08 Oct 04
And there's the option, of course, of Keyless Go: have the key somewhere nearby and press the top of the gear selector to start the engine. But where to put the key? Well, there's always the ignition switch if you're stuck.
The driving experience is as you'd expect: bombastic, and much like that of an E55. The V8 has an ample 516lb ft of torque to go with the 476bhp, relative numerical values which point to effortless thrust and flex-of-an-ankle overtaking. It sounds fabulous, a deep, menacing harmonic under the V8 beat, and its throttle response is that of a sluice gate. The five-speed automatic transmission - Mercedes' seven-speed auto is neither strong enough for the torque nor necessary given that torque - has an AMG Speedshift interface, which means faster shifts (by up to 35 percent) in auto mode and a manual mode which really is.
Unlike in a regular auto Benz, in manual mode there's no upshift at the rev-limiter nor automatic downshift at full throttle or kickdown. It actually does what you want, rather than taking over because it thinks it knows best, which means you're more likely to use it even though the engine's torque is such that you get along fine in auto mode. If you do choose to manualise, the buttons on the steering wheel are the way to do it: the side-to-side action of the selector lever is just too non-intuitive. That the torque converter locks up readily, and there's proper engine braking on a downshift, also helps give a convincing feeling of connectedness and control.
The suspension also helps with that connectedness, being firmer than a regular CLS's and fitted with thicker anti-roll bars. The steering feels keen and precise as you thread this ample machine through a series of bends, but as with the E55 none of the three damper settings quite achieves the magic compromise of a controlled ride and razor responses. There's too much agitation at the back, although the occasional jolt on a poor surface is bound to happen with such shallow tyre sidewalls.
Ultimately this CLS doesn't flow quite as well as its E-Class counterpart, but it's still impressive for a big beast with all that torque on tap. And as a visual and aural spectacle, the marriage of the CLS drama and the AMG firepower is a fine match.
