john87699

Currently have an E500 I just got back from the LA auto show. Been watching these boards for the last 2 months - ordered a loaded CLS 500 Silver/Ash AMG Sport keyless go, parktronic, high gloss laurel, etc. back in late November from my MB dealer.

Long story short - went by Fletcher Jones when I was down in Orange County today and they had my car - well one like the one I ordered less a few options - in the showroom.

Here are the photos. Couldn't believe they had a sport package one!

BTW - Natalie - you're a cutie - Have to decide between roommate and fiance on who owns that spider on your profile, but great to see a girl who knows so much about this car.

john87699

2 More photos

VAHAGN MB

damm is that an SLR behind the cls,, u should of took pics of that thing,, how much was the SLR there

The Godfather

Need more pics of that W211 Wagon with the lorinser stuff!

john87699

Yeah - they are the #1 benz dealership in the nation - they always have the crazy cars and the biggest allocation of first ones out - plus they are located about five minutes from Brabus in Newport and an hour from CEC in Beverly Hills so they always have some nice Brabus and Lorinser cars in the showroom. The SLR is cool - they have one there as well as the Santa Monica dealership - didn't check the price - as cool as the car looks in person, it isn't worth half a mil IMO. You couldn't store a bag of Fritos in that thing with two people in it - but then again I guess it isn't supposed to be "practical"...lol.

I'm back in L.A. today so if anyone has a chance to grab a camera (or camera phone in my case) and is in the Newport area, swing by and shoot some pictures of the rest of the showroom.

Lov2xlr8

nice pics. yes thats the SLR and a maybach too.

adam76

Exactly how i ordered, cant wait till next week!!!

Thx!

Natalie

how did the high gloss laurel look? Better than the matt finish?
BTW, was room-mate, now fiance' :p

otis3

I forget the exact amount, but it`s north of $400,000. And I think it belongs to Fletcher himself.

john87699

Natalie - was roommate - now fiance....sure - you just got tired of guys hitting on you on this website. Just teasing - I just got engaged myself back on December 11 so congrats!!!

Now on to the car - You know, they didn’t' have the high gloss laurel on any of the ones in stock - I asked the sales guys and they hadn't seen it yet. I will say this much though - the matte is nice, but it just isn't my style so I am partial to the high gloss. The matte definitely looks nice and elegant - just a matter of taste and preference I think. I currently have the black high gloss on my E500 with the sport package - which btw really ticks me off that they don't offer in the CLS. grrr. 80k for a car and I can't pick my black wood. I've been looking at the Bentley Continentals lately and considered ordering one - there are like 7 woods to choose from and we won't even get started on all the different hides you can pick from when it comes to the leather!!! Yes - it is a 150k car so you might expect more options, but the CLS being a 4-door sport coupe would be served well IMO by having the black wood available. And my other issue with it is that you can't get the wood trim package for the steering wheel and shifter in combination with the AMG sport package. WTF - I will have to buy a $1,800 aftermarket wood steering wheel from Mercedes or maybe Brabus if they make one with the steering wheel shifter buttons compatible - a wood steering wheel should be an option with the AMG package. Period.

The car at the showroom was hot though - the silver is lighter than the E500 and the ash leather interior is now darker - more of a cross between the light ash on the E500's and the charcoal - looks really nice with the wood though - darker grey accents it well.

The cabin seems so much more roomy than the E-class too because the dash is "shorter" and doesn't come out so far - the passenger in the front has almost as much room in front of them as in an S-Class. Since the windows are so small, you feel like you are much "lower" inside the car.

The doors are huge - huge as in if anyone hits you from the side they probably total their car - the only annoying thing was the window height - you can't easily rest your arm on the edge of the door when driving (which I like to do).

Cool features -

I personally love the cup-holders. You push a button and the cup-holder system raises - I know - America and their infatuation with cup-holders.

Gauges are beautiful - chrome trim looks hot.

Windows - when you close the door, they "shift up" like on the SL and other coupes - I wish the doors had the "suction close" but the window thing makes up for it a bit.

The body lines of the sport are amazing - I used to have a 1993 Lexus GS300 long ago (only italian designed Lexus ever made - my all time favorite) and this is the first car I've loved the design of since then and loved even more - ironically they both have very similar styling.

Sorry for rambling - kinda treating this forum like a blog just throwing thoughts out there.

