Went to MBZ dealership today. Test drove a CLK63 BS, SL63, and C63 (w/ LSD). I've discounted the C63 almost immediately, because while its a very nice car... the inside is a bit cheap and in the end its still a C-Class (or as Fletcher Jones calls it the "baby benz" )

CLK63 BS Pros:
1) raw
2) exhaust is loud in the cabin
3) very nice suspension and handling
4) feels like so much fun, having such a crazy 'on the edge' car. every thing i did, i could feel the tires slipping wanting to start fishtailing.


CLK63 BS Cons:
1) limited technology. this car had Sirius, Keyless, and the old Nav version ... thats it. I wish it had the Bluetooth, iPod and new nav from the SL63 and I would've gotten it right away.
2) old transmission program. no rev-matching, and no plans for it in the future.
3) old body style


SL63 Pros:
1) Exhaust is louder than CLK63 BS -- outside of the car
2) Rev-matching downshifts
3) transmission is very nice
4) nice tech. package (ipod, bluetooth, sirius, hard drive based system, etc)
5) the rear of the car is pure sex
6) seats and the feel of the suspension while driving was great

SL63 Cons:
1) the 'feel' of the car is more detached than in the BS.. very noticeable, it hides the road a lot.
2) exhaust is quieter than BS inside the cockpit, even though the exhaust is actually louder on the outside
3) hood felt very long
4) the new front styling of the car is ehhh...
5) off the line the car is nice, but from a roll it really lacks power, needs a supercharger!

---

Overall, if the CLK63 BS had more advanced tech. I would love to have gotten it.
As of right now, I can't think of a FAST, semi-RAW car that still has full technology package included. Do you guys know of one?

I'll be making my final decision by Wednesday - CLK63 BS or SL63... VERY tough decision, I stood there for quite a while and even had them park them right next to each other and rev both engines, etc.

911 turbo? Then obviously there's Lamborghini Gallardo and Ferrari F430...
Or you can buy my supercharged SLK55 AMG. Very raw car, 520hp and only about 3,300lbs

GT-R! All the technology you need, and even some you don't!

i just read the door on an ebay ad.....is the weight really so high?...4455lbs(with 4 people) seems really high. I have a Cobra with a 427R that weighs about 2500lbs and i have been looking to change to a hard top something.....looking at CLK63BS, but the weight makes me cringe.

please confirm

T

the clk bs is 3800 pounds. its hard to believe that an american car with a V8 weighs that little... but whatever

correction to the OP. the CLK bs does not have rev matching in stock form. HOWEVER, the transmission is capable of doing this, and AMG has announced that you can take your BS to the dealer to have the ecu/tcu reprogrammed so that it DOES rev match. this is free. and if your dealer doesnt know about it... goto another dealer, as your dealer is a shmuck

I think he is referring to a real 1965 AC Cobra, look at his sig. They do weigh only about 2600 pounds with the big 427 in them and ander 2500 with the 289's.

A shmuck huh? What does it make you when you are wrong?

They were talking about this but it was never offered in the end. No upgrade for the CLK Black.

The CLK is a 2-door C-class from the previous generation...

That is also a factor in my decision -- its just a CLK, and the old body style at that.

You are looking at the GVWR...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gross_v..._weight_rating

I find it somewhat surprising that one's decision on a car like a BS comes down to bluetooth, ipod and new nav system. All of these items can be dealt with on an aftermarket basis if need be. My BS came with the optional ipod adapter installed ($375). And i believe there were previous threads discussing the installion of the bluetooth feature for about $2000.
In any event, it would seem that a decision between the two cars would be primarly based on whether you enjoy or value top-down cruising more or less than an everday track car feel and performance to your car.

yes.....that's why i put 4 people in parentheses. I thought that is what the GVWR was....the total weight with 4 people. So if i took 800 lbs off(200x4) it would be around 3650 lbs?

Ok....easier question.....what does the CLKBS weigh? If it is 3600 lbs that is still more than i expected.

Yes.....my Cobra is one of those little monsters. Not the Ford Cobra.

T

CLK63 BS CLK DTM

Why consider a C63 if you can buy an SL63 or CLK63 BS?

upon further inspection, the clk bs is around 3900 pounds. its starting to make me wonder why they didnt take more weight off the car, they lightened the sl63 BS about 400 lbs i believe...

and as for reprogramming the car to rev match, offered and possible are two different things. it was my understanding that the clk bs had the same transmission as the ones that rev match and making it do so was a matter of reprogramming...

Dealer can add bluetooth and Ipod to clk63. Ya, nav is old style, but you didn't mention that that CLK 63 BS has a lap timer which the SL63 doesn't.
If you plan to track it get the CLK, if you don't get the SL.
Jimmy

After initial research, AMG determined that it would take a lot more than a simple ecu reprogamming to retrofit the rev matching feature and was unwilling to commit the the time and expense necessary for the R&D. So in this case, feasible and possible are also 2 different things. Bottom line is, it isn't available from the dealer or any one else at this moment.

ah thats terrible. the clk bs deserves better. are they going to be offering this on the 2009's?

IF you want cushie lux things stay in the SL..
I pod in a BS< who cares..It has no freaking back seats either.
It's a sports car, maybe they left it out for weight savings..lol..
The C63 is overpriced but to say it's just a C or a CLK class is just A disses 50% of this forum.

The 997 Turbo is an amazing car, but the GTR is faster around any track. Get the ZR1 and GAME OVER! Let me remind you 7:26.4

The CLK Black is only a 2008.

Having driven a bunch of CLK Blacks, it really doesn't need at. Throttle blipping in an automatic is a gimic anyway.

I love it for the sound on my C63 but the car does not get unsettled on downshifts anyway.

Actually, I feel that you are wrong. When I was downshifting without a manual rev-match (yes, you can semi rev-match if you jab the throttle right as you downshift with a paddle) it really did make the it feel unsettled, it reins in the speed into the torque converter until the wheels catch up, not good at all.

IMO, i actually find it *unbelievable* that AMG would put that software into the C, but not the BLACK SERIES.

I think this comes down to driving style.

Perhaps this happens if you really engine brake the car. Under agressive heavy braking, I don't notice an issue at all on the track. In that case, I am using the brakes to slow the car and the downshift is happening to be in the correct gear for acceleration. For me, the torque converter more than takes up the slack in the drivetrain and I have never had an issue with lockup or unsettling of the rear of the car.

The Black was released long before the C63.

thats true. the c63 was actually the "pioneer" car for this feature, but not until long after the clk bs was out and being driven.

have had an SL63 since their launch, and have had a CLK Black Series for about a month. In that month, the SL63 has had 25 miles put on it. The CLK Black has had over 1000. Enough said...