Sigh....GS 300/400 were Motor Trends Import Car of the Year, going against cars like the A6 and CLK series
The GS 300/400 was a Car and Driver Ten Best Winner 3 times
The GS 400 was the FASTEST ACCLERATING AUTOMATIC SEDAN until the SUPERCHARGED Jag XJR came along. THen the E55.

I don't see how we can dispute a FACT.

 

http://motortrend.com/roadtests/sedan/112_9903_lexus/
Road Test: 1998 Lexus GS 400

By Motor Trend Staff
Photography by the author
Motor Trend, March 1999

A gourmet blend of sport and luxury worth savoring, the GS 400 has spoiled us over the past year. Logbook entries like "Absolutely one of the best sedans ever built" gush with more loving praise and adoration than Shakespeare's sonnets. The initial driver attraction is always with the glorious 4.0-liter/300-horsepower DOHC V-8. Racing 0-60 mph in 5.7 Mustang-taunting seconds, it seems as though the whole world slows down when the accelerator is depressed. The sound insulation, smooth controls, and tempered feedback create an almost eerie isolation matched to the impressive performance abilities. Just point and shoot, the GS 400 practically teleports to its goal. The in-dash navigation system has proven easy to program and quite accurate. Beyond basic guidance, we've appreciated how the system advises on lane choice when approaching major highway splits, truly easing trips to new areas. The nav monitor displaces the traditional audio and climate controls, requiring some mental retraining to use the touch screen. Once learned, operation is logical and clear, though we find ourselves sometimes tapping the screen more than once to effect change.

Base price: $44,800
Price as tested: $50,911
Body style: 4-door, 5-pass.
Engine size/type: 4.0-liter V-8
Transmission: 5-speed auto.
Driveline configuration: Front engine, rear drive
0-60 mph, sec.: 5.7
EPA mpg, city/hwy.: 17/23
Total mileage: 9435
Test mileage: 9255
Fuel consumed, gal: 550.9
Fuel cost: $711.09
Average mpg: 16.8
Additional oil/cost: None
Routine maint.: $101.00
Additional maint.: None
Previous maint.: None
Problem areas: None
Total operating cost: $812.09
Operating cost/mile: 8.7c

I cannot find any article on the CLK 430 on the Motor Trend website.

 

I just checked Car and Driver. No info. Only CLK 55 info.
Here is CLK 320/500 stats
2003 MERCEDES-BENZ CLK-CLASS

Vehicle type: front-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 4-passenger, 2-door sedan
Estimated base price: $44,000-$53,000
Engines: SOHC 18-valve 3.2-liter V-6, 215 hp, 229 lb-ft; SOHC 24-valve 5.0-liter V-8, 302 hp, 339 lb-ft
Transmission 5-speed automatic with lockup torque converter
Wheelbase 106.9 in
Length 182.6 in
Width 68.5 in
Height 55.6 in
Curb weight 3550-3650 lb
Manufacturer's performance ratings:

Zero to 62 mph 6.0-7.9 sec


Top speed (governor limited) 130-155 mph
Estimated fuel economy:
EPA city driving 17-19 mpg
EPA highway driving 24-26 mpg

 

Just in case the guys who own a GS think it means something to come here and say they beat a clk430.
I absolutely OBLITERATED a GS430 on the highway on saturday. I saw him trying with all his might but those yellow fogs werent getting any closer. I walked him...
I would also agree with the poster who said a broken in benz is significantly faster than its counter-part. The track times posted by Magazines when the first clk came out dont reflect a properly broken in engine such as the case with the clk430.

 

Road and Track has no CLK 430 info, only 500
The U.S. gets two CLK models. At around $44,000 is the handsome CLK320 with its 3.2-liter, 218-bhp V-6, 16-in. alloy wheels and a claimed 0–60-mph performance of around 7.9 seconds. For what might be the best- spent $6000 in the business, you can upgrade to the CLK500 and move up to the 5.0-liter, 306-bhp V-8, 17-in. AMG wheels, the AMG sport package, an aggressive-but-not-pushy appearance and just under 6.0 sec. to 60 mph.

 

man. i can't believe this thread is still going......... who gives a flying **** if a rice rocket is .2 seconds faster than our CLK430's?????? ask the ladies which car they would rather have their man drive. I know for a fact that CLK's turn heads. do GS400's........didn't think so.

I have owned both model cars in the past. The CLK430 is definitely in a higher class . The GS400 is a nice 4 door rice rocket, but that's all it is, sorry to say.

 

1SICKLEX: That article is five years old, for an obsolete vehicle (GS400 vs GS430). Do you have anything more recent, to compare the GS430 to the CLK500?

 

how much faster do you think a broken in 430 is than a brand new one?

 

approx .2 - .4 secs faster 0-60.. Faster 60-120....
Lets not even talk about the s03's.