Just_me

Test Date 19/09/2006 12:05:00
Price when new £106,995

Mercedes-Benz CL600

What’s new
Mercedes has been building aristocratic coupes for more than 50 years, and this CL is the latest. The mix is much the same as before – svelte luxury that just teeters on the right side of vulgar, authoritative performance, blue-blood refinement and an array of technologies and driver aids that will keep you immersed in the handbook for hours at a time. Happily, those with an aversion to reading the instructions will be relieved to hear that most of these systems are pretty intuitive to use.

As has been the case with CLs past, this generation debuts some impressive new equipment, which goes under the unexciting label of Pre-Safe Brake.

It builds on the Pre-Safe system in the S-class. There, the passenger seat is moved into the optimum position should an accident be imminent, seats’ air cushions are inflated and the windows and sunroof are closed.

Pre-Safe Brake warns the driver of said collision with audible and visual signals and calculates the braking effort required to avert an accident should the driver do the right thing. If he still fails to hit the big pedal the system automatically brakes, using 40 percent of the car’s stopping power to at least diminish the severity of the impact, if not avoid it all together.

There’s also a slew of more familiar things, like nightvision, massaging front seats, an excellent infotainment system, a seven-speed gearbox for the CL500 and ABC active suspension.

Two CLs are available - a £79,550 388bhp 5.5 litre V8, the CL500, and a £106,995 5.5 litre twin turbo V12 serving a stonking 517bhp.


What’s it like?
As you’d hope, supremely comfortable, fast and able – and all in a subtle kind of way. The woffling V8 sounds the more appealing engine in fact, and has more than enough go for the UK, the V12 having been conceived for the annihilation of unrestricted autobahns, in which mode it can doubtless outpace a light plane. You notice the performance difference between the two, but not sufficiently to justify the 600’s extra price.

And that’s not all the 600 has gained over the 500; the V12 adds an extra 167kg over the front wheels. That this is hard to detect is a tribute to the active suspension.

Drive this big, weighty car on a twisting road and you’ll be deeply impressed by the CL’s way with bends, its Active Body Control suspension almost eliminating roll, pitch and dive, with the result that you corner with amazing tidiness considering the power and sheer mass of this two-tonne car.

But you won’t be intimately involved – the Merc performs all this with a mild detachment that soon has you realising that it’s not a sports car, even if it is amazingly capable.

Instead, it’s better as a long distance mile-muncher, when the pillowy ride, cushioning seats (which massage and ventilate you in the 600), vault-like insulation and the richness of your surroundings will make you feel pretty good about life. The 600 even has Alcantara headlining which, while fairly pointless, feels and looks sumptuous.


Should I buy one?
Spending at least £80,000 on a four-seat coupe hardly qualifies as a hard-nosed transportation decision, but the CL500 makes some sense in this rarified area of the market. It is near-unique in being able to house four adults and a decent trawl of luggage, and its balance of performance, price and luxury makes more sense than the V12 CL600’s, which is virtually in Bentley territory.

Though the CL600’s cabin is far more spacious than the Continental’s, it’s short of visual glamour, as is the brand at this level for that matter. In the UK, where the need for pulverising performance north of 100mph is sadly unnecessary, the CL500, which is hardly slow, has strong appeal as a stylish, subtle, swift and balmingly luxuriant road weapon. The 600, on the other hand, is only for those who feel compelled to tick only the highest specification on the list.


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cawimmer430

Here is the Auto Motor und Sport CL600 Drive. I got to do some stuff now, but if you have specific questions about the article, just ask.

Centurion

Stunning interior, although it can do without the wood on the steering wheel.

Pagani

This interior color is simply stunning. If this is available on the S Class as well, with the Obsidian Black exterior, I will definitely order it on my S600 Sport--as soon as the sport pack will be available for the 600 here in the US. Frankly, the seats of the S and CL 600 look far better to me than the sport seats on the AMG 63/65's.

My written German is nonexistent, next to a very basic speaking one, so can anyone volunteer to translate or at least give a summary of the strong points of the article? This being the Auto-Motor-und-Sport, I am quite sure the review is favorable.

SDNR

Better still, take out all of the wood ...its only in there because some people can't envisage a luxury car without wood. The interior colour is very attractive in this particular example. I really do not like the wooden console ...it looks clunky and unharmonious ...other than that, this is a very nice car. I still think the Bentley will beat it in an overall comparison test ...but I, for one, would choose the CL because I like its appearance more than the Bentley's.

Deutsch

An S-class with two doors, style, flair and plenty of MB fan fare. What more can be said???

cawimmer430

That's why I am here.

The review is indeed very favorable. AMS basically thinks this is currently the "best coupe in the world".

Here's why:

Mercedes coupes have always been known for luxury. With the last generation CL came the switch over to sport and luxury. This C216 CL600 is both luxurious and sporty. It handles nicely for such a large and heavy car. The suspension is a little harder over that of the S600 sedan. Handling is amazing according to AMS. There is practically no body-roll or very little of it thanks to the improved ABC suspension. Likewise, the steering is unusually direct for a Mercedes letting the driver have some fun when it comes to backroads. Even so, the CL remains a comfortable - class leading according to AMS - that needs to be beat by other makes.

Interior space is even bigger than before. The rear passengers now have comfortable leg space as if they were sitting inside a 4-door sedan.

The cars safety systems have been improved, including the optional PRE-SAFE BRAKE.

The V8 and V12 engines are refined, powerful and their fuel efficiency has improved by 0.4 liters per 100 km as opposed to the old CL.

There you go.

SDNR

The space in the rear looks really good ....I think I would rather be driven in one of these than in an S class ...there is something really special about a coupe.

I am keen to see a comparison between this car and the Bentley CGT. The CL is a genuine 4 seat coupe, while the Bentley is not really very suitable for rear passengers on long journeys. Despite Mercedes' recent more radical design approach, it is still a relatively conservative design .....I like it more than the C215. I am not surprised a German magazine would praise this car, calling it the best in the world -- although, to be fair, they are almost certainly correct. The only thing is, at this level of the market, the Bentley offers more "bang for your buck" in terms of prestige and glamour -- we cannot underestimate that aspect of things -- still, the Mercedes is always going to be the winner among us Mercedes fans, it will be very interesting to see what effect this new car will have on Bentley CGT sales.

Merc1

I agree. Truthfully I don't like 4-door cars. If there is a coupe or convertible version I'll likely take that route before getting the sedan. The only exception is the CLS of course! At the dealer where I bought my car they sell Bentleys too, and I got a chance to look at them close up while waiting on my car to be detailed and let me tell you their interiors are head and shoulders above anything by BMW or Mercedes. That said the CL600 or upcoming CL65 are going to kill the Continental Bug.

M

cawimmer430

Bentley is more prestigeous overall than Mercedes in the first place. I've never thought of Bentley and Mercedes' as competitors. It should be Bentley vs Rolls Royce vs Maybach. If only Maybach made a coupe.