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Mercedes-Benz CLS 63 AMG (2008-) Review

Category: Exotic Sports 4 out of 5

Summary of the Mercedes-Benz CLS 63 AMG (2008-)

Price Range: £45,950 to £74,555

Assets

Obscenely fast, grippy, fantastic to look at, plenty of safety features.

Drawbacks

Pricey, rear space is compromised, huge running costs, poor residuals.

Verdict

The standard CLS is no slouch, but this thing just raises the bar. It's a perfectly manageable high-class hot rod.

Mercedes CLS-Class Review

Overview4 out of 5

Get behind the wheel of any kind of Mercedes-Benz AMG and you have the same sort of feeling you have when you are strapping yourself into a rollercoaster - you know it's going to be quick, but not quite sure how quick.

Well, the AMG is obscene in terms of outright velocity. Plant your boot on the loud pedal and you'll feel like the car is driving you rather than you driving it. It's not that it's out-of-control fast - it's entirely manageable - but you find that it's goading you just so that it can show off all its capabilities. It's like a decathlete - more than just a fast runner - it can throw stuff and jump over things too.

Like the whole CLS range, the AMG gets a facelift. It's mostly cosmetic - there's no power hike or anything. It's the same beautiful girl, but she's got a new frock on, that's all.

Exterior-wise the changes are subtle: there's now a black painted radiator grille with two louvres instead of the previous three. New 19" triple-spoke light alloy wheels replace the previous model's 18" rims and they get 255/35 tyres at the front and 285/30 tyres in the rear.

Bigger wing mirrors with arrow-shaped LED lights on the front, revised tail-lights, trapezoidal tailpipes and a reworked rear bumper make up the rest of the exterior changes.

Inside, there's a whole host of changes (listed on the Comfort and Equipment section) and a price rise of just over £1000 on the previous model.

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