Mercedes CL 65 AMG
A single-minded approach to car design always reaps great rewards. Take the Honda Jazz. It's built to be the most practical small car on the planet, while Ariel's Atom is intended to be the best trackday tool and the Rolls-Royce Phantom has been made to give the most comfortable back-seat ride.
The Mercedes CL 65 AMG has taken GT straight-line performance to a new level. While it struggles for grip and space on UK roads, its immense acceleration soon has you above the speed limit. It's a very capable showpiece, but the 'cost-no-object' approach has given the car an unfeasible price.
A single-minded approach to car design always reaps great rewards. Take the Honda Jazz. It's built to be the most practical small car on the planet, while Ariel's Atom is intended to be the best trackday tool and the Rolls-Royce Phantom has been made to give the most comfortable back-seat ride.
Now, engineers at Mercedes have adopted the one-goal approach with the new CL 65 AMG. The aim? To deliver the best performance in the class. We got behind the wheel to see if they had managed to pull it off.
Take a look at the new flagship and it will be clear to any fan of the marque that this is no ordinary CL. To set the range-topping supercar apart, there is a full AMG bodykit, complete with menacing 19-inch alloy wheels.
Slip inside and you are greeted by a standard-spec CL cabin trimmed in Nappa leather and featuring every conceivable extra. However, written on the dials is the information that not only do you have 12 cylinders under the bonnet, but there are also two turbochargers. Turn the key, and the immense powerplant bursts into life before settling into a smooth, satisfying V12 hum.
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Incredibly, the potent 612bhp 6.0-litre unit can produce 1,200Nm of torque, but engineers have reined that in to 1,000Nm to preserve the five-speed gearbox. Even so, the CL 65 still boasts 220Nm more pulling power than the £275,000 McLaren Mercedes SLR!
You might have guessed this car has scorching performance. Push the long-travel accelerator all the way to the floor and at first it all feels a bit disappointing... then you realise that the massive rear wheels are still scrabbling for grip under the control of the ESP.
It's only above 40mph that the CL finds its feet and provides the kind of thrust that will change your perception of automotive movement. The Merc's 0-62mph sprint time of 4.4 seconds doesn't do the storming pace justice, and the UK's roads simply aren't suitable for this kind of performance.
This CL's top speed is limited to 155mph, but Mercedes has calibrated the speedometer up to 220mph - the car's true maximum lies somewhere between the two. Thankfully, the enormous front and rear disc brakes haul the two-tonne four-seater to a stop with incredible ease. However, even with Active Body Control and special AMG suspension, the CL 65 doesn't shine on a twisty road - far cheaper sports cars will leave it embarrassed.
One thing that could make anyone blush is the price. This Merc costs £145,170 - that's £35,170 more than a Bentley Continental GT. Maybe even Mercedes' accountants got caught up in creating the ultimate luxury dragster.
