Cls 63 Amg

Mercedes-Benz $123000 Wild Thing Howls, Says 'Please': Jason H. Harper

The navigation system in the latest Mercedes-Benz CLS AMG uses the word “please.” Perhaps other turn-by-turn systems also use niceties, but I’ve never noticed.

It caught my attention because the cheery female voice sounds so polite against the furious maelstrom of the 550-hp engine at full tilt.

The CLS63 is a civilized beast.

When Benz released the first-generation CLS in 2004, it caused a fuss. A design breakaway, it was a four-door with the streamlined ceiling of a two-door sports car. The stylized ride filled an imaginary hole between two other large Mercedes: the two-door CL and the E-Class sedan. Really, it was just darn cool.

Mercedes decided to brand it a “four-door coupe,” a wrongheaded conjunction of words and a general assault upon vehicular vocabulary. It was such a beautiful creation that I forgave it.

This second generation is less showy. The bravura silhouette has been reined in, looking more like a traditional four-door. After driving it, I can forgive that too.

The 2012 models come in three versions: the $72,175 CLS550, $74,675 all-wheel-drive 4MATIC and $95,775 CLS63 AMG.

The engine on the 550 model has plenty of pop. It gets a new 4.6-liter, direct-injection, twin-turbo V-8 good for 402 horsepower and 443 pound-feet of torque. The company says it is also 26 percent more fuel efficient than the outgoing, for 16 city, 24 highway.

Believe unbridled power is the only way to go? The AMG model’s 5.5-liter V-8 comes in two blow-your-face-off variations, producing either 518 hp and 516 lb-ft of torque or 550 hp and 590 lb-ft. Positively animalistic.

As tested, my CLS63 with the AMG performance package (which adds the extra power), came to $123,525. That’s a price with a nasty bite. Mileage is 15 city and 22 highway.

During the first half of a long day’s drive around that grassy place known as Connecticut , I left the sports stuff alone. With the suspension and drive select in comfort modes, the engine was quiet, the ride cosseting, the cabin quiet.

It gave me time to assess the interior. It fits four, though backseat occupants only moderately comfortably. Carbon- fiber accents are attractive, yet the Alcantara-covered steering wheel felt too slick in my hands.

Mercedes is also due for a reinvention of its nav system (that polite voice notwithstanding). The CLS still uses a scrolling system, operated by a dial, to pick your intended address. Benz seems worried it will alienate older brand loyalists with too many gee-whiz gadgets.

CLS 63 AMG by Wheelsandmore | SpyExotics.com

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