Car and Driver - Rants and Raves: 2008 Mercedes-Benz CLK63 AMG Black Series

Merc1

DAVE VANDERWERP

With an exhaust note as outrageous as its fender flares, the Black Series disappointed no one during its stay with us. You know you’re buckling into something serious when it takes a skillful hand to guide the seatbelt through the narrow passage between the thicker-than-you side bolsters and the center console.

We took our bright red beast to a track day at Grattan Raceway in Belding, Michigan where, after a lapping session, owners of BMW M5s would wander over and say things like, “It’s sure strange to see a Mercedes in my rearview mirror.” It wasn’t strange for long, however, as the Black Series would hastily run down M5s and M3s, their drivers learning to quickly point us by. Despite weighing nearly twice as much, the super CLK even hung with a supercharged Lotus Exige S for a couple laps.

But the most impressive thing about the Black Series is its agility, especially considering that portly 3900-pound curb weight. And, sure, it has massive grip generated by the extra sticky tires and big straight-line muscle from the 500-hp V-8, but the neutral cornering behavior and poise at the limit as well as the quick and precise steering with very un-Mercedes-like levels of feedback make even the new 414-hp BMW M3 seem tame on a track.

ERIK JOHNSON

Holy farging bargehole—this thing sounds like the hounds of hell on a week-long meth bender, and it’s got the stones to back up the bark. (And the popping, burbling overrun when you lift off the throttle? Magnificent.) I’ve always wondered what it would be like to drive a race car on the street, and now I’ve come pretty damn close. No back seats, carbon fiber galore, a seriously intense rear diffuser: the Black’s got swagger. The 6.2-liter V-8 is a silky smooth dream, and the seven-speed automatic is even smoother, if that’s possible. Power delivery is so right-now, you get what you asked for yesterday, and you’re crammed deep into the awesomely comfortable, hugely bolstered sport seats before you even realize what your right foot has done.

And yet this AMG is no simple sledgehammer. The steering is scalpel-precise, the ride is nearly luxosedan comfortable—certainly the equal of the far less hard-core Audi S8 at taking the edge off the harsh stuff—and you’ve still got a nav system and satellite radio. And I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the hot, hot polished (billet?) aluminum wheels and Mars Red paint. In the immortal words of Black Flag: Gimme, gimme, gimme.

MIKE DUSHANE

The Black Series is best playing badass boy racer. Put down the windows and wind the engine out, and it sounds like a muscle car on crack. It’s loud, fast, and hyper responsive. What’s surprising is how well it can impersonate a luxury car. Its mechanical credentials made some of the guys here think it would be too high-strung for a 1000-mile weekend jaunt, but the Black Series was as comfortable as anything short of an S-class. The seats are most notable for their massive lateral bolsters, but excellent thigh and lumbar support allowed me to stay comfortable for eight hours at a time. I programmed the navigation system, plugged my iPod into the input jack, and almost forgot I was driving something special. It’s that low-key on the highway. Perhaps the most surprising thing about the Black Series was the fuel economy. At 80-90 mph on the highway, it averaged 21 mpg. Most cars with this level of performance are lucky to get half that with me behind the wheel.

ALISA PRIDDLE

I am spoiled, having driven the Black Series and Audi R8 back-to-back. While the R8 is the eye candy, on paper the Black Series blows it out of the water. And while the R8 wins for best audio at start-up, and under acceleration, it loses out over the long haul to the intoxicating gurgle of the Black Series. Driving became a progression of acceleration and retreat for that amazing burble and deep-throated rumble.

And you gotta love a car with molds for rear seats but which eschews the weight of adding them. Equally impressive is the way this monument to horsepower and torque is also a very respectable daily driver. It is comfortable, not skittish—belying its awesome power and handling. Understated in design, yes, compared with the outrageously gorgeous R8, but if I had an extra $140,000 to throw around, this might be my first choice—by a hair.

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