jco-amg

I am surprised, and I might be wrong here but I am still not convinced...Why is it that he only writer to have this information? This information did not originate an any board as he suggests but has been quoted by every review I have read on the car...I find it hard to believe that all the other journalists who also speak to MB directly are miss informed...and I personally can't get around the fact of the chassis dimensions as well...
I still believe they are using the w203 sedan chassis albeit modified, and "officially" they want to distance the car from "C" class reference
I guess it comes down to who you believe...I do commend you persistance karl!

karl k

Clearly, Mr. Whitney went the extra mile and interviewed the MB German CLK engineers, an authoritative source, to satisfy his intellectual curiousity.

The other automotive writers may be just parroting everyone else, - including this board, - without doing their own independent digging/research, - just as Mr. Whitney says:

"I guess you can't believe everything you read on a message board."

This could be analogous to the myths:

"You must drink 8 glasses of water daily."

Or, "You can never drink enough water."

No-one knows where it came from. Today it's being challenged as NOT sound advice, because of possible water-intoxication.

Brian Yee

...Karl; You ARE the man!

jco-amg

Just as I can't take the word of one writer against dozens of other experts with equal access to MB engineers...he really does nothing to illuminate the relationship of the w203/w209 "platform"
The phrase he uses also comes directly form MB press releases.

Yes the CLK is "unique" in that in that the "platform" combines together w203, w211, and even some w230 components and a few unique to itself...but I still believe the basic "chassis" is that of the w203...which I am not criticizing...it is a fine chassis and a big improvement on the w202/w208...

I guess the only way to resolve this would be to put a w203 sedan and w209 on racks side by side and take a long hard look.

Most peple would say the w230 is a unique platform but it also is based on a sedan that of the w211.

In the absence of more empircal information we can only agree to disagree which makes life interesting...

Cheers Karl....and by the way I still love the w208...I plan on owning another 55 at some point down the road although I will do alot work on the strengthening the chassis

karl k

Tnx Brian.

Credit really goes to JCM5, who started this thread; who was ridiculed for raising questions re CLK platform! - and tommyboy, who referred to the richmondautomall.com

This in turn prompted my own pursuit, which resulted new findings, when I communicated with Mr. Whitney directly.

I could have takenhe easy way, parroting the same - possibly wrong information, - that everyone accepted as self-evident truth, because they heard it a gazillion times!

http://richmondautomall.com/reviews_...rcedes_CLK.htm

ps:

Tnx jco-amg, for continuing the challenge in search for empirical truths re the CLK's foundation.

vivianlove

May I say it again, YOU ARE THE MAN!

karl k

Tnx Vivianlove.

When the automotive journalist Tony Whitney from B.C. wrote:

"It's a common mistake for auto writers to assume that the CLK range of two-door coupes is based on the C-Class (entry-level) platform, but this is not the case.

In fact, this stylish coupe is built on a unique platform that borrows from both the C-Class and E-class Mercedes-Benz ranges",

a light went on, because I always had a hunch that the CLK was beyond C, E, S, SL...and maintained since I took possession of my CLK 55:

The 2002 CLK55 AMG is the best car ever produced since Karl Benz patented the world's first motorcar in 1886,

registered his patent DRP 37435, which is considered as the official birth certificate of the first motor car!

...and the legend lives on with the new second generation - 2003 CLK series with more technical innovations.

Exterior aesthetics of new 2003 CLK series?

Debatable!

https://mbworld.org/forums/showthrea...threadid=14560

Shine

I finished your posts !
Very nice discussion, a lot of study & verification.
JCM5, jco-amg & Karl K , thanks you guys make this board
"Educational" , I enjoy it very much !

Shine

I finished your posts !
Very nice discussion, a lot of study & verification.
JCM5, jco-amg & Karl K , thanks you guys make this board
"Educational" , I enjoy it very much !

A good car deserves an insight like this.......

jco-amg

As a follow up to this lengthy discussion I thought it would be interesting to look back at Ian Kuah’s review of the w209 CLK in June’s issue of Mercedes Enthusiast Magazine for those of you who haven’t seen it, it is the most complete discussion of the chassis and handling of the CLK that I have found.


