Despite having taken delivery over three years ago, every drive in this car still holds passion for me. This morning, I head down to the garage - coffee in hand - and stare briefly at the outline of the W208 CLK55 prior to pressing the button to raise the garage door. Normally, the daily driving duty is served by the other Mercedes-Benz coupe parked next to her “sibling”….but not today.

The overhead light illuminates. I greet my special friend with a “good morning” and wonder exactly how cold it is outside. The weather lady said it would be chilly. I open the door carefully and settle into the buttery Nappa seat. Insert the key and give it a quick turn. The 5439cc hand-built V8 roars to life and I instinctively move my hand forward to press the driver’s side seat heater….nah, just “low” today, thanks. Not that I needed the added warmth, but the sensation felt nice regardless. I let her warm up about a minute, until the tach settles down nicely into the 700rpm range.

Moving the gear selector into “R”, I double check to make certain the garage door has raised before sliding the car out into the cold, dark morning. Snick, snick, into “D” and we’re off down the driveway. I glance down at the odometer and think to myself “man, I need to drive her a little more”. She hasn’t been driven in over a week, and the mileage reads just around 23,000. Exiting the driveway, I ease on the throttle gently as the oil is just warming up. The stainless steel AMG exhaust is humming just behind my head as speed picks up slowly…20mph….25mph….30mph. I refrain from going any faster in the neighborhood. I again appreciate the Xenon headlamps for the excellent job they do at keeping the road well lit.

The steering wheel controls come in handy as I find the desired volume level on my favorite morning station. At the entrance to the subdivision, there is no traffic at this early hour…I ease onto the road and find myself on auto pilot. I come out of my morning bliss just ten short minutes later as the CLK turns into the office complex. The drive was much too short, but promise myself to set aside some time this weekend for a two or three hour cruise.

My love affair with this car continues….the honeymoon isn’t over yet!

 

Classic MB ****! I know the feeling!

 

Glad to see there are more like me in this world...its comforting to know it! I got mine waxed and put the cover on her this week. While she is in the garage and I may still driver her some before the snows come, I want to be sure my little baby doesn't get a spec of dust on her pretty little Black Opal skin.

She is a beauty, isn't she!

Learso.

 

Nice Chappy! The only drawback to driving this car, is the trips are never long enough! I going home to get mine right now!

 

That was a nice show of emotion, thank you for sharing. I'm hoping to get into a w208 AMG late next year and I can't wait. I was leaning more towards the w210 AMG but I have found myself to be more of a coupe person. One question, what's the color of the interior mood lighthing on the w208? I hope it's the gentle orange. To me I think that's the perfect interior mood lighting.

 

Damn Chappy.....I just wet my pants reading that.

Its been over two years since I got my CLK55 and I still feel the same way about her as I did on day 1. Every time I get in her, any doubt of how I like this car is removed when I step into the throttle. There really is nothing like that AMG roar. It is such a fun car to drive. the only draw back it has is that I'm usually with my girlfriend when I take the Beast out of the garage.....and she hates it when I go too fast. I'm always being yelled at when I race people at stop lights. Being alone with my AMG is really a thrill. I love it when I get her all to myself. Thats when I really make her work!!! It's almost like cheating! :v

 

I fell exactly the same as you do Chappy every time I get into my beast :v . It is good to know that I not the only one. I like the 208 body style so much that I bought it 3 times. The first was a 2000 black CLK 430 that I crashed, then a silver 2001 CLK 430, that I had to upgrade to a silver 2002 CLK 55 with every option and euro-spec springs. I have only 20000 miles on her. I have had this car for two years and every time I get in it feels like the first time.

 

Great Romanze. Keep up the CLK Spirit.

Cheers from Germany. I just love to drive my CLK55 every day. I don't know what I would make out of my life if I don't hear that sexy engine day for day.

 

Interior mood lighting? Are you referring to the overhead lights that come on when the door opens?

 

I think he's talking about the color of the instrument gauges and what nots.
Most of the gauges and radios have that orange color to them. except on my AMG the speedo is white.

 

Yeah that's what I'm talking about. But did you custom your AMG or is it like that stock? I know on all the newer models they are white.
Thanks.

 

 

that is called MB addiction

 

WOW...this is the first normal post I've seen from this guy.

 

I think on the older models only the AMG's had the whitish speedo coloring.
For example, my 1999 ML430 is all pretty much orange on the inside.

 

............Who ever knew that AMG will be synonimous with safe sex.

.........eventhough I am a certified modaholic, I very much admire the way Chappy has kept his car original.

Ted

 

What no rap song on this? lol

 

 

Here in northern Indiana where the lake effect clouds roll in in Nov and leave somtime the next year I feel the same way.

Every morning as walk to the 96 tahoe slave truck, to drive to work I look at the CLK55 and long to take it out. Problem the weather is just terrible. That is why the wife has the 4matic and I have the Tahoe.

Oh how I long for Spring.

Owen

 

Chappy,

This is Speedybenz and I am looking hard at a CLK55. I would like to know if you manually put the tranny into 2nd or 3rd gear will the tranny hold the gear WITHOUT up shifting when the rev limiter hits. I am hoping the tranny will just rev into the rev limiter and not shift.

Please let me know.

Thanks, Jeff

 

Hi Jeff,

Yes, the touch shift tranny will hold the gear (not upshift) and bounce off the rev limiter, when placed in manual mode (this applies to the W208 CLK55).....not sure about the W209s

Sorry to learn of your accident....hope you soon join our ranks.

 

The same holds true for a 03 CLK 5.5 AMG. I was doing more sound pressure test on the new header system I just installed . I started in 4 gear at 2200 rpm . Then mashed the pedel to the floor, It did not down shift and it just kept climbing . I went to 157 mph and just a tad over 6100 rpm