Merc CL Coupé: glamourous and powerful
With 26 percent more power and 15 percent more torque than the previous model, the seventh-generation Mercedes-Benz CL-Class is sure to make some people grasp for air.
The choice of engines include the five-litre CL500 and the 6208cc CL 63 engine, both being V8s. The CL500 delivers 285kW and 530Nm from 2800rpm and the 6208cc CL 63 delivers 386kW at 6800rpm and 630Nm at 5200rpm. It can also reach 100km/h in 4.6 seconds, with a top speed of 250km/h.
The driver of one of these new engines can electronically select the transmission settings by nudging a lever on the steering column, which is made possible by the new “direct select” gearshift.
With a larger boot and cabin, the 2007 CL is 75mm longer, 14mm wider and 20mm higher than the previous model. The interior is luxurious and a wood and leather finish is welcome after all the chrome and titanium we’ve seen in recent years. A glass sunroof adds a touch of new age feel while the automatic air-con serves as extra comfort.
The CL 63 AMG Exclusive Passion version comes with stainless steel door-sills, sports seats with massage function and seat ventilation, so you’ll be sure of a very comfortable drive.
Softer suspension is allowed by the roll/pitch control, which uses sensor signals and hydraulic cylinders on the axles to reduce pitch and roll when pulling away, braking and cornering. Stability is improved and the body of the vehicle will be lowered at more than 60km/h to reduce aerodynamic drag.
An optional new braking aid is part of the Distronic cruise control, which will warn the driver of an imminent collision and calculate the braking pressure need to avoid a crash, which is applied when the brakes are hit. If the driver doesn’t react on these warnings, the vehicle will automatically be slowed down, using about 40 percent of the total braking power.
On a display in the cockpit, a driver will be told exactly the length of a parking space when driving by, and calculate whether sufficient parking space is available. If the driver chooses to reverse park, he will be assisted by a symbolic representation of the parking manoeuvre, guide lines show the required steering angle and indicate the path into the parking space. It’s almost like the car is parking itself.
Sounds too good to be true? Well at R1 240 000 for the CL500 and R1 615 000 for the CL63 AMG, believe it.
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