AMG quick off the mark
No sooner had the new Mercedes CLS appeared in the showrooms than when AMG comes out with their tuned version of the four-door luxury coupé. With its hood rippling with muscles, hugely widened mudguards, a serious diffuser at the back and new LED lights at the front, the 63 will be the CLS to be seen in.
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- Pure power: The new 5.5 litre bi-turbo delivers 525 horsepower and 700 Newton metres of torque. With the Performance Package option performance goes up to 557 horsepower and 800 Newton metres of torque. But there is economy to note, too – just 9.9 litres per hundred kilometres (23,7 miles per US gallon/ 28,5 miles per UK gallon) driven.
Engine capacity isn’t everything
However the number in the model designation - also found in its ‘big brothers‘, the S and CL in AMG 63 trim –is no longer entirely accurate. For the new power plant with twin turbochargers and streamed petrol direct injection delivers its 525 horsepower from ‘only’ 5.5 litres capacity. But this minor bit of cheating is quickly excused, because the shrunken V8 is more powerful and less thirsty than its predecessor. Daimler claims a 32 percent reduction in comparison with older versions. And, while 525 horsepower sounds pretty good, there’s more to be had from the CLS. Just as with other AMG models, there’s the “Performance Package” which boosts power output in this instance to all of 557 horsepower. The maximum torque increases from 700 to 800 Newton metres. And the zero-to-a-hundred time falls with this AMG tuning package to 4.3 seconds. If desired the Affalterbach engineers can open up the 63 to race along at 186 miles per hour.
As you like it
All of this allows the expectation that a first drive in this coupé will be a unique experience, above all on account of the phenomenal acceleration and very direct steering. The suspension, with steel springs at the front and air suspension at the rear, can be adjusted according the driver’s wish- from firm to very firm. The same holds true for the sound – twist the drive unit to Sport Mode and the CLS simply roars. In comparison C Mode promises comfort, with the eight cylinders just calmly burbling. When he stops the CLS at the lights the driver hears nothing at all – start-stop automatic comes as standard. This gives the automobile a small claim to green credentials, expressed by the small ‘eco’ badge in the instrument panel. However it is this technology which also makes it possible to lower the fuel consumption of a luxury four-door coupé below the ten litre mark – 9.9 to be exact.
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- Next to the mini gear-stick in joystick format there is the AMG Drive Unit for suspension adjustment and Sport Program settings. Alcantara trim on the steering-wheel and carbon fibre features in the interior are Performance Package bonus features.
Beauty has its price
Compared with the standard CLS models, the AMG version features tougher fenders, wide tyres and plenty of luxury touches inside. But there are further subtle differences between the two AMG versions: With the Performance Package comes a carbon fibre spoiler lip, a carbon hood panel, red lacquered brake calipers and a steering-wheel with Alcantara trim.
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- The CLS 63 AMG has a starting price of 115 thousand Euros. Those who will settle for nothing but the best will spend 123,581 Euros for the Performance Package.
But the CLS is not just a rare beauty. For the price of 115 thousand Euros the owner gets an automobile which demands respect but is also viable for everyday use. Not only can four people be housed in perfect comfort in the four-door coupé, there is also enough room to carry all the luggage a couple could need for a whole week. In the basic price are included such refinements as full LED headlights and an impeccable seven-speed automatic transmission. For those who insist on the best performance money can buy there is the CLS 63 AMG with Performance Package for 123,581 Euros. This puts the cherry on the icing, top performance with ultimate elegance.
Technical data for the Mercedes CLS 63 AMG
Four-seater, four-door coupé.
Length/Width/Height/Wheelbase: 5.0 metres/1.88 metres/ 1.41 metres/ 2.84 metres.
Trunk capacity: 520 litres.
Motor: 5.5 litre V8 petrol motor with 386 kilowatts / 525 horsepower, maximum.
Torque: 700 Newton metres from 750 to 5,000 RPM.
Top speed: 250 kilometres an hour (electronically limited).
0 – 100: 4.4 seconds.
Fuel consumptions: 9.9 litres per hundred.
CO2 emissions: 231 grams/kilometre.
Price: 115,846.50 Euros
With Performance Package
Motor: 5.5 litre V8 petrol motor with 410 kilowatts / 557 horsepower, maximum.
Torque: 800 Newton metres from 2,000 to 54,500 RPM.
Top speed: 155miles per hour (electronically limited).
0 – 100: 4.3 seconds.
Fuel consumptions: 9.9 litres per hundred.
CO2 emissions: 231 grams/kilometre.
Price: 123,581.50 Euros
