Do you guys remember this Motor Trend Article on the CL65?
04-18-2014, 12:32 AM
#1
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Do you guys remember this Motor Trend Article on the CL65?
This article made it easy for me to roll the dice on the CL65. 
First Look: 2005 Mercedes-Benz CL65 AMG
Torque and power to end all torque and power
From the December 2004 issue of Motor Trend |
This isn't about a car; it's about an engine. Forget Vipers, Ferraris, Bentleys, all those rumbling turbodiesel-powered American trucks, and anything else you think has punch. The CL65's handbuilt, twin-turbocharged 6.0-liter V-12 spanks them all, grunting out 738 pound-feet at just 3000 rpm. And that's only because Mercedes-Benz electronically limits it to that number; fully unleashed, it'd be good for a transmission-shredding 885 pound-feet worth. Its 604-horsepower rating almost gets lost in the blur.
AMG's power mongers begin with the architecture of the twin-blown V-12 that powers both Maybach sedans and several upper-deck Mercedes and gives it a significantly longer stroke, upsized pistons, larger fuel injectors, higher intake-valve lift, longer valve-opening duration, larger turbochargers packing 22 psi of boost, a super-large air-to-water intercooler, oil jets that spray the bottom of each piston, and a big oil cooler. This amazing powertrain also can be had in the SL65 AMG roadster.
Aside from a muted burble at idle, there's little to give away the Russian weightlifter clean-and-jerk-like lunge that shoves you back in the Nappa leather seat. Squeeze the throttle at any rpm, and scenery blurs. Use the paddle-style buttons on the back of the steering wheel, and the modified five-speed automatic hustles between cogs about 35 percent quicker courtesy of AMG Speed Shift technology. This elegant locomotive's 3.8-second 0-to-60 time toasts that of Viper's and Vette's, all of which average in the low fours. The Ford GT is but a tenth quicker--and remember, the Mercedes is a 4500-pound hyper-luxury four-seater.
.
Along with the driveline mods, AMG ups the game with larger brake discs and calipers, wheels, and tires. It also firms up the struts on the CL65's Active Body Control suspension, and further upgrades the CL's cabin. A $180 grand might seem like a lot for an engine, but they throw one helluva nice car in with the deal.
2005 Mercedes-Benz CL65 AMG
Base price $178,220
Vehicle layout Front engine, RWD, 2-door, 4-pass coupe
Engine 60o twin-turbo V-12, SOHC, 3 valves/cyl
Displacement, ci/cc 364.9/5980
Max SAE hp @ rpm 604 @ 5500
Max SAE torque @ rpm 738 @ 3000
Transmission 5-speed automatic
0-60 mph, sec 3.8
1/4 mile, sec @ mph 11.8 @ 120.9
Brk, 60-0 mph, ft 115
200-ft skidpad, avg g 0.86
600-ft slalom, mph 65.0
On sale in U.S. Currently
What's Hot
• Fastest-accelerating auto-trans-equipped car we've tested
• Every luxury amenity you could ask for
• No ride/noise/harness penalty for all this punch
What's Not
• Expensive, as you'd expect
• Low production numbers
• Rear cabin so tight it's almost a two-seater
Read more: 2005 Mercedes-Benz CL65 AMG - First Look - Motor Trend
First Look: 2005 Mercedes-Benz CL65 AMG
Torque and power to end all torque and power
From the December 2004 issue of Motor Trend |
This isn't about a car; it's about an engine. Forget Vipers, Ferraris, Bentleys, all those rumbling turbodiesel-powered American trucks, and anything else you think has punch. The CL65's handbuilt, twin-turbocharged 6.0-liter V-12 spanks them all, grunting out 738 pound-feet at just 3000 rpm. And that's only because Mercedes-Benz electronically limits it to that number; fully unleashed, it'd be good for a transmission-shredding 885 pound-feet worth. Its 604-horsepower rating almost gets lost in the blur.
