I'm very high on the CL63 list at one of the largest dealers in Cali. Just was wondering if anyone else was and their feelings on it. I'm torn myself.

I like my CLS55 and keep questioning the lines of the new CL as well as the new naturally aspirated engines. I'm sure the luxury factor will be stepped up a notch or two but will that be worth the extra 20-30k?

 

I would keep the CLS. The CL so far looks a lot like the CLS from the outside minus two doors. Most E55 owners that now have the E63 say they liked the Supercharged 5.5 engine more.

Time will tell if the new CL will catch on. So far, until I see one in person, I am not sold.

 

Also first on list at my dealer for CL63/65. Will def take one if MB doesn't botch job by inclg wood/leath steering wheel and not inclg paddle shifters...(as in '07 S65)....

Also have 997TT Tip coming next mth and will get 599 in Fall. Despite the other cars, find each has weaknesses necessitating multiple cars to solve "needs".....997TT has weak, uninspiring exhaust note and small fuel tank, w/freq fill-ups making daily commuting duty annoying

599 has F's typically primitive/dubious safety systems (old-tech airbags, mfr crashtesting, etc)/fuel tank crashworthiness...the issues of super lim-produc cars

And CL will likely be too heavy, w/sloppier steering and brake pedal feel, to be as fun as P/F in twisties.....

 

3rd on the list.
hope its worth the wait.

 

That 599 is going to be fantastic. So far being hailed as the best sports car ever built!

 

Specced the car yesterday for Nov/December production and pre traded DB9.

 

Heard that first 3 will be launched in Oct at FoSF....fully loaded, CCM/racing seats/cf everywhere/luggage, etc, as F is trying to max profits while maintaining cheap base price.....a page from the P playbook.

Know a few guys getting 599, 997TT and CL63/65 as their daily driving trio....looking fwd to finding out if 599 makes CL seem irrelevant.....have a London pal who's already gotten 599 and 997TT and observes that 997TT's steering and brake pedal feel is sharper than 599's....but 599 has exhaust note.....my bet is we'll need to have a copy each of MB/F/P to solve all "needs".....

 

Is Nov produc earliest avail in Chic@LFSC? Is Nov/Dec deliv (even w/air shipment) useful in Chic (as high-perf tires aren't really safe @<40degs and I vaguely recall that F doesn't have winter tires).....or are you shipping it to a CA/AZ/FL winter house?

My sense is that FoSF, Miller and LFSC have the US' deepest repeat F buyer bases and rcv earliest allocs, esp of the big-ticket, more bespoke orders (as opposed to the "flip-it" red/tan, no CCM versions that prevail in LA)....

 

That's the earliest allocation indeed,ordered everything in the book except luggage,carbon sills and dash.
There are maybe 5-7 days in Winter when the F car is undriveable here,roads clear very quick,so I'll drive it year round.

 

Love the lines and note of the DB9 but wish they could put a little more punch under the hood. That 599 will really be a monster and I think is a bargain (at sticker) given the whole package. 997TT is very hard to beat on the performance/$ scale but the looks really leave me flat. Car looks like a cheap euro mod kit on a 996TT. I passed on a black 997 six weeks ago on looks alone. How did they manage to take a step backward? Hope they dont flounder on the GT2

 

Congrats on getting an early 599....an elite status indeed....

May want to chk re: tire specs....I haven't lived back East in yrs, but my vague sense is latest-tech tires (like Mich PS2 on 997TT....and presumably whatever tires used on 599) are not safe @<40deg, as the soft, sticky cpd used in latest-tech, summer performance tires becomes hard like a hockey puck in <40 degs, leading to poor trac.....recall pals in Greenwich telling me of interesting moments simply driving 430 home from Miller when taking winter deliv, even on dry, cold days....

When I lived in Manhattan, would drive around in a new CL55 (and would change cars @<5K mis) w/performance tires every day, incl winter....but this was in era of older-tech, more all-seas-like perf tires and <400lb-ft tq.....

Do guys in Chic drive 65s on cold, dry winter days on summer tires....or does Merc offer winter tires for 65s?

 

I used to have S600 with 525hp at the wheels and PS2 tires.
These tires were worthless as soon as the weather turned cold ,so i had to get a set of winter Dunlops from Tirerack.(It was my daily driver)

 

Interesting.....will be curious to hear what perf/feel delta is btwn summer tires/wheels and winter tires/wheels, esp in era of 20" factory-spec all-around and mfr/specific model-bespoke-engineered summer perf tires.....

Also, finding winter tires/wheels that work for 20" all-around and yet accommodate 599/65's massive brakes may be tricky.....esp w/o mangling a finely-engineered chassis, esp if factory has no specific rec'd winter wheels/tires....despite the many jaded custs in cold-weather mkts like Greenwich/Lond/Chic where guys would like to commute in these cars....

Pls keep us posted on your solution for 599.....to-date, guys in Greenwich I know simply ship their perf cars to a PalmBch/CA winter wkend house and use various boring AWDs to get around in winter in NYC.....and others just permanently fled sportscar-unfriendly places like NYC for a much, much easier life in CA....

 

I can't afford to live in CA......

 

I would think twice before getting the CL63 with the N/A engine. 2001 CL55 ring a bell?? You know AMG is currently boring & stroking out this new 6.3 engine and will be fitting it with twin-turbos. It will probably be available in 2009 as a 2010 model to boost waning CL63 sales. Let's learn from history...talk to all 2001/2002 CL55 and CL600 buyers when the 03's came out!

 

Good point!
'01,'02 CL55 and 600 became all but worthless in '03.....

 

The new CL550 will have 382hp, which according to my memory is about 30 horsepower more than the 2002 CL55 had, but I don't think waiting until the next engine enhancement by AMG makes sense. I attended the AMG Challenge that year and I remember thinking how quick those 354 horsepower AMG cars were compared to everything else in the MB lineup. If you keep waiting for the bigger, badder, faster AMG, you'll be waiting forever.