Mercedes CLS63 AMG spied

Mercedes’ all-new four-door coupe has been caught out in the open! We’ve already seen a heavily camouflaged prototype of Merc’s curvaceous saloon earlier in the year, but this is the first time the flagship AMG variant has been spotted by our team of spies.

Although most of the car is still hidden the headlights, rear lights, side mirrors (with E-Class-style indicators), tyres and roof are all visible, allowing us to begin to build a clearer picture of what the CLS will look like when it arrives in 2011.

Quad exhaust pipes are the immediate giveaway that this prototype is packing some serious power. Expect to see the same 518bhp 6.3-litre V8 as the new E63 AMG under the bonnet, driving the rear wheels through Merc’s Speedshift MCT seven-speed gearbox.

When it was first launched back in 2004, the CLS was a pioneer in the sporty saloon/coupé market but it’s bound to have far tougher competition second time round. Not only does it need to see off old rivals such as the Maserati Quattroporte, but also a raft a newcomers have entered the segment. These includes the Porsche Panamera and Aston Martin Rapide, as well as Audi forthcoming A7.