Jim Brady

Don't think you'll be getting that motor with the R8 for sometime if ever. Count on the 4.2 which about 400 hp and weak on torque. You will be looking at the tail lights of a CLK 63 blk in your Audi R8 until they bring out the V10.

c230 fi addict

Not to bash the clk ,it has been a favorite car of mine for years. but for the money the R8 will be far more exotic and AUDI lets YOU shift. Ahh the joy of driving. I know the Automatic MB's are that way because people can not shift fast enough....& 95% of the people (in the states at least) would get it in an Auto format. Why bother making a manual tranny and clutch combo to handle the torque if "no one" will buy it.

BTW... here is the lb. for lb.
r8 =3439 lb
clk63 =4938 lbs

w/ those numbers and the AWD factor...might be close.

spr

I wonder if the clk63 black will come with the m1 or m2 tranny progams or a close variant. If that's the case then.... I don't think the shifting will be much of an issue. I am told those progams actually make it like a true SMG in shift time.

Alan Smithee

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder...but to my eye the R8 is very awkward looking to say the least, while the CLK63 Black is perfectly proportioned and balanced between aggressiveness and elegance.

It would be a good drag race between the two; the MB has more power and torque but it will take a good driver to harness it, while the R8 has 500 fewer pounds, the ability to effectively use all of the power it has with AWD and S-tronic, and I'm sure an aerodynamic advantage.

Jim Brady

Since neither has hit the streets yet, its all speculation. Factory numbers have the CLK half a second faster in 0-60. Lets be honest, the R8 isn't designed with the track in mind the CLK 63 is.

norb

Will the CLK63BE really be almost 5000lbs?

Alan Smithee

No, that's somebody's typo. It will be about 4,000lbs in US-spec trim.

Addicted2Speed

For 130,000$, I would personally buy a used Lamborghini Gallardo.

Most-Wanted

Not for 130k you won't. And if you buy one for 130k you'll wish you didn't

Jim Brady

Over an R8 ? Its the same chassis...or did you mean a clk63 black.

IngenereAMG

Whatever the price is........in a year, a used one will be 1/2 price.

magwheel

How dare you sell the F40 without letting me know!!! And I thought we were such good friends! Mags

Most-Wanted

I disagree:0 The only way it will be worth half is if they announce they are mass producing it for next year. If they keep it exclusive and only send over 100-200 cars each year, the value should hold.

Schiznick

I doubt this as well if they stick to 350 total units in the US.

Not saying the CLK Black is a CLK DTM but the DTM seems to be holding its value very well at the 100 unit mark.

A couple of years ago you could purchase and drive an E55 or CLS55 for 5K miles and only take a small hit.

This is all supply and demand. Too many cars and people wanting to pay less for the used ones.

Just remember, if we pay less than MSRP for the car, you can expect the resale to be down......

Most-Wanted

Schiznick- The 350 is worldwide and only 150 are slated for the US Which is a good thing for value... We'll see what happens. I figure if I enjoy the car thats all that really matters.

allenjdmb

I can't be sure, but I do think the production of the 63B will be limited, simply because MB is unsure of how many they can sell. I have a close relationship with my dealer principal, and I told him I wanted a car, if it was close to a 6 figure number or just slightly over. Out zone includes atlanta, a strong marketplace, and I believe there are going to be three cars in our zone (which has 8 dealers). But the feeling I get is that the price is not going to be at the $130 number you guys are mentioning. I think it's going to be closer to 100. It seems there is some resistance at 130 that there might not be at 104 for example. And at 130, cool as it is, I"m out. I guess we'll see. I think they really wanted to judge the reaction and potential demand before release.

Schiznick

The AMG Private Lounge says 350 units for the US.

It looks like 10 will be allocated to Private Lounge members directly.

As for a price of 100K, not a chance. With the CLK63 Cab in the 90's.

The internal Mercedes memo floating around here says 135K, I would tend to believe this.

If your dealer is telling you less they may be less than informed.

Schiz

allenjdmb

what the zone rep told us. I was listening on the speaker phone. And the CLK 63 cab ain't exactly setting the world on fire in the high 80's. Every dealer I know or work with would happily sell their CLK63 cab--if they got stuck with one--at triple net, or a little loss.

ShelleE55

Something is going on with the pricing and my guess is it will be lower. That memo went to all dealers and then at preview night of the Auto Show Volker and his team stated pricing is not final. They still have not issued the criteria for 10 which will be allocated to PL members which they stated would happen at the end of this month. Part of that announcement is pricing. The PL is still not confirming that $135 price that was in the memo to the dealer so I am sure that it is not firm. Hopefully tonight during the PL chat session we will get some answers.

Alan Smithee

While I'm sure "in a year, a used one will be 1/2 price" is an exaggeration, I wouldn't count on the car holding its value well, regardless of volume, with a new CLK just around the corner...

Most-Wanted

Have you seen how ugly the new cars look This will be the last MB for me if the looks continue in the direction they are headed. As for the 150 cars, that's what the dealers have been sent in a memo. The 350# is Worldwide.

Alan Smithee

Personally, I think the latest MBs...the SLK-, CLS-, S-, and CL-class cars...look great. The R- and ML-class trucks look fine for what they are. The facelifted E- and upcoming SL-class are very subtle. The upcoming C-class is inoffensive, as it has always been.

Besides, BMW has completely destroyed its line-up, and people are still buying them. I'm not concerned about the next CLK.

allenjdmb

and it ain't because of the looks. It is because of the driving dynamics, which on just about every late model Benz, are absolutely awful. Numb steering, that silly airmatic ride that is either a marshmellow or a brick,lazy transmissions and the tremendous decline in build quality and raw materials are what's keeping me away. Oh, and did I mention the resale? I'm only betting/hoping that a car of the CLK63B's mettle will sway me back. BTW, third generation MB customer. They proved to me that they don't ned or care about me, so I'm back to Munich for a while. And loving the late 5 series cars, no matter how ugly many of you think they are.
That has little or nothing to do with the CLK63B price does it? Sorry.

Jim Brady

I have an email from Robert Allen who's the AMG face in the USA and he says "Only about 350 of these Black Series will be produced for the United States."
That info is as of 4/24/07.

As far as your comment as ugly,

Alan Smithee

Well, I feel the same about BMW...after six, including the last two generations of M3s, I'm not going back. As much as I love to take my cars on the track and enjoy BMWs' driving dynamics, I also enjoy a nice design, and if I find a car to be ugly, I won't buy it. That's why I'm interested in the CLK63B...with understated aggressive looks, coil over suspension, ceramic brakes, nice seats, etc., it fills the void left by my last M3. (However, if it's priced at the rumored $135k, I'll stick to my original plan to get a new GT3 plus a new Mini as a daily driver...but I digress.)

And my comment was in reference to CLK pricing; we were discussing re-sale, and my opinion that the next CLK will not be bad looking if the current model line is any indication.