2019 Mercedes-Benz CL65 AMG

2019 Mercedes-Benz CL65 AMG

This big coupe is insane. There is no other word for it. Insane. Insane fun, sure. It's the Mercedes-Benz CL65 AMG. Six hundred and four horsepower is only the beginning (the only car with more is Mercedes's own SLR McLaren). How about 738 lb.-ft. Not Viper, not Corvette, not even the SLR can match that. There are diesel locomotives with less torque than that. The really insane thing about this 6.0-litre V12? The output is artificially restricted so as not to fry the five-speed automatic transmission. Rumour has it that when Mercedes fits its new seven-speed autobox next year, die Hunde will really be let out, and this thing will develop more than 700 hp and 885 lb.-ft. Even in its throttled state, this torque machine fires the car down the road like a giant catapult. The traction control warning light is on just about all the time. The factory-supplied numbers are 0-to-100 km/h in a supercar-like 4.4 seconds, and a top speed electronically limited to 250 km/h.

Viper, Corvette Z06, Ferrari Enzo, Porsche 911 Turbo: that's about it for cars that can run with this one. And it's the only one that has an even half usable back seat. Incidentally, each of these monster engines is assembled by a single gnome in AMG's artisan workshop in Affalterbach, Germany. Said gnome even signs a little plaque that is affixed to the motor. Oddly, the transmission is a bit slow to shift - and remarkably slow to change from Reverse to Drive and vice versa. The car begins life as the CL, the two-door version of Mercedes's flagship S-Class sedan, which is already a pretty crazy car to begin with. It is a true pillarless coupe, and the only one I can think of in which both front and rear side windows drop down a few millimetres when you open the door and slide back up when you close it. This to ensure a better seal of the frameless windows without making the door hard to close.

The downside is that you have to wait half a second before actually opening the door, because otherwise the glass hangs up on the rubber seals. The complex hinge pulls the door outward as you swing it open, to improve clearance to the car parked next to you. As if you are going to park this Benz close to anything. The side-view mirrors even automatically fold themselves against the body, like a bird folding its wings. Not insane this time. The CL 65 AMG is visually separated from its brethren by a subtle aerodynamic body kit, small "V12 Biturbo" badges on the flanks and distinctive wheels and tires (insanely huge, of course). What you may notice most, though, especially on a sunny day, are the reflections through the wheel spokes from the front brake discs. They look like big polished pizza pans. These 390 mm diameter two-piece rotors are gripped by no fewer than eight pistons, which do a remarkable job of hauling this massive (2,111 kg) car down from the insane speeds of which it is capable. Like all CL-Class cars, this one gets Mercedes's active suspension, with hydraulic struts at each corner.

On the CL65 AMG, they are uniquely calibrated to a firmer setting, yet the ride quality is astonishing. A car weighing this much isn't likely to be the most nimble around. But the ultimate cornering power is fantastic, thanks to the wide rubber and the active suspension that keeps the coupe on a remarkably even keel. The steering isn't as sharp as a pure sports car, but you do get that back seat of sorts. The interior is pretty much standard CL-/S-Class fare, which is to say, well equipped and beautifully finished. Like most Mercedes cabins, this one generates respect but maybe not a lot of emotion. It is sumptuous, but somewhat austere and cold rather than inviting. And I rather missed the robot arm that used to hand you the shoulder belt in a previous version of this car. At least the clever rear-seat headrests that plop down at the touch of a button to improve rearward visibility are present.