Hollywood bad guys should love this brutish coupé, but what does the rest of the world think about the new Merdeces CLS 63 AMG?
We drove through California's Cleveland Forest down to the Mexican border. Past dead trees with limbs bleached white by the fierce sun, the engine burbled, barely turning over. Up on Mount Laguna, there was still snow at the side of the road yet it was warm enough to slide open a window and listen to the big Merc's murmuring exhaust snaps.
AMG, the official tuning arm of the three-pointed star, has spent much blood and treasure getting this production-based engine to sound right; it does. Down near Campo on the border, there's a border patrol SUV coming the other way every five minutes. "29,000 immigration arrests last year," proclaims a sign. On this porous crossing, they've got other fish to fry than bothering with a Merc coupé. Ease on the throttle and the seven-speed automatic steps heavily down a couple of notches for a dance. The noise hardens.
This production-based twin-turbo V8 might be cheaper and cleaner than the naturally-aspirated 6.3-litre AMG lump, but it's also felt the loving touch of Affalterbach's engineers. A new crank, racing con rods and Mahle pistons, extensive porting and polishing are only part of the story. There's also a new cooling system, the turbo boost goes up from one to 1.3 Bar and there's a revised direct injection strategy – sufficient to render the world a blur if you open it up.
The figures are arresting as a Highway Patrolman if you spend too much time on the loud pedal; 517bhp at 5,250rpm, with 516lb ft of torque at 1,750rpm. Not enough for you? Then this way, sir, to our £6,495 Performance Package with 549bhp and 590lb ft. A standing start to 62mph takes 4.4 or 4.3 seconds depending on which engine option you've chosen, the top speed electronically leashed to 155mph or 186mph. Staggeringly, the fuel consumption in the EU Combined cycle for both models is 32 per cent better than the old engine's, at 28.5mpg. With a new start/stop system, CO2 emissions are 231g/km.
Fast? Check. Controllable? You got it. The ride's harsh on these pitted blacktops more used to furtively driven pick-ups filled with Mexicans hoping for a new life in the land of the free, but it's just tolerable. AMG has replaced a lot of the standard car's suspension, three-link front, multi-link independent air sprung at the rear, with its own components and geometry. Likewise the electo-mechanically-powered steering. Really nice steering wheel, too. Squared off top and bottom, even the fake suede Alcantara hand grips are get-it-on rather than naff.
AMG's MCT seven-speed transmission is a proper automatic, but with a wet clutch instead of a torque converter. It's smooth and has a ratio for most eventualities with selectable modes including Race Start, but in any of them the kickdown is slow to activate, which seems at odds with the car's sporting intent. The steel brakes are more than powerful enough for road use, but there are carbon ceramic stoppers for those with a spare £9,300 in their pockets. Undoubtedly powerful, these brakes come with the drawback of a spongy pedal feel at low speeds.
Handling? This thing weighs almost 1.9 tons. You can try to throw it around like a souped-up Ford and it'll tolerate your efforts, but what it really likes is long, fast corners where the near foot-wide tyres generate side force enough to change your hairstyle. You can play motoring journalist tricks with it, turning off the traction control and spinning the rear tyres, but driven properly and fast there won't be many places where this car will get out of shape on a dry road. The steering is extraordinarily accurate, with a modicum of feedback, but the weighting depends on which suspension setting is selected and none of the options is entirely satisfactory.
While the first CLS was a study in line and form (a Mercedes to make other Mercedes owners jealous), this redesign seems fussy. With one basic curve running from front to rear, the added cutouts, creases and vents verge on overkill. In that respect, the AMG version is more successful than the standard cars. This is a movie baddies' car; mean, brutal and powerful. Ian Fleming would put Hugo Drax in it, with a couple of henchmen riding shotgun and a couple of chain guns in the wings. The hired hands would be a bit squashed in the back, although there is (just) room enough for a couple of six footers and it's more commodious than the Aston Martin Rapide.
The optional (at £3,450) carbon-fibre bling hung on the coachwork doesn't do the CLS any favours. The worst is the boot spoiler, but the door mirrors and the air splitter on the front lower grille are equally nasty and flexible – wobbly carbon-fibre seems oxymoronic. Strangely, the bespoke AMG bits in the cabin are more pleasing. Little bits of chrome and carbon panels look good. We're not entirely sure about the special AMG gearlever, however, which is simply unremarkable.
It's a bit brutish and unsophisticated at times and when all's said and done the CLS AMG 63 is a souped-up Merc, but it is a very special souped-up Merc – for example, AMG has put more than a million test kilometres on this car. Compared with the Porsche Panamera, it looks overwhelmingly tempting, better looking, just as fast and a lot cheaper. Compared to the Aston? Well, even though the Rapide is in a different class, the price difference alone could be enough to convince a few folk that we live in a classless society.
THE FACTS : Mercedes-Benz CLS 63 AMG
Tested: Four-door coupé with Performance Pack. 5,461cc V8 petrol engine with twin overhead camshafts per bank and four valves per cylinder, seven-speed automatic gearbox, rear-wheel drive
Price/on sale: from £80,645 (Performance Pack £6,495 extra)/now
Power/torque: 549bhp @ 5,750rpm/590lb ft @ 2,000rpm
Top speed: 155mph (limited)
Acceleration: 0-62mph in 4.3sec
Fuel economy: 28.5mpg (EU Combined)
CO2 emissions: 231g/km
VED band: L (£750 first year, £425 thereafter)
Verdict: Brutally effective
Telegraph rating: Four out of five stars
