S2P2 Neutral Newbie February 4, 2004 Share February 4, 2004 Road test Mercedes - CL 65 AMG The spokesman was very clear on one particular point. "It's the most powerful road car we've ever made," he said, "until the end of this week, anyway." Mercedes-Benz makes so many rocket ships these days, it's a statistical certainty that it must lose some of them down the back of the sofa. You know things have come to a pretty pass when your new 612bhp super-coupe has but seven days of glory before being eclipsed by something even more potent (in this case the official world debut of the long-awaited SLR McLaren). Then again, nobody does one-upmanship quite like the Germans. It must have hurt Mercedes to watch as last summer's pin-up, the Bentley Continental GT, strutted its 'fastest four-seater' stuff all over town. But while the Bentley hogged the headlines, AMG's mad professors were tucked away concocting what is surely one of the silliest cars ever: the CL65. It too has four seats, yet it can accelerate to 125mph in about 13secs. Perfect for the family man in an intergalactic hurry. Did I mention that it has 612bhp? Coincidentally, that's exactly the same power output as 1998's terrifying Le Mans-contesting homologation special, the CLK-GTR. Now obviously, the CL weighs substantially more, but the very fact that this thing tips the scales at well over two tonnes somehow makes it all the more absurdly enjoyable. Cars this size simply shouldn't be able to do what the CL65 can do. It makes the world wibble in the same way it wibbles in The Matrix when Keanu Reeves' character does his Zen superhero thing. Achieving this state of grace naturally necessitates one or two refinements over the existing CL range. The engine is a six-litre V12 biturbo unit based on the one in the Maybach, and features a bigger bore and longer stroke, forged pistons, an upgraded cooling system and bigger turbochargers. Given that the new car produces 738lb ft of torque from 2,000-4,000rpm, its transmission and driveshafts have also been 'optimised'. With granite, presumably. Mercedes' ABC active suspension technology has been further tweaked in this latest AMG guise, with a firmer damping response and the ability to adjust automatically depending on load. And the brakes are as immense as you would hope: huge eight-piston calipers grab inner-ventilated perforated composite discs at the rear, with four-piston calipers and slightly smaller discs at the front. Our base for this power trip is a yacht moored in Monte Carlo, complete with bar-stools trimmed in whale's foreskin. An upholstery choice that's about as politically correct as the CL65. Not that you'd really know to look at it. In renewed AMG guise, a reasonably discreet bodykit - deep front air-dam, sill extensions, boot-lid spoiler - grafts on some welcome visual menace, the quad exhaust set-up being the biggest clue to its ludicrous potential. The interior plays it pretty straight, too - the seats are as generously padded as the backsides that will most likely end up gracing them, the dials and instruments are beautifully illuminated, the leather richly aromatic, the overall effect soothing but frankly pretty dull. I'm not asking for whale willy, but a little more sense of occasion certainly wouldn't go amiss for your ↡ Advertisement Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magfocus 5th Gear February 6, 2004 Share February 6, 2004 Wah ultimate! I'd much rather get a condo, thanks Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mojoe Neutral Newbie February 6, 2004 Share February 6, 2004 yah, but can you take your condo wherever you go? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magfocus 5th Gear February 6, 2004 Share February 6, 2004 Must FOCUS on the important issues in life first mah.. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mojoe Neutral Newbie February 6, 2004 Share February 6, 2004 .. not Focused yet leh.. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magfocus 5th Gear February 6, 2004 Share February 6, 2004 IC no wonder lah.. So when are you gonna be FOCUS-SING on the important things? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mojoe Neutral Newbie February 6, 2004 Share February 6, 2004 probably by next week loh.. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magfocus 5th Gear February 6, 2004 Share February 6, 2004 Having sleepless nights now? Don't worry, time flies.. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mojoe Neutral Newbie February 6, 2004 Share February 6, 2004 (edited) yup.. especially since I think my current ride's air-con is just broke down.. I think it's leaking... Edited February 6, 2004 by Mojoe Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magfocus 5th Gear February 6, 2004 Share February 6, 2004 Just have to endure a little heat for a while scrapping your current ride right? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mojoe Neutral Newbie February 6, 2004 Share February 6, 2004 handing over to SE to scrap.. but she said they (Forward) may not scrap.. may export (since they are authorised exporter) or do whatever they want... that's why i can't strip my ride at all, otherwise I won't get the full value.. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magfocus 5th Gear February 6, 2004 Share February 6, 2004 As long as you get your new ride.. What is the OMV of the focus now? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mojoe Neutral Newbie February 6, 2004 Share February 6, 2004 not sure.. should be averaging 17.3k based on onemotoring.com Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magfocus 5th Gear February 6, 2004 Share February 6, 2004 thats alot higher than mine last time.. Good for you! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mojoe Neutral Newbie February 6, 2004 Share February 6, 2004 euro up that's why.. hope this is the right one though coz Onemotoring based on average of Dec03 sales.. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magfocus 5th Gear February 6, 2004 Share February 6, 2004 Well you would know for sure next week! Remember to take some pics Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mojoe Neutral Newbie February 6, 2004 Share February 6, 2004 .. first thing must Klasse it.. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magfocus 5th Gear February 6, 2004 Share February 6, 2004 Yeah last time Regent didnt do a good job for me.. ↡ Advertisement Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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