"Ian Kuah is an internationally renowned motoring writer specializing in high performance and tuned cars. Turning away from his architectural and management background in 1983 to pursue his hobbies - cars and photography, he quickly realized this was his true calling in life. You can read his printed word in magazines like Auto Express, BMW Car, Motoring & Leisure, 911 & Porsche World, Lamborghini
News, European Car, Torque Magazine and others. "

He also is the principle road tester and reviewer for Mercedes Enthusiast Magazine and Racecar.

An example of his MB chassis knowledge can also be seen in the following article on the w124.
http://www.mercedes-benzownersclub.c...ample_art2.htm

And a review of his of the Nowack M5:
http://www.m5-n500.de/de/presse/bmwm5/bmwm5_bmwcar.htm

Excerpt from Mercedes Enthusiast Issue 8, June 2002, Loaded Bases, by Ian Kuah, page 22:

“An Ideal Platform
Under the new sheet metal, which boasts a class-leading 0.28 drag coefficient, the chassis benefits from the latest C-class components. Already acclaimed as the best overall compromise in the small sedan class, these underpinnings bring a much-improved ride, handling and driving pleasure to the CLK.
The cross country test route we chose to challenge the CLK’s chassis is also one favored by test engineers from Porsche’s nearby Weissach development centre. This road has some very demanding bends with short, sharp bumps and off-cambers coupled to changes in elevation. You can string together a sequence that will reveal any shortcomings in a car’s suspension behavior in less than a mile.
To make sure we covered all our bases, we brought along a CLK 500 Elegance with the stock suspension and a CLK 320 Avantgarde with the optional sport suspension. The new CLK’s suspension hardware is essentially the same as the C-class, differing only in the length of the suspension arms (the CLK is wider) and in the fine tuning of the spring and damper ratings which account for weight differences. The front tracks of the C-class and CLK are the same (1,493mm), but the coupe has a 10mm wider rear track (1,474mm) and is 12mm wider overall.
The uprated sport suspension is a no-cost option in both and was fitted to the former. The 15mm lower ride height is achieved with 15 percent softer springs and dampers, and the anti-roll bars are 1mm larger in diameter, going from 21mm and 15mm front and rear on the standard suspension to 22mm and 16mm on the sport-setup.
The new C-class platform is the class leader for comfort and close to the top of the league table for handling as well. On smooth straight roads, there is little noticeable difference between the normal and sport set-ups, and that comfort is very good indeed.”…..

This continues on with a detailed discussion of the suspension, handling and performance characteristics of the of the w209 and full review of the all the car’s features…anyone interested in the w209 should read the entire article.

I have also inquired to some friends in Germany close to AMG on this subject I will update when I get a reply.

Benzo

Well done. Thank you so much for taking the time to answer these questions. This is exactly why I visit this sight.

cntlaw

CLS is the true E-class based coupe ?

FrankW

damn dude...who digged up this old thread.

but whoever started this thread is a dumbass.


and the CLS they say it's based off the S platform in this issue of MotorTrend.

miroj

Having spent half the weekend working on an SL350 I can testify to the fact that spending 3 times more money doesnt buy much more. It is a profoundly tight setup and it is a real pig to work on. But hey, someone made a dare that it couldnt have TV tuner retrofitted so naturally I had to do something about that.

SUNILP

THe CLK is all C class except the front end. They made it longer to accomidate the 500 engine. Same as the c55 AMG. Most of the parts are 203 C class parts. Most electronic are the same. this is the biggest reason I was able to borrow features from the CLK and put them in my C class. There may only be a few w211 E class parts in the CLK. Many cars share parts but the CLK has either it's own parts or borrowed from the C class. The additional features of the CLK including Keyless GO, Distronic can be retrofitted on a C Class. I even ordered a CLK front radiatior mount to accomidate my distronic sensor and it's a perfect fit!

