Old-School CLK55 AMG Races New Shelby GT350 Mustang

By Jerry Perez - May 9, 2016

CLK55

Remember back in the day when the horsepower output of an AMG Mercedes started with a 3? Ah, yes, those were the days before the ridiculous and insane horsepower wars started.

Take for example the 2001 Mercedes Benz CLK55 AMG involved in the video below. At the pinnacle of German engineering, this bad boy featured a 5.5 liter, naturally aspirated V8 engine with a total output of 342 horsepower, which was good enough to call it the quickest AMG sold in the United States at the time. It was even faster than the more powerful, but heavier, 349-horsepower E55 AMG sedan.

Sadly, the glory days for this Cabrio AMG have come to an end, as even the entry-level V6 Ford Mustang pumps out a hefty 300 horsepower. So imagine how the 2001 CLK will fare against the race-ready 2016 Shelby Mustang GT350.

I won’t spoil the race result for ya, but let’s just say the Shelby packs a towering 184 horsepower more than the Benzo.

I say we get a hold of a newer AMG and try this again, no?