|
Price |
|
-- |
Production |
|
-- |
|
Engine |
5.5
Liter V8 / V12 |
Weight |
4398
/ 4817 lbs |
|
Aspiration |
natural / twin turbo |
Torque |
390.9 / 612 lb-ft |
|
HP |
388
/ 517 |
HP/Weight |
11.34 / 9.31 lbs per hp |
|
HP/Liter |
70.55 / 94 hp per liter |
1/4 mile |
-- |
|
0-62 mph |
5.4
/ 4.6 seconds |
Top Speed |
155.3 mph ( limited) |
(From Daimler-Chrysler Press Release)
The new
Mercedes-Benz CL-Class:
masterpiece among the luxury coupés
Stuttgart -- The launch of the new CL-Class in autumn 2006 will
be the culmination of a Mercedes-Benz coupé tradition going back
over 50 years. The two-door model combines peerless exclusivity and
charismatic design with the sort of cutting-edge technology that no
other manufacturer can match worldwide.
The luxury Coupé raises the bar in terms of vehicle safety with the
PRE-SAFE® brakes: the unique system automatically brakes the Coupé
before an imminent rear-end collision. Furthermore, Mercedes
innovations such as the Active Body Control (ABC) suspension system,
the Intelligent Light System with five lighting functions and
PRE-SAFE® anticipatory occupant protection all come as standard. Two
powerful engines with 8 or 12 cylinders are available, delivering a
notable increase in output and torque. Thanks to their exemplary
smoothness they also live up to the Mercedes heritage of superb
motoring refinement.
The large Mercedes Coupés have been synonymous with style and
exclusivity in the automotive industry for decades. They set the
standard in terms of design and equipment, combine exemplary safety
with an outstanding level of comfort and assured handling. In short,
Mercedes Coupés are extraordinary dream cars -- automobile classics.
The new CL-Class is another Mercedes-Benz masterpiece. Just as the
luxury coupé points the way to the future with its innovative
technology, the design has also set the mould for a new Mercedes
style. Its hallmark is the interaction between distinctive tightly
drawn lines with large, unruffled surfaces. This design idiom lends
the Coupé its own particular expressive power, emphasising the calm
and power of its powerful, self-confident nature.
Familiar Mercedes features have been given a contemporary twist,
resulting in a harmonious blend of the classic and contemporary.
Examples include the hallmark Mercedes radiator grille with its wide
chrome louvres and the design of the C-pillar. The unique, slightly
downwards-tapering pillar configuration is a typical feature of the
large Mercedes Coupés whose roots go right back to the 1950s: in
1956 the
220 S/SE Coupé (W 180/W 128 model series) first captured attention
with this striking C-pillar design, and a few years later the
concept was further refined in the successor model, the 220 SE Coupé
(W 111/112).
Other design features which were already acclaimed back then have
also been reinterpreted for the CL-Class, keeping alive the large
coupé tradition of the Mercedes-Benz brand: the fully retractable
side windows, for instance, whose continuous aperture is not
interrupted by a B-pillar, and the large, curving panoramic rear
window. In the early days this was a typical styling feature of the
Mercedes Coupés, and in its stylistically evolved form for the new
CL-Class it is just as appealing as in the 220 SE Coupé of 1961.
Interior: equipment for even the most discerning driver
Style finds its way into the interior too: the large side window
aperture draws the eye to the stylish dashboard, exquisite wood trim
and soft leather upholstery. In an instant you realise that
everything in the interior of the new CL-Class is designed for
comfort and relaxation. The atmosphere is reminiscent of an
exclusive club: take a seat and enjoy. Five stylish colour
combinations are available; automatic climate control, COMAND with
car radio and CD/DVD player as well as a glass sunroof are all part
of the standard specification, elements that come together to
deliver a unique motoring and comfort experience.
In the top-of-the-line CL 600 the Exclusive PASSION leather
appointments, specially selected poplar wood and an Alcantara roof
liner with quilted seams provide the finishing touches to an
exquisite first-class ambience, a look and feel also echoed in the
seats with their designo styling, the chromed door sill panels and
floor mats with leather edging. The standard specification also
includes dynamic multicontour seats with massage function and seat
ventilation, the hard-disc navigation system
COMAND APS, the LOGIC7® surround sound system with DVD changer and
the
KEYLESS-GO access and drive authorisation system.
Compared with the outgoing model, the new Mercedes-Benz
top-of-the-range coupé has grown slightly in every dimension. 5065
millimetres long, 1871 millimetres wide and 1418 millimetres high,
the body is 75 millimetres longer, 14 millimetres wider and 20
millimetres higher than before, providing even more comfort and
space on all four seats. The boot capacity has been increased by 40
litres to 490 litres (VDA measuring method).
Control system: fewer switches for more functions
A newly developed control system, which has already been
successfully implemented in the S-Class worldwide, refines
driver-vehicle interaction even further. Above all, it provides
convenient, rapid access to frequently used functions such as car
radio, DVD player, car phone or navigation system. Depending on the
driver's own preference, these systems can be controlled using
switches in the centre console, pressing a button on the
multifunction steering wheel or using the COMAND controller on the
centre console. This central control unit is linked to the large,
pivoting COMAND colour display next to the instrument cluster,
providing access to the user-friendly main and sub-menus that
activate the various functions.
The standard-fit automatic climate control with four independently
adjustable temperature zones is also integrated into the new control
system. The driver and front passenger can select temperature, air
distribution and other settings either using the COMAND controller
and menu-based control, or by means of an attractively styled switch
array beneath the air vents. The COMAND system allows other
individual climate settings to be adjusted such as air distribution
and the footwell temperature.
