transmission, they can override the AMG Dynamic Select programs and go full manual, meshing through the gears with the steering wheels' paddles. The human factor is still crucial for the AMG CLE 53 Cabrio - the driver can adjust the suspension independently of the selected drive mode.

Somewhat confusing, the AMG DYNAMICS system oversees the – you guessed it - driving dynamics control and is integrated into the AMG DYNAMIC SELECT drive programs. ‘Basic,’ ‘Advanced,’ and ‘Pro’ settings influence the ESP (Electronic Stability Program) behavior or the AMG Performance 4MATIC+ all-wheel traction system. The driver can directly push the AMG DRIVE UNIT steering wheel buttons to select the AMG DYNAMICS functions.

The nerdy stuff is still far from over - the fully variable all-wheel drive enables the switch from the rear- to all-wheel drive whenever desired or necessary. The front axle is coupled only when the driving conditions require all wheels to grip and pull. Varying according to the ESP setting, the torque is increasingly rear-biased, culminating in the rear-drive-only ‘Drift’ mode. The AMG RIDE CONTROL suspension allows individual damping settings for each wheel, thanks to separate valves for rebound and compression. Three suspension modes are available (‘Comfort,’ ‘Sport,’ and ‘Sport+’), so the AMG will have a composed stance when cruising politely through town or going full bananas on the track. See the video below for a quick review of the brand-new AMG smiles-per-gallon cannister.

To make driving this new gem a breeze, AMG installed all-wheel steering: the rear wheels turn at a maximum steering angle of 2.5 degrees opposite the front wheels. This is a low-speed setting (below 60 mph / 97 kph). Above this threshold, the rear wheels turn in the same direction as the front ones up to 0.7 degrees, effectively boosting lateral force build-up. The open-top fun is completed with the AMG DYNAMIC PLUS Package, which includes ‘RACE START’ and ‘RACE’ drive programs with Drift mode. The super-fun package also offers active engine mounts, red brake calipers all-around, and the option for an AMG Performance steering wheel dressed in either Nappa leather and microfiber or microfiber and carbon fiber design.

Because it is an open-top, the AMG CLE 53 has the AIRCAP electric wind deflector and AIRSCARF with neck-level heating and ventilation. The ragtop comes in three color schemes (black, red, or grey) and is fully power-operated (a first for AMG). The opening and closing sequences take 20 seconds, and the system can be operated at speeds under 37 mph / 60 kph. The roofless design requires a stiffer bodyshell – the rigid A-pillars and the bars behind the rear seats form a rollover protection. The new AMG convertible features 11 airbags for when the fun gets tough – debuting the new center airbag between front occupants and head airbags for rear seat passengers.