AMG's power mongers begin with the architecture of the twin-blown V-12 that powers both Maybach sedans and several upper-deck Mercedes and gives it a significantly longer stroke, upsized pistons, larger fuel injectors, higher intake-valve lift, longer valve-opening duration, larger turbochargers packing 22 psi of boost, a super-large air-to-water intercooler, oil jets that spray the bottom of each piston, and a big oil cooler. This amazing powertrain also can be had in the SL65 AMG roadster.
Aside from a muted burble at idle, there's little to give away the Russian weightlifter clean-and-jerk-like lunge that shoves you back in the Nappa leather seat. Squeeze the throttle at any rpm, and scenery blurs. Use the paddle-style buttons on the back of the steering wheel, and the modified five-speed automatic hustles between cogs about 35 percent quicker courtesy of AMG Speed Shift technology. This elegant locomotive's 3.8-second 0-to-60 time toasts that of Viper's and Vette's, all of which average in the low fours. The Ford GT is but a tenth quicker--and remember, the Mercedes is a 4500-pound hyper-luxury four-seater.
.
Along with the driveline mods, AMG ups the game with larger brake discs and calipers, wheels, and tires. It also firms up the struts on the CL65's Active Body Control suspension, and further upgrades the CL's cabin. A $180 grand might seem like a lot for an engine, but they throw one helluva nice car in with the deal.
2005 Mercedes-Benz CL65 AMG
Base price $178,220
Vehicle layout Front engine, RWD, 2-door, 4-pass coupe
Engine 60o twin-turbo V-12, SOHC, 3 valves/cyl
Displacement, ci/cc 364.9/5980
Max SAE hp @ rpm 604 @ 5500
Max SAE torque @ rpm 738 @ 3000
Transmission 5-speed automatic
0-60 mph, sec 3.8
1/4 mile, sec @ mph 11.8 @ 120.9
Brk, 60-0 mph, ft 115
200-ft skidpad, avg g 0.86
600-ft slalom, mph 65.0
On sale in U.S. Currently
What's Hot
• Fastest-accelerating auto-trans-equipped car we've tested
• Every luxury amenity you could ask for
• No ride/noise/harness penalty for all this punch
What's Not
• Expensive, as you'd expect
• Low production numbers
• Rear cabin so tight it's almost a two-seater
Read more: 2005 Mercedes-Benz CL65 AMG - First Look - Motor Trend
04-18-2014, 11:03 AM
#2
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E55, GLS450, GL63, GLE350
And to think you can get one in the low 20's now. Mercedes..........depreciation like no other. I'm still sick from all the money I lost on mine.
04-23-2014, 12:25 PM
#5
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04-23-2014, 03:26 PM
#6
MBWorld Fanatic!
I remember that article from when it came out. I always thought an insanely fast 2 door luxury car that can haul 4 people was the ideal daily driver. That's why I took a '77 Cougar and put in a 480 cubic inch big block in the '80's. Hey, that was about as good as it could get on a tight budget back then. Fast forward 20 years when the CL65 came out I thought some German AMG gearhead thinks exactly like me.
My CL is my first "car" I've owned since the Cougar.
04-25-2014, 10:08 PM
#7
MBWorld Fanatic!
Thread Starter
+1
I remember that article from when it came out. I always thought an insanely fast 2 door luxury car that can haul 4 people was the ideal daily driver. That's why I took a '77 Cougar and put in a 480 cubic inch big block in the '80's. Hey, that was about as good as it could get on a tight budget back then. Fast forward 20 years when the CL65 came out I thought some German AMG gearhead thinks exactly like me.
My CL is my first "car" I've owned since the Cougar.
I remember that article from when it came out. I always thought an insanely fast 2 door luxury car that can haul 4 people was the ideal daily driver. That's why I took a '77 Cougar and put in a 480 cubic inch big block in the '80's. Hey, that was about as good as it could get on a tight budget back then. Fast forward 20 years when the CL65 came out I thought some German AMG gearhead thinks exactly like me.
My CL is my first "car" I've owned since the Cougar.
Damn, I like the way you think.