Overall - Can't wait till my car arrives - it is the most beautiful production benz I've seen to date and it is the perfect cross between "young, luxurious, aggresive and sexy"

adam76

Great info, thanks! I agree, i would have loved to get black wood, ticked me off too. I do like the interior in the Brabus CLS, but i wonder how the shift knob works with the Keyless go? Its also weird for the wood option not to be available to AMG Sport package cars, because if youve seen this early pictures of the CLS 500 in Sweden i believe, with the AMG Sport package, it shows the wood steering wheel. Im also a 93 GS owner, what an awesome car, I still own my 99 GS though which I had traded the previous for, not as much character, but still a more reliable car then my current Benz, unfortunately. Lets hope the CLS is a new direction for Benz reliability!!

NelsonExotics

Do you know how much they were asking over the MSRP for their CLS 500? Did they have a CLS 55 AMG in stock or do they have one coming next week? Thanks and by the way, great job with the pictures!

john87699

Thanks for the compliments on the pics - can't believe how good they turned out for a Samsung camera phone...lol.

I didn't check the sticker - I actually don't believe they were asking anything over MSRP, but I'm not sure that it was for sale - may have been their showroom demo. I know when the SL's first came out they awere asking well over MSRP, so don't quote me on there being no mark-up. Lastly, they didn't have any CLS55's on the lot that I know of - after staring at, sitting in and drooling over the car for an hour and a half (yes - an hour and a half) and talking to what I believe to be every sales person in orange County, I'm sure they would have told me if they had one in storage. Pretty funny - I actually helped sell one to a customer checking it out who ended up ordering one...lol...guess there's always a job waiting for me as a Mercedes sales person.

Adam, a fellow 93 GS owner - yes that Lexus was the most reliable car I've ever owned - had it for 7 years - couldn't part with it. I also know what you meant by the CLS in Europe (may have been Sweden - I think you're right) having the AMG package with the wood steering wheel - I'm stumped by this myself - bet it will be diffferent in the 2007 models, but I'm not waiting to find out...lol. Aftermarket steering wheel it is - Mercedes told me that the wood steering wheel for the S55 (I believe it is the one for the S55, but son't quote me on that - may hav ebeen the SL55) is made to work with the CLS, but again it's $1,800.00 %$&@!. Grrrr. Would only be $1,100 if not for the damn shifter buttons allegedly...lol.

NelsonExotics

Does anybody know if Fletcher Jones is asking a premium on their CLS 500? I'm surprised that they are not willing to sell their car because most of the dealers are already delivering their first cars to retail customers. I know this for a fact because I have already made arrangements with our shipping company to pickup the first CLSs that we have coming over the weekend. Unfortunately, I cannot sell any of our cars to people in this forum to be fair to those dealers who pay a monthly advertising fee. However, if we don't sell our cars on Ebay this week, we will take delivery of them next week and I will make sure to post some pictures for all of those who want to see detailed pictures of an actual US car. I'm very excited that cars are finally hitting the ground because I do have one ordered for myself but it won't be here until February. It's just a few more weeks but I can't wait

Lov2xlr8

my dealer got a CLS500 monday and said its a demo and will not be sold for a while. they are getting another demo for the other showroom they have. the CLS5's on the other hand are not going to be a demo. i hope they still have it when i get there.

Natalie

how much more is the sport package???

adam76

$4950 gets u AMG lower body work (side skirts, front air dam, rear apron), staggered 18" AMG double-spoke rims w/ hi perf tires, and sterring wheel mounted shift buttons, thats the AMG Sport Package.

john87699

Sports package truly makes the car - I can't tell you how big a difference there is until you see it for yourself.

TammamB

There wasn't a mark-up on the sticker in the window, it was around 74k basically had amg package and premium package.

vraa

Wow, no mark up. Sweet!

mrkbbd

i actually had a '93 GS300 as well, I have to completely agree with you, by the way I will be ordering my CLS500 on Monday

MDCLS

Put a deposit down at Fletcher Jones Las Vegas MSRP Still making final order decisions. Have a bit of time. Looking for a May build time.Hope you don't mind all the pics.

rsa

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bm75204

MDCLS! Welcome. You know who I am. :-)

MDCLS

Sorry Hosting site must be down Will try another later.

bm75204 LOL No clue