Mercedes-Benz is looking forward to selling the 2009 CLK. Why? Because it is one of the few vehicles that does not take much money to build, which in turn brings in more profit for them. It shares some of the same characteristics as the normal C-class sedan, but it will be selling for $10,000 more. Hence, the nice profit.
That math finally has caught on with the competition. For example, the upcoming Audi A5 coupe/convertible is based on the A4, the two-door BMW 3-series cars will be priced more like a theoretical 4-series, and the second-generation Lexus SC will be GS-based but positioned between the GS and the LS. There is no doubt that the increased competition will cut into the CLK’s market share pie.
Having an AMG badge is a seriously enviable mark of distinction. It says you have the money to go the extra mile and suggests you have a taste for power and perhaps even the talent to manage it. So here’s an example of badging that’s enviable and then some. The hottest member, in fact, of a very hot family: lighter than its CLK stablemates, with more power, less mass, and more of everything else, brakes, tires, and suspension.
The current CLK is four years old, so it is no surprise that the highlight here is the new, AMG-developed 6.2-liter V-8 beast that is spreading throughout Mercedes’ lineup of cranked-up AMG cars. It puts out 475 horsepower in the CLK63, making last year’s 362-hp CLK55 AMG seem a little tame. The new engine comes alive right off idle, heaving the tach toward the 7200-rpm redline and singing a refined yet seductive engine snarl that is nothing short of amazing.