Review of the new Mercedes CLS63 AMG

Somebody needs to have a word with the top brass at Mercedes Benz and inform them that the Eighties ended quite some time ago. That was the era when too much was just a starting point, when everything was in your face, high octane and without social conscience. The CLS63 AMG is a car that does wanton excess with such panache that despite its postmillennial refinements, its heart still seems locked into the Eighties.

Looking at the figures tells you only half the story. This £72,995 car features a 6.2-litre V8 that's good for over 507bhp. Back in the Eighties, that would have been enough to outmuscle a Lamborghini Countach QV. The CLS63 AMG will bludgeon its way to 60mph in just 4.5 seconds and shortly thereafter it will bump heads with its 155mph electronic speed limiter. Expect single figure fuel consumption if driven like this. Nanny the car around a little and you might average 20mpg. As we've said, you'll need to stump up a great deal of money for the privilege of owning one but once experienced, most remotely comparable rivals appear a little bland.

The sheer scale of the physics involved take some getting to grips with. Here is car that weighs almost two tonnes yet which will still step off the mark quicker than a Lotus Exige. The 7G-Tronic automatic box is preferred to the five-speed 'box used in the old CLS55 AMG and isn't quite as smooth but is much more responsive. Other changes over the '55' are revised hydraulic brakes, a dropping of the ride height by 10mm and smarter wheels and bumpers. Otherwise, if you ignore the fact that the engine is no longer supercharged so has slightly less torque, the recipe is pretty similar. As an autobahn express, this AMG-tweaked CLS still works a treat. As a sports coupe it's still not quite so bright.

Conventional wisdom dictates that a coupe has two doors, a quartet of doors generally precluding entry to the coupe club. Possessed of four doors, you are usually a saloon. Saloons, as we all know, are generally a bit boring, driven by middle management and chubby gentlemen the world over. The Mercedes CLS breaks that particular mould. It's breathtakingly striking with flowing coupe-like lines, razor-edged detailing and superb finish. It also has four doors.

"Certain elements of this car's make up are very 'un-Mercedes'"

Therefore this car shouldn't be pitched as some sort of rival to BMW's mighty M5. Instead it's a car that will suit those captains of industry who need to demolish big mileages but would rather be behind the wheel of car that gave something back rather than in the back seat of a limousine. The speed sensitive steering is a little quicker than that fitted to the E63 saloon but it's still hardly rich in detailed feedback. While that's not the ideal solution for cornering as if your trousers are on fire, it provides a pleasantly steady helm when travelling at big velocities. The self-levelling 'Airmatic' suspension also does a very good job at filtering out surface imperfections while at the same time keeping the CLS' not inconsiderable bulk in check. Other modifications include eight-pot front brake calipers that are quite astonishingly effective.

Walk around a CLS and - if you're a student of automotive design - you may well feel a gnawing sense of unease. What is it about this car that's so unusual? Yes, a four-door coupe isn't exactly conventional but that isn't it. After a while the realisation dawns that the CLS just plain doesn't seem like a German car. History has taught us that German cars feature clean, pragmatic styling. Even the more extrovert and successful German designs, such as Audi's TT, have a pared-down industrial hygiene to the styling. The CLS is different insofar that it is unashamedly Baroque, with an attention seeking ostentation suffused throughout it. In short, this car looks American.

The suspicion is well founded, the CLS being largely the work of American stylist Michael Fink. It almost looks like an evolution of a Los Angeleno low rider from the late fifties and is undoubtedly going to be a very hot ticket in Mercedes' biggest export market. It's difficult to take in all of the details of the CLS styling at one go. The way the twin swage lines that run along the flanks become the leading edge of the front wheelarch is beautifully resolved and the big L-shaped front lights mark a welcome departure from the gawky 'peanut' headlamps seen on so many contemporary Benzes. Even the door handles look like something from an Art Deco design exhibition. Aside from the big wheels and a slightly more aggressive front end treatment, there's not a whole lot to distinguish this CLS63 AMG model from a humble CLS350.

In true coupe fashion, the CLS features frameless glass, the windows dropping a centimetre or so as you pull the handle. It's also a long way down to the driver's seat. Stand next to the CLS and you'll soon realise that it's a good deal lower than either a CL or a CLK coupe, the two big hitters of Mercedes' coupe Range. The cabin is like no Benz currently offered, the fascia being particularly reminiscent of modern Jaguars. A vast plank of wood runs across the dashboard, punctuated by the ventilation controls and a deeply sunk instrument binnacle. Perforated leather with Alcantara detailing covers the seats with the door panels also finished in the soft touch hide.

The CLS63 AMG is a car that disorientates like few others. Certain elements of its make up are very 'un-Mercedes'. It's ostentatious and, some may argue, rather pointless. On a purely dynamic basis, it certainly doesn't bring a whole lot to the Mercedes Range. What it does bring is some genuine personality and a sense of fun. Despite its sticker price, the CLS63 AMG is a car that doesn't seem to take itself too seriously. Attitude and personality in a modern Mercedes? We haven't seen that for quite a few years.

TOP 5 CLS DEALS

The results below show the top CLS deals on buyacar

Mercedes Benz CLS CLS 350 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY Sport 4dr Tip Auto Diesel Coupe
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