At Prior-Design, located in Kamp-Lintfort, near Düsseldorf in Germany’s Rhine valley, the enjoyment we get out of tuning cars is something we take seriously. Andreas Belzek, the managing director of the outfit, is a big lover of proportionally harmonious bodywork designs and definitely a fan of widebody designs. As a result, Prior-Design now has custom-made widebody bodywork component kits for a large number of different model cars in its range of products and services. For its latest creation, Prior-Design drew on the lovely CL-coupé from the Mercedes C216 series, a model which, as it rolls off the production lines, is really already furnished with truly shapely and classy form lines running through its bodywork.

Without impacting on the vehicle’s own lines, the designers at Prior-Design developed the new ‘Black Edition V2’ components for the exterior shell of the CL, components which give the vehicle a significant widening. For the CL’s brutish front end, straining forwards into the headwind, there is a completely new front bumper with large air vents and a front lip spoiler, which is optionally available in a particularly racy genuine carbon fibre design. Specially designed to complement the Black Edition V2 front bumper are four cup-wings, finished in DTM-Style (German Touring Car Masters). Also new is the engine bonnet with two large outlet valves for the hot exhaust air coming off the engine. Making the vehicle look really muscular are the two broad-shoulder like front fenders with side air vents and integrated racing grilles, which also have their counterparts on the drive axle, where they appear as ample side widenings. A set of side skirts ensures better air circulation from the front to rear axle. At the rear end of the vehicle, almost everything is new: In addition to a completely new rear bumper with side air vents, as well as an integrated rear diffuser (optionally available in genuine carbon fibre), Prior-Design have installed a massive boot lid spoiler, which is attached to the boot lid itself. Framed in the diffuser is an exclusive stainless steel sports exhaust system, which has been specially manufactured for Prior-Design by NAP Autoteile, and which can be individually customised by customers with a range of exhaust pipe end pieces.

Three-part PD RF wheels have been mounted in the widened wheel-arches, up front in measurements of 10.5 x 20 inches ET0 and at the back in massive measurements of 13 x 20 inches ET0. Onto these rims, we’ve placed Continental tyres of dimensions 265/30R20 and 325/25R20. And of course, we’ve also lowered the CL discreetly, yet nevertheless effectively – Prior-Design has installed its own in-house electronic PD suspension lowering module.

Prior-Design has finished the interior of this racy luxury coupé with exclusive PD Black Edition leathers in addition to carbon fibre interior panels and skirting.
And so that the ‘Black Edition V2’ coupé is really as quick as it looks, we’ve joined together with SKN Technology to give it a performance tune up. After extensive tests by Prior-Design test driver T. Stryjas, as well as by Andreas Belzek himself, the CL500 now boasts 411 HP and maximum torque of 560 Nm on its crankshaft.

Incidentally, the Black Edition Aerodynamic Kit is also available for the pre-facelift model of the C216 coupé.