One of the first things we noticed about the CL63 AMG upon its arrival in our fleet is the girth of this Benz. We parked it next to a Ford Expedition and laughed at the fact that this Mercedes-Benz coupe is just as long as the seven-passenger Ford sport-ute. The AMG tuning package gives the CL a wonderful exterior appearance, and the metallic black paint job only made the Benz look more stately and beautiful. All of this is indeed carried over to the interior where black leather meets with fine materials to create a cabin that could easily provide a comfortable solace after a long day at the office.

It’s hard not to love any vehicle whose engine specifications go above the 500-horsepower mark. Combined with Mercedes-Benz’s seven-speed manu-matic transmission, the big engine is easily tamed, but one needs to be careful. We found ourselves accelerating to warp speed with only the slightest touch of the gas pedal; a feeling that brought expressions of joy to our faces.

Ringing in at just above $144,000, we don't think that we'll be opening our pocketbooks to snag one of our own, but one thing's for sure: We'd be happy to drive it again and again.

David E. Davis, Jr.
Editor-in-Chief:

The Mercedes-Benz CL63 is the closest any automobile manufacturer other than Volkswagen has come to building a Bentley Continental GT. It is sleek and fast and you wouldn’t look stupid if you used it to race for pink slips while wearing a dinner jacket. You wouldn’t look stupid, period. People who see this car cruise past seem to be convinced that the driver is at bare minimum a successful bond salesman, but more likely a member of some obscure Ruritanian royal family.

The acceleration is nothing short of explosive. It is a good idea to make sure that the front wheels are pointing in the intended direction before you open the tap. Deceleration is equally impressive. The 7-speed automatic shifts down of its own free will as you jump on the brakes, and each downshift on the way down to full-stop telegraphs the feeling that some great God-like hand is slowing you down. Thinking back to the days of the Great Unintended Acceleration Panic, one is forcibly reminded that the brakes are more powerful than the engine.

The CL63 is not a small car. Sitting beside a Ford Expedition in our parking lot, it appears to be every bit as long, but undeniably more sleek. The rear seat is roomy, comfortable, and not lacking in head room, despite the downward curve of the fastback roofline. The front seats are about perfect. Although they offer moving bolsters that hug one's torso in the corners (a defeatable feature), the seats need no such machinations or built-in HANS Devices. They are perfectly realized with a full range of adjustments and support wherever your body needs it.

Chris Paukert
Editor:

One of the more gorgeous pieces to have passed through our hands in the past several months, the CL63 is a stunning tourer with an embarrassingly rich interior. Mercedes’ stylists have made no effort to hide the coupe’s size, but that’s hardly a demerit here, as the design has real presence, particularly when the windows are down to emphasize its pillarless greenhouse (a development that is likewise a boon for visibility and promoting an airy interior feel).

Better still, despite being a weighty thing with an automatic transmission, this Benz is a surprisingly entertaining dance partner. It’s hard to argue with the power that the 6.2-liter V-8 dishes out, and the 7G-Tronic gearbox’s paddles react with dual-clutch-esque quickness and refinement. But what truly surprises is how enjoyable the car is to fling into corners. Steering is spot-on, and the coupe’s suspension tuning and big tires afford a sizeable performance envelope… so much so that you really have to be going quite hard to put the electronic nannies in motion.

Nits to pick? I could probably do without the active cornering seats (but then again, they can be switched off), and while Benz’s stereo/nav interface continues to become more intuitive with each evolution, there were times when I still wished for a simpler control array. Other than that, there isn’t much to gripe about, other than the fact that I will likely never be able to afford one.

Kim Ewing, Business/Fleet Manager, spent an entire day driving a Porsche Cayman S from Newark, New Jersey, back to Detroit. (The rest of us are jealous, too.) Upon swapping out the Cayman for the CL63 AMG, she had this to say:

Seriously, the CL63 is one amazing machine. Extreme comfort all around, easy to use and internal functions are manageable. With 518 horsepower under the hood, the acceleration is felt immediately. The vehicle itself is so gorgeous to look at. Sleek and beautiful designs definitely draw looks. The shifts are so smooth, the suspension gives a comfortable ride, and the V-8 engine makes the most beautiful sound.

Steven Ewing
Production Assistant:

It’s hard for me not to feel privileged when driving a car of this caliber. Other drivers really pay attention to the CL as it coasts down the road, mostly because the car is so beautiful from just about any angle. It’s quite easy to find yourself completely at ease while driving even though keeping the speedometer at an acceptable number is quite hard to do.

0-60 acceleration is very impressive, but what I found more amazing were jaunts from 50 to 80 mph. I found myself stuck in heavy freeway traffic while driving the CL63. When I finally had the opportunity to move into the left lane and pass a line of slow-moving cars, I only had to brush the gas pedal to make the CL zoom to a more acceptable highway speed. I found myself in shock when I realized that I had gotten up to speed so quickly. The Benz is so fluid in all of its motions and acceleration to all speeds is very smooth.

Chris Champion
Pit Crew:

Aside from being more capable than most everything else you see on the road, the CL63 will cosset you in every way possible; a pleasure to be in, even before starting the engine. Our big CL63 AMG struck me with a Jekyll and Hyde driving personality. As much as you may want to switch on the “Sport