2011 Mercedes-Benz CL-class / CL550 / CL600 - Car and Driver
As rare a sight as the Mercedes-Benz CL-class coupe is (unless you live in Beverly Hills or Monte Carlo) the arrival of a new one—or even a refreshed one, as is the case here—is nevertheless newsworthy. For 2011, the S-class 's two-door sibling (which will not be renamed the S-class coupe as previously thought, although that may happen for the next, all-new generation) is available in the same lineup as last year. The all-wheel-drive CL550 4MATIC and rear-wheel-drive CL600 are both mildly reshaped and updated with a raft of new bits that are sure to trickle down into much of the rest of the lineup soon. New CL63 AMG and CL65 AMG models will make their debuts later. The CL63 will adopt the new, 5. 5-liter twin-turbo V-8 that will eventually migrate to all “63” AMG cars. As with the 2010 S-class , the visual updates for the 2011 CL-class are hardly extensive, but do help bring the big car into this decade with a cadre of LED lighting elements front and rear. The new Sport Package and Sport Package Plus One options bring sportier lower-body mods as well as 19- and 20-inch wheel-and-tire packages, respectively. Mercedes-Benz is using the CL-class to launch its new 4. 6-liter, direct-injection twin-turbo V-8, which replaces the previous, naturally aspirated 5. 5-liter V-8. The output is prodigious: 429 hp at 5250 rpm (up from 382 hp at 6000) and a gutsy... Yeah, this thing has 516 lb-ft in the base model —never mind that it’s a $110,000-plus base model. Source: www.caranddriver.com
