Category: Large Executive 
Price Range: £81,045 to £150,180
Uncanny refinement, startling agility, breathtaking performance, state-of-the-art technology and movie-star looks coupled with genuine four-seater practicality.
It doesn't come cheap.
The world's fastest magic carpet.
For many decades Mercedes-Benz has done very nicely by taking its top-of-the-range saloon - in this case the most recent incarnation of the highly praised S-Class - and giving it the coupe treatment. The two-door model capitalises on the hefty investment made in bringing the S-Class to market by providing customers with a sleeker, less formal option.
The CL500 and CL600 are essentially two-door versions of the S500 and S600, with the same engines yielding the same horsepower and torque, the same seven- (500) and five-speed (600) auto transmissions, very similar kerb weights, CO2 and fuel consumption figures, along with the same performance figures as their four-door S-Class siblings. As with the S-Class, there are also 63 and 65 versions from AMG, Mercedes' tuning division. The 63 has a 6.2-litre naturally aspirated V8 and seven-speed gearbox; the 65 has a biturbo V12 and five-speed automatic transmission.
The CL also shares much of the S-Class' abundant technology except that the new CL showcases Mercedes' latest anticipatory braking system, Pre-Safe Brake, as standard equipment. Like the S-Class, the CL's body frame is made from high-strength steels, with aluminium alloy bonnet and doors: although, in common with the SLR supercar, the CL's boot lid is made from composite to allow for better transmission and reception of various signals.
