When Mercedes-Benz decided to redesign their CL-Class of cars, I took a long breath and wondered out loud. "How can they improve a perfect design?" came the echoes from deep within. The last CL I'd driven was the CL 65 AMG, with its hand built twin-turbo, 6.0 liter V12 that poured out 604 horsepower and a whopping 738 pound feet of torque. At $180,000 and some change, it was a bargain considering its supercar performance. So the bar was set real high when I got the opportunity to drive the all-new CL-Class.
The new model is based on the successful redesign of the S-Class, Mercedes' flagship sedan. It's a more brutish design than the svelte, rounded CL it replaces, but it works well. At 199 inches of overall length, the new CL is only six inches shorter than the S-Class. This is a big car. My tester was the CL550.
Outside, the CL's rounded roofline remains. It starts from the "A" pillar with a slight bow upwards, then drops off rather quickly as it flows into the trunkline. Two sculpted ridges have been incorporated into the beltline - one high and one low, which gives the doors and rear quarter visual depth. Side skirts carry all the way into the rear bumper, which help to provide a ground effects look. Dual chromed exhausts are enclosed in a rear finisher panel, and the rear quarter panels have power indentations that remind you of a sculpted athlete's powerful glutes. The real change comes in the huge fender flares both front and rear that give the CL a hulking image. The flares work on this car because Mercedes has wisely filled the wheel wells with staggered width 18" wheels on performance rubber. From the front, headlights that wrap around into the front fenders and a subtle chin spoiler compliment the traditional chrome slat grille and three-pointed star. This is a beautiful work of art.
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