Mercedes-Benz claims a 4.7-second 0-100 km/h time for the CLK 63 AMG Cabriolet. And that gets you only to second gear.
Second gear! Heck, the shift from third to fourth doesn't come along until you've passed 160 km/h. For safety reasons, the engine software limits top speed to 250 km/h, but the potential is here, we're told, for 320 km/h, perhaps more.
Oh, and when you're pushing hard, the soundtrack coming from the tailpipes is a gearhead's dream.
This is what a big bore V-8 and some tall gearing will do for you. Tall? The final drive ratio at the rear end — the gear ratio in the rear differential — is a tall 2.65:1.
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Okay, gearhead alert.
If you are one, you know what all this gear ratio business means. If not, just know that tall gears (a lower ratio number) generally mean you get a higher top speed.
Makes sense. The ratio of the differential gear-set just expresses how many times the driveshaft turns for every one turn of the wheels.
The lower the number, the higher the top speed and, by the way, the better the fuel economy. I'll just say that the CLK's gearing seems to be a perfect match for the 475-horsepower, 6.2-litre V-8.
Enough geek speak.
The beauty of this particular car is that you can lower the top with the touch of a button and enjoy the sound of that muscular engine rumbling away in a kind of threatening way. It is, of course, the work of Mercedes' in-house tuner shop, AMG.
AMG has come up with what's called an "oversquare" design and engines of this ilk have a very special sound. Here, the diameter of the cylinder bores (102.2 mm) is larger than the stroke (94.6 mm) — stroke being the length of travel of a piston in the cylinder.
Because engines are really just big air pumps, how they are designed inside has a big say in how they sound. Gearheads will tell you they can distinguish each discrete explosion of a particular engine, especially an oversquare one like this.
This AMG power plant is a high-compression (11.3:1) monster tied to a free-flow, dual-tipped exhaust. If you are into these things, it's all magical and it's one reason why buyers are willing to pay a premium for a first-rate hot rod like this.
Beyond all that, consider the delightful design of this CLK Cabriolet, with its AMG badges, special but subtle bodywork, and 18-inch wheels surrounding fade-resistant front brakes discs.
All well and good, but I am drawn back to the engine. It has wonderful, wide-ranging abilities. No matter where you drive — freeways, sweeping rural highways, back-country byways or just around the suburbs — the big V-8 seems up for anything.
Take it easy and the engine loafs around town, shifting at, say, 2,000 rpm and conserving fuel. Push harder and you can tap into torque that begins to peak at just over 4,000 rpm and tops out at 5,000. The rev limit is 7,000 rpm.
What's striking is that even though there is a standard seven-speed transmission, so few actual shifts seem to occur — the tall gearing lasts that long.
When shifts do arrive, the AMG-tuned SpeedShift transmission shifts up smoothly with a momentary breath of throttle between gears. Do it yourself, if you like, using metal paddles when the automatic is in manual mode.
For the rest, the brakes are tremendous, the suspension is sporty and firm and the tires seem to deliver heroic grip. Only the rack-and-pinion steering seems a bit numb and that is out of character with the rest of the car.
Standard safety gear includes electronically managed traction and stability control, which you gearheads should also know can be shut off.
It is possible to get into some lift-throttle oversteer in hot corners if you want to and are brave enough and skilled enough. With so much power and heft (1,875 kg curb weight), most would be well advised not to.
Now this being a convertible, a few words about the top. The CLK's is a powered, multilayer cloth affair. It works simply and easily and smoothly. No, we're not dealing with a fancy, folding hardtop convertible, but the upside of that is a bigger trunk.
Inside, the AMG treatment includes snug, supportive, widely adjustable sport seats. Slide in and you are wrapped everywhere in Nappa leather. The driver's instrument cluster has aluminum trim, but what jumps out is an embedded AMG Racetimer. Delightful.
Of course, the CLK63 has all the luxury do-dads you'd want, so I won't bother with a laundry list. What jumps off the relatively short options list is a $395 charge for an iPod integration kit. That seems cheesy for a $118,000 super car.
Super it is, too. The CLK 63 has power to die for and it is delivered beautifully in a four-seat convertible. There really isn't anything else quite like it out there. Still, among convertibles you might consider a $111,500 BMW 650i Cabriolet or $118,400 Porsche 911 Carrera S.
Neither, though, has the space to take four adults to 100 km/h in under five seconds, and in second gear. If you want all that, the CLK63 is your car.
- 2008 MERCEDES-BENZ CLK 63 AMG
- Type: Sport/luxury two-door convertible
- Price: $117,900
- Engine: 6.2-litre V-6, DOHC
- Horsepower/torque: 475 hp/465 lb-ft
- Transmission: Seven-speed SpeedShift
- Drive: Rear-wheel-drive
- Fuel economy (litres/100 km): 18.4 city/11.0 highway; premium fuel
- Alternatives: BMW 650i Cabriolet, Porsche 911 Carrera S
Like
- Awesome AMG engine with gobs of power and a great sound
- Room for four to enjoy the ride
- Subtle but important AMG styling touches
- The rest of the hot-rod AMG tuning
Don't like
- Steering is a bit numb and uncommunicative
