My number is 63. When I was a bike courier my call sign was 63. I am 6’3″ tall. My PO Box is 15163. Even my business number is +1 (202) 657-4063. So, I intend to buy a 2007 Mercedes-Benz CL63 AMG some day. Nice ass, eh? Only $125,000 cheap.
From Motor Trend:
‘Sink into supportive sport seats trimmed in beautifully crafted leather. Fire the hand-built, all-aluminum, 518-horsepower V-8, which lights with a bark. Select first gear–the first of seven–via the paddle shifters on the steering wheel. Plant the throttle and blaze off to an intoxicating blend of throbbing intake and burbling exhaust roar. Zero to 60 mph takes a musclecar-beating 4.5 seconds. Ferrari or Lambo? Aston or Z06? No. It’s just one of the newest, hedonistically luxurious four-place coupes from Mercedes-Benz.’
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‘Even though the premium-coupe market is a niche one, Mercedes-Benz will offer four versions of the CL. The base variant, if there is such a thing, is the 382-horsepower, 5.5-liter V-8-powered CL550. It’s backed by the superb seven-speed 7G-Tronic transmission. Those who want 12-cylinder cachet (and torque) by the boatload can opt for the 510-horsepower, 612-pound-foot CL600; its twin-turbo V-12 shares much with the Maybach powerplant and is backed by the carryover five-speed automatic. Both are currently on sale.’
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‘The driver’s car of the bunch is the CL63 AMG, loaded with AMG’s naturally aspirated, bespoke 6.2-liter V-8 (it’s called “6.3″ in homage to the performance-minded 300SEL 6.3 model of the late 1960s and early 1970s). It gets an AMG-calibrated version of the seven-speed auto tranny as well as the usual round of AMG upgrades targeted at improved acceleration, handling, braking, luxury, sportiness, and exclusivity. The CL 6.3 AMG hits our shores in April.’
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‘Intent on smoking your neighbor’s Bentley Continental GT? Pop for the CL65 AMG. Its 604-horsepower, twin-turbo V-12 out-torques the mighty Bentley with 738 (no typo) pound-feet worth and goes on sale next fall. As you’d expect of a luxury flagship, the CL oozes high technology and creature features. The I.P. and swoopy dashboard designs are straight out of the S-Class. Some functions are managed via conventional switchgear, others by the COMAND controller on the lower console. A palm rest for the latter hides the phone keypad. There’s no more console-mounted shifter; it’s been replaced by a stalk on the column–just like Mom’s Galaxie 500 from the 1960s–with the aforementioned shift paddles. It’s nice that all four of the CL’s side windows can be lowered, giving an airy, hardtop look and feel.’
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‘We criticized the previous CL55 AMG–the car the CL63 replaces–for driver inputs that never felt right. Although it was fast, the 55′s steering loaded up mid-corner, the brake pedal felt wooden, and the Active Body Control suspension felt unnatural in its attempt to quell body roll. It was as if the car’s computers wanted to prove they could drive better than you could. Those issues have been exorcized, replaced by quick, communicative steering, solid-feeling, easy-to-modulate brakes, and computer-managed cornering that doesn’t fight you. Want to drive the CL63 tail out or do a smoky burnout once in a while? Not likely, but you can, because the traction control’s “Off” button truly means off (unless you hit the brakes mid-corner).’
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‘The 63′s V-8 is handbuilt in-house by AMG, and to call it a marvel motor wouldn’t be an overstatement. It has the displacement needed for good low-end torque andvariable cam timing to help spread the pound-feet all around the tach, and it revs willingly, as any thoroughbred powerplant should. As noted, the intake system and AMG-spec exhaust have been tuned to let the occupant’s ears enjoy the performance. The AMG SPEEDSHIFT 7G-tronic transmission is the 63′s near-perfect dance partner. There’s a ratio for all occasions, and it’s smooth when you’re cruising and responsive when you’re hauling, although it lacks the beauteous rev-matching throttle blip on downshifts served up by several others. AMG chairman Volker Mornhinweg admits, “We want this and are working on a solution.’
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’2007 Mercedes-Benz CL63 AMG
Base price $125,000 (MT est)
Vehicle layout Front engine, RWD, 4-pass, 2-door coupe
Engine 6.2L/518-hp/465-lb-ft DOHC 32-valve V-8
Transmission 7-speed automatic
Curb weight 4400 lb (mfr)
Wheelbase 116.3 in
Length x width x height 199.4 x 73.7 x 55.8 in
0-60 mph 4.5 sec (mfr est)
EPA city/hwy fuel econ Not yet rated
On sale in U.S. April 2007′
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Hey, did you notice? Even that license plate has a “6″ and a “3″ in it (albeit in reverse order). So I guess that really IS your car.
Well, I am 36.