Following a brochure leak earlier this month, DaimlerChrysler has released officially released images and details on its 2007 Mercedes CL-Class AMG bodystyling packaged. The AMG bodystyling for the new Mercedes-Benz CL-Class comprises a front and rear apron and side skirts. The redesigned front bumper with enlarged air intakes and chrome-ringed circular fog lamps is lithe and athletic in appearance. Typical AMG styling, with two slanted struts and a smooth transition to the prominent wheel arches, gives a strong air of confidence and emphasises the sense of width. The AMG side skirts carry the muscular lines seamlessly through to the AMG rear apron. The rear bumper with its black insert and chrome trim strip flanked by tailpipes on either side creates a dynamic and exclusive impression. 19-inch AMG light-alloy wheels round out the package with 10-and 11-inch-wide tires.

AT A GLANCE:
2007 MERCEDES-BENZ CL550
ON SALE: Dec. 1
BASE PRICE: $100,000 (est.)
5.5-liter, 388-hp, 391-lb-ft V8; rwd, seven-speed automatic
CURB WEIGHT: 4807 lbs
0 TO 62 MPH: 5.4 seconds (mfr.)

Mercedes-Benz has come clean on its new CL, unveiling the sleek, range-topping S-Class-based coupe at the German carmaker’s new museum in Stuttgart (“An Elegant Home, Indeed,” June 5).

The luxuriously equipped CL will go up against cars such as the Bentley Continental GT. The Mercedes, engineered under the internal codename C216, has been completely overhauled for 2007 with three main goals in mind: expressive design, innovation, and outstanding driving characteristics.

Among the developments Mercedes is hailing is an advanced rear-wheel-drive chassis, an upgraded range of V8 and V12 gasoline engines, and a host of high-end features befitting the CL’s haughty price tag, which is expected to come in around $100,000 when North American sales kick off Dec. 1. The CL600 will start at $145,000.



Holding true to tradition, the new CL boasts a smooth and unruffled eye-catching design rich in classic Mercedes styling elements. Developed under the direction of design boss Peter Pfeiffer, who says he considers the CL the pinnacle of the Benz lineup, the exterior reflects the design approach taken on the latest S-Class (“Technowonder,” Nov. 28, 2005), with a long, powerful hood, pronounced wheel arches and taut surfacing dominating throughout. It is all intended to give the new car added presence and a more muscular appearance. “It’s no sports car, but it has a sporty attitude,” says Pfeiffer of the CL’s design.

Other distinguishing features include new trapezoidal-shaped headlamps in place of the double rounded units found on the old model. They combine with a reworked air duct in the lower part of the bumper to accentuate the car’s width. Newly enacted European pedestrian safety regulations mean the hood is mounted slightly higher, while the grille is a touch wider, sits at a more upright angle, and integrates more closely with the bumper.

A deep swage line similar to that found on the S-Class adorns the flanks, which are characterized by long, frameless doors that open wide to reveal a luxurious four-seat interior. The big coupe retains the heavily curved roofline of its predecessor, and in keeping with tradition it does without B-pillars; all four side windows retract into the bodywork to provide it with an uninterrupted opening.


Like the front, the rear of the car receives a whole new look, with a rounded backlight, shorter trunk lid and new taillight graphics. The car has grown in every vital dimension, putting on three inches in length at 199.4 inches, a half inch in width at 74 inches, and three quarters of an inch in height at 55.8 inches. It also rides on a slightly longer wheelbase—Mercedes says rear seat passengers will benefit from added leg, shoulder and headroom.

Two engines will be available from the start of North American sales. They include Mercedes’ advanced 5.5-liter four-valve-per-cylinder V8 as launched in the new S-Class last year and recently made available in the facelifted E-Class. With 388 hp, it produces a solid 82 hp more than the 5.0-liter three-valve V8 it replaces; enough, according to Mercedes, to propel the CL550 from 0 to 62 mph in a highly respectable 5.4 seconds (down from the old CL500’s 6.3 seconds) and on to an electronically controlled top speed of 155 mph, like all high-end Mercedes models.

Sitting above the CL550 is the CL600 running an updated version of Mercedes’ 6.0-liter, three-valve twin-turbo¬charged V12. Now with 517 hp and a whopping 612 lb-ft of torque (up by 17 hp and 22 lb-ft), the engine provides this new range-topping coupe with the sort of off-the-line performance to challenge the Ferrari 612 Scaglietti; the official 0-to-62-mph time is a sizzling 4.6 seconds, or 0.8 second faster than the old CL600.


At the Paris motor show in September Mercedes boss Dieter Zetsche will also pull the wraps off the new CL63 AMG. The replacement for the CL55 receives AMG’s 6.2-liter naturally aspirated V8 good for 514 hp and 464 lb-ft, and is due to reach North American customers early next year. Also planned is a follow-up to the rapid CL65 AMG running the same 6.0-liter twin-turbo as the outgoing model, with 612 hp and 737 lb-ft.

There are no plans for a diesel—Mercedes says CL customers don’t want it.

Standard equipment levels are in keeping with the CL’s positioning. Although North American specifications are still being finalized, there are safety features galore. Pre-Safe braking is standard. If the car senses an accident coming, the system pretensions the seatbelts, automatically closes the windows and inflates cushions in the front seats. There is also Brake Assist Plus, wherein a brake booster kicks in and adds brake power automatically when sensors mounted in the front bumper think the car is too close to the car in front. (In-house tests found accident rates dramatically reduced with the new technology.)


Ride quality being a top priority, the CL will come with the company’s latest version of Active Body Control, which Mercedes says cuts body roll 60 percent. An intelligent light system, capable of automatically adjusting to five different levels of lighting based on road and weather conditions, will be standard.

Mercedes has sold some 178,000 luxury coupes since 1952. We can’t wait to drive this latest one.

The seats of the 2007 Mercedes CL-Class will offer a built-in massage function, ventilation, and automatically adjusting side bolsters that increase in size during cornering. Miniature fans in the seat cushion and backrest take in cool air at floor level and evenly distribute it via an air-permeable fabric under the surface of the seat in hot weather conditions. The seats also feature nine air chambers, allowing owners to customize the fit to their liking. What's more, a 'dynamic mode' allows the air chambers to rapidly inflate during hard cornering, creating sports-car-like side bolsters to hold the driver in place. The air chambers are also integrated to the Pre-Safe crash anticipation system, and will inflate to hold the driver in place ahead of an impact. Seven separate air chambers also provide the driver and passenger with a relaxing back message by rapidly inflating and emptying, thus creating a pulsating sensation.