The life of a supermodel used to be little more than starving to that critical point between slender and dead. But 21st-century society wants a bit of muscle on those bones. We don't want our supermodels ripped, just toned, with a few choice bulges.
We also want some muscle on our cars. These days a luxury car isn't special unless it's the performance model with the big wheels. Mercedes knows this. That's why there's an AMG version of every Benz. Gargantuan power is a hallmark of the AMGs, but recently we encountered the ultimate fusion of elegance and might, the 2006 Mercedes-Benz CLS55 AMG.
This 469-horsepower four-door coupe is a supermodel with biceps. It doesn't get casual glances. It gets ogled. Everywhere it goes. And with 516 pound-feet of torque, it has enough muscle to make it a natural predator of 95 percent of the cars on the road.
Ridiculously Fast
We know what you're thinking. All AMGs are ridiculously fast. Big deal.
But the CLS55 is one of the fastest cars we've ever tested. Sixty miles an hour, an insignificant milestone for this car, goes by in just 4.6 seconds. By 12.7 seconds, you're through the quarter-mile doing over 111 mph.
That's at the track, of course. Back in the real world, the CLS55 will have you convinced that triple-digit speeds are not only reasonable but necessary.
It's not just the endless stream of torque from the force-fed 5.5-liter V8 that gets you hooked. It's the distinctive whir of the supercharger starting its windup. It's the muscle-car exhaust note. It's the utter calm at a 90-mph cruise.
And did we mention that this 469-hp beast turned in 15.4 mpg over 1,000 miles? Not bad for a car that can hang with exotic supercars.
Still, the drivetrain is not quite perfect. Most people would be happy with the Speedshift five-speed automatic transmission, as its sport and comfort modes allow you to tailor its behavior to your mood. But in manual mode the transmission doesn't match revs on downshifts. The trannies in the BMW 545i/645Ci and Infiniti M45 do. When a car costs $99,000, we want it all.
Nimble but Never Harsh
The CLS55 is about 4 inches longer, 2 inches wider and 40 pounds lighter than an E55 AMG sedan, which is powered by the same supercharged V8.
To quicken its reflexes, AMG engineers went to work on the CLS500's adaptive Airmatic suspension, installing stiffer springs, shocks and stabilizer bars. Although the CLS55 is still too big to feel like a full-on sports car through tight turns, it delivers all the right sensations and carries itself with cool determination.
Incredibly, the CLS55 sacrifices none of the CLS500's ride quality. Even in its firmest damper setting, it never feels harsh. Engage the comfort mode and the suspension positively smothers potholes. This is extra impressive when you realize the CLS55 rides on super-low-profile 19-inch tires.
The steering is one of the best setups we've ever experienced in a Mercedes. It's light and tidy at low speeds, but once you start pushing hard, it picks up heft and gives you a good read on the pavement below.
Shutting off the stability control gives you license to hang out the tail, if that's what you're into. And if you're willing to brake-torque it, you can lay down a strip of rubber on your own driveway.
Strong Brakes, Vague Feel
Although the CLS55 sticks with Mercedes' electrohydraulic braking system, AMG has fitted larger, thicker rotors at all four corners. An impressive eight-piston caliper clamps down on each of the massive 14.2-inch front discs.
It's a sophisticated setup and we certainly can't argue with its effectiveness. At the test track, the CLS55 turned in progressively shorter 60-0 stopping distances, finally recording its best stop of 116 feet amidst warnings from the computer that the brakes were overheated.
Unfortunately, pedal feel is vague with minimal differentiation between a little braking and a lot. This is typical in Benzes with electronic brakes, but more pronounced in the CLS55 than in the CLS500.
So Many Curves
You might need a shoehorn to get in and out of the cockpit, thanks to the four-door coupe's dramatically curving roofline and dash. But once the supportive sport seats give you a squeeze, the white-faced AMG gauges stare up at you and the nubs of the drilled aluminum pedals burrow into your sneaker treads, you'll be eager to hit the road.
The AMG touches inside are subtle on the whole. Indeed, the major difference we noted is materials quality. Whereas the CLS500 gets a polyester headliner, the CLS55 gets Alcantara suede. Standard leather is replaced by high-grade napa hide.
Designers often gravitate toward aluminum when dressing today's performance cars, but even in AMG form, the CLS is a warm and opulent car and that means classic wood. As in the CLS500, you have your choice of matte walnut or glossy laurel.
Nickels and Dimes
We wouldn't expect such an enticing package of performance and street presence to come cheap, but at the 2006 Mercedes-Benz CLS55 AMG's $87,320 starting price, we were surprised by what doesn't come standard. Xenon headlamps, parking sensors, a navigation system, a CD changer and ventilated seats all cost thousands extra.
This may be chump change to the real-life CLS55 buyer, but with BMW's 500-hp M5 and M6 just around the corner, there's good reason to question paying almost $100K to get the Benz.
