First Drive Review
And now, connoisseurs, pick up our exotic dessert menu, and check out the latest in automotive confections, offered in three variations of the same basic flavor: sublime, sublime plus, and sublime extreme. They're the new CL-class coupes, conceived for sophisticated tastes and served in elegant supersized portions. Hope you brought your platinum supersized credit card.
The new CLs — CL550, CL600 (on sale now), and CL63 AMG (due next June) — rank at the top of the Benz passenger-car family, sustaining a luxo-coupe heritage that dates to the 1951 Paris auto show, when Mercedes unveiled the 300S, riding a shortened 300 sedan chassis.
Like the 300S, the latest CLs are based on the biggest Benz sedans. They're immense, posh, and conceived for the enjoyment of the owner and perhaps one other: a prospective trophy spouse perhaps. Yes, there's a back seat, but without major cooperation from those up front, it's not really habitable by adults.
Bigness. The CL has expanded in every dimension — the wheelbase goes from 113.6 inches to 116.3, for example, and the overall length from 196.6 to 199.4. Its chassis has been stiffened, and it's also packed with more equipment: luxury goodies, of course, as well as a dazzling array of high-tech accident-avoidance and survival gear. The Mercedes ABC (active body control) system, arguably the only semiactive suspension setup going, has been tuned to allow 45 percent less body roll, according to Hans-Dieter Multhaupt, engineering program management chief.
But the most intriguing new element is the Pre-Safe brake system. Linked to the Distronic adaptive cruise control, Pre-Safe uses the system's radar to monitor closing speeds with vehicles ahead. If the system's brain decides collision is inevitable, it engages up to 40 percent of the car's braking power to minimize the impact. And it's in play whether Distronic is in active or standby mode.
Inevitably, increased size and content beget increased mass — almost 250 pounds, according to Multhaupt. In the CL550, this totals 4400 pounds. The CL600 is listed at 4650 pounds.
ABC does a good job of managing all this mass, and the superb brakes never seem to tire, but a little driving on mountain roads makes it clear that these handsome cruisers aren't sports cars. However, if they're not exactly agile, they're thoroughly competent. The only real rub is the speed-sensitive power steering, which is as numb as a missing limb.
But this asterisk is mitigated by what happens when the driver gets the CL pointed straight and tramps on the gas. The 550's new 32-valve 5.5-liter V-8 brings 382 horsepower and 391 pound-feet of torque to the party, versus the 302 and 339 of the previous 24-valve 5.0-liter V-8. It also employs Benz's new seven-speed automatic, and despite the weight gain, Mercedes forecasts 0 to 60 in 5.4 seconds.
That's quick for a heavyweight like this, but it's tame compared with the CL600. Output of the 5.5-liter twin-turbo V-12 has been boosted from 493 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque to 510 and 612. The effect of all this thrust is nothing short of vivid. Stab the throttle, and this supersmooth 12 smooshes occupants into the sumptuous leather seats while propelling the car to 60 mph in a claimed 4.5 seconds. How do you say "wow" in German?
Whatever that word is, it also applies to price. Although Mercedes wasn't prepared to furnish specifics, look for the CL550 to start at about $100,000 and the 600 at $145,000.