billybenz

the clk is a 106.9 inch wheel base the e is 112 inch wheel base the clk does borrow some interior designs from the e but it is a c platform period the dash cluster and drivers view resembles the e quite a bit

MarcusBenz

You said that, not me, but I will refer to the logic that this person used to pose the question. Since the CLK has the letter "C" at the beginning, it must be based on the C-class! CLK stands for Coupe Light Klasse, just has the CL stands for Coupe Light. That lettering does not really apply today, but it has nothing to do with the plattform used in building the vehicle.

billybenz

so what you are saying is eventhough the wheelbase and the dimensions are almost all the same between the c and the clk they are built on different platforms ? and regardless of the letters does the clk share parts of both e and c? thanks marcus

C280Sportster

So the guy goes and interviews some MB German CLK engineers...

And then writes this:

"It's a common mistake for auto writers to assume that the CLK range of two-door coupes is based on the C-Class (entry-level) platform, but this is not the case."

(It should read, It's a common mistake for writers to call the C-Class "Entry Level", lol.)

Sounds like a writer writing a sales pitch (what? He never heard of the A-Class?). Sure a $40,000 car is entry level, if you are insane. Entry-level can also (and should, I think the phrase is misused) imply small engine/less options. Of course he means lowest class offered in the USA, but I would never use the words "entry-level" for any benz sold in the USA because they come loaded with options (as opposed to Europe where you can get them "stripped down" (for cabs, etc)). And making one phone to germany is pointless when all you have to do is go here:

www.mbspy.com.

http://mbspy.com/a209.htm

"The well-known bi-weekly German car magazine reports that the new CLKs will move a bit closer to the new E-Class - scheduled for March - in terms of technique, price and size. The wheelbase lengthened by 25 mm would promise more space in the interior and the higher rear in conjunction with the more compact roof mechanism would result in a bigger trunk."


Of course price, right...what did I say about sales pitch? Coupes are cash cows for MB and BMW.

More:

http://mbspy.com/clk2002.htm

"Mercedes is to re-position the CLK further upmarket. The new CLK Coupe - and Cabriolet (see separate story) - will be bigger, better equipped, and more expensive. The cabin will be roomier, thanks to a lengthened wheelbase, and insiders reckon that the car will have new front and rear suspension which will improve ride comfort. Air suspension will be an option, some models will be offered with Mercedes' 4-Matic four-wheel drive, and all will feature Mercedes' new brake-by-wire system, as used in the new SL."


So, one can say the new CLK is moving a bit closer to the E class "platform", but this implies that it is based on the C-class and is just moving a little up-market to command more money. But really, who cares, the C, CLK, E, all these cars kick a$$. And MBSPY.COM is a great site.





[proper use of the phrase "entry-level" from http://mbspy.com/clk2002.htm:

"The entry-level car will be the CLK 200K, a 163bhp machine with a top speed of more than 135mph. There will also be a 3.2-litre V6 as well as a common-rail diesel of equal capacity. Two high-performance editions can be expected, the first of which will get a 320bhp 3.2-litre supercharged engine that will feature in the AMG-tweaked SLK32. The flagship version will use the 347bhp 5.5-litre V8 borrowed from the current AMG CLK55. Spec levels for CLKs will be high and, as you can see from the console-mounted TV screen in our interior picture, will include" the Mercedes COMAND navigation system."]

scorchie

Dude... you're not supposed to perpetuate the image of dealerships spouting incorrect facts...

Coupe Leicht Kurz (or Kompakt, although I believe kompakt implies part of leicht but kurz does not)

Why would the CLK have "klasse" added to it and the CL does not? Coupe Light Klasse Klasse? Hmmm... and "light?" What kind of Germans do you think these are?

-s-

MarcusBenz

Sorry about the misinfo. and maybe I should question my source next time. I originally got this data from one of our MB Trainers, I guess that shows exactly how much they know. Also, make me look bad for not verifing my info. like all good reports should do!!

scorchie

Hahaha... if you had read it on the internet, then it definitely would have been true.

-s-

miroj

Kurz means short - you must work for a dealer.

BklynBenz

miroj

Just another bootlick at work i see