For about 30 seconds anyway. Then you realize the Bimmers just aren't pretty enough to be supermodels.
We also want some muscle on our cars. These days a luxury car isn't special unless it's the performance model with the big wheels. Mercedes knows this. That's why there's an AMG version of every Benz. Gargantuan power is a hallmark of the AMGs, but recently we encountered the ultimate fusion of elegance and might, the 2006 Mercedes-Benz CLS55 AMG.
This 469-horsepower four-door coupe is a supermodel with biceps. It doesn't get casual glances. It gets ogled. Everywhere it goes. And with 516 pound-feet of torque, it has enough muscle to make it a natural predator of 95 percent of the cars on the road.
Ridiculously Fast
We know what you're thinking. All AMGs are ridiculously fast. Big deal.
But the CLS55 is one of the fastest cars we've ever tested. Sixty miles an hour, an insignificant milestone for this car, goes by in just 4.6 seconds. By 12.7 seconds, you're through the quarter-mile doing over 111 mph.
That's at the track, of course. Back in the real world, the CLS55 will have you convinced that triple-digit speeds are not only reasonable but necessary.
It's not just the endless stream of torque from the force-fed 5.5-liter V8 that gets you hooked. It's the distinctive whir of the supercharger starting its windup. It's the muscle-car exhaust note. It's the utter calm at a 90-mph cruise.
And did we mention that this 469-hp beast turned in 15.4 mpg over 1,000 miles? Not bad for a car that can hang with exotic supercars.
Still, the drivetrain is not quite perfect. Most people would be happy with the Speedshift five-speed automatic transmission, as its sport and comfort modes allow you to tailor its behavior to your mood. But in manual mode the transmission doesn't match revs on downshifts. The trannies in the BMW 545i/645Ci and Infiniti M45 do. When a car costs $99,000, we want it all.
Nimble but Never Harsh
The CLS55 is about 4 inches longer, 2 inches wider and 40 pounds lighter than an E55 AMG sedan, which is powered by the same supercharged V8.
To quicken its reflexes, AMG engineers went to work on the CLS500's adaptive Airmatic suspension, installing stiffer springs, shocks and stabilizer bars. Although the CLS55 is still too big to feel like a full-on sports car through tight turns, it delivers all the right sensations and carries itself with cool determination.
Incredibly, the CLS55 sacrifices none of the CLS500's ride quality. Even in its firmest damper setting, it never feels harsh. Engage the comfort mode and the suspension positively smothers potholes. This is extra impressive when you realize the CLS55 rides on super-low-profile 19-inch tires.
The steering is one of the best setups we've ever experienced in a Mercedes. It's light and tidy at low speeds, but once you start pushing hard, it picks up heft and gives you a good read on the pavement below.
Shutting off the stability control gives you license to hang out the tail, if that's what you're into. And if you're willing to brake-torque it, you can lay down a strip of rubber on your own driveway.
Strong Brakes, Vague Feel
Although the CLS55 sticks with Mercedes' electrohydraulic braking system, AMG has fitted larger, thicker rotors at all four corners. An impressive eight-piston caliper clamps down on each of the massive 14.2-inch front discs.
It's a sophisticated setup and we certainly can't argue with its effectiveness. At the test track, the CLS55 turned in progressively shorter 60-0 stopping distances, finally recording its best stop of 116 feet amidst warnings from the computer that the brakes were overheated.
Unfortunately, pedal feel is vague with minimal differentiation between a little braking and a lot. This is typical in Benzes with electronic brakes, but more pronounced in the CLS55 than in the CLS500.
So Many Curves
You might need a shoehorn to get in and out of the cockpit, thanks to the four-door coupe's dramatically curving roofline and dash. But once the supportive sport seats give you a squeeze, the white-faced AMG gauges stare up at you and the nubs of the drilled aluminum pedals burrow into your sneaker treads, you'll be eager to hit the road.
The AMG touches inside are subtle on the whole. Indeed, the major difference we noted is materials quality. Whereas the CLS500 gets a polyester headliner, the CLS55 gets Alcantara suede. Standard leather is replaced by high-grade napa hide.
Designers often gravitate toward aluminum when dressing today's performance cars, but even in AMG form, the CLS is a warm and opulent car and that means classic wood. As in the CLS500, you have your choice of matte walnut or glossy laurel.
Nickels and Dimes
We wouldn't expect such an enticing package of performance and street presence to come cheap, but at the 2006 Mercedes-Benz CLS55 AMG's $87,320 starting price, we were surprised by what doesn't come standard. Xenon headlamps, parking sensors, a navigation system, a CD changer and ventilated seats all cost thousands extra.
This may be chump change to the real-life CLS55 buyer, but with BMW's 500-hp M5 and M6 just around the corner, there's good reason to question paying almost $100K to get the Benz.
For about 30 seconds anyway. Then you realize the Bimmers just aren't pretty enough to be supermodels.
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