The newly developed integral seats in the CL-Class provide maximum
individual seating comfort. “Integral” means that all components of
the seat-belt system are incorporated directly into the seat; hence
the seats form an important component in the occupant protection
system. The standard specification already provides electric
adjustment of the fore-aft setting, inclination of the seat and
backrest, seat height, head restraint and length of the front seat
cushions. Pneumatic lumbar supports allow the driver and front
passenger to adjust the backrest contour to suit their build and
consequently reduce the strain on the back muscles.
Optional extras include luxury seats with active ventilation
(standard in the CL 600) that provide even more individual comfort,
along with the further enhanced multicontour seats with nine air
cushions, and dynamic multicontour seats with massage function
(standard in the CL 600).
The driver and front passenger seats with multicontour function have
been awarded the AGR (“healthy back campaign”) seal of approval.
Active Body Control: the perfect combination of dynamism and
comfort
The standard specification in the new Mercedes Coupé features
technological innovations that no other manufacturer can match
anywhere in the world. First and foremost is the Active Body Control
(ABC) suspension system, which in its latest, even more
sophisticated guise delivers unprecedented handling dynamics while
offering an equally appreciable improvement in ride comfort. Based
on sensor signals and using specially designed hydraulic cylinders
at the axles, ABC all but entirely eliminates the customary pitch
and roll of the body that occur when moving off, cornering and
braking. ABC responds with split-second speed to ensure the body
damping is adjusted instantly to any situation. At speeds above 60
km/h, ABC lowers the body by up to ten millimetres to reduce drag
and improve handling stability.
Intelligent Light System: five lighting functions to match
driving and weather conditions
The Intelligent Light System, which makes driving even safer in the
dark, is equally unique. Together with bi-xenon headlamps it forms
part of the standard specification for the new CL-Class and provides
five different lighting functions that are activated to match
driving and weather conditions: the new country road mode
illuminates the driver’s-side edge of the road more widely and
brightly than the existing low-beam headlamps.
Motorway mode, which comes on automatically when driving above 90
km/h, delivers a uniform cone of light that illuminates the entire
road width. In the centre of this cone the driver is able to see
around 50 metres further. The enhanced fog lamps are also new, which
Mercedes-Benz uses to provide better orientation in adverse weather
conditions. Active light function and cornering light function are
also part of the standard-fit Intelligent Light System on the
CL-Class.
PRE-SAFE®: automatic partial braking before an impending accident
Mercedes-Benz is the world's first car brand to develop an
anticipatory occupant protection system that recognises a potential
accident situation in its early stages and takes anticipatory
occupant protection measures: PRE-SAFE® is standard-fit on the new
CL-Class. During emergency braking or when skidding is imminent, the
system moves the passenger seat into the most favourable position so
that seat belts and airbags have maximum effect on impact. It also
inflates air cushions in the dynamic multicontour seats (standard in
the CL 600), which envelop and support the driver and front
passenger. PRE-SAFE® also closes the side windows and the sunroof in
critical situations where high lateral dynamics are generated.
Mercedes-Benz has just made this multi-award-winning anticipatory
protection system even better in the CL-Class with the newly
developed PRE-SAFE® brakes. They operate in tandem with Brake Assist
PLUS (BAS PLUS), which warns the driver of an imminent rear-end
collision with visual and audible signals and automatically
calculates the required braking pressure to prevent an accident.
This braking-power support is available as soon as the brake pedal
is operated. If the driver does not react to the BAS PLUS warnings,
the PRE-SAFE® brakes trigger automatic partial braking where an
accident is imminent and slow the CL-Class down using around 40
percent of the total braking power.
The automatic partial braking provides the driver with another clear
warning to act. If the driver then immediately applies the brakes,
the maximum braking force is available and the accident can --
depending on the situation -- be averted at the last moment. If an
accident is unavoidable, the PRE-SAFE® brakes reduce the impact
severity and, in turn, the risk of injury to the vehicle occupants.
As with Brake Assist PLUS, the new PRE-SAFE® brakes also utilise
state-of-the-art radar technology to scan the situation in front of
the car and detect a potential accident. Two short-range radar
sensors with a range of 30 metres and a scanning angle of 80° are
located behind the front bumper fascia on the CL-Class. The
additional long-range radar in the radiator grille has a range of
150 metres.
Mercedes-Benz also offers BAS PLUS and PRE-SAFE® brakes in
conjunction with the optional DISTRONIC PLUS proximity cruise
control.
Assistance systems: radar sensors make parking child’s play
The newly developed parking guidance system (optional extra) also
works on the basis of radar technology: the sensors measure the
length of a parking space when driving past and show on the cockpit
display whether there is sufficient space to park. Once reverse gear
is engaged, the display then includes a symbolic representation of
the parking manoeuvre; guide lines show the required steering angle
and indicate the path into the parking space.
Night view assist with infrared headlamps, reversing camera, voice
control for car radio, DVD changer and navigation as well as tyre
pressure monitoring system are other optional Mercedes assistance
systems for increased handling safety and comfort.
Engines: eight and twelve-cylinder powerplants with noticeably
more power
The new luxury Coupé is ready for any challenge on motorways and
rural roads thanks to Mercedes’ most powerful engines to date. The
eight-cylinder powerplant in the CL 500 delivers 285 kW/388 hp and
generates a maximum torque of 530 Newton metres from 2800 rpm. As
such the newly developed engine outperforms the existing V8 unit by
26 percent in terms of output and 15 percent when it comes to
torque. Equipped with four-valve technology, variably adjustable
shifting camshafts, a two-stage intake module and tumble flaps in
the intake ducts, the new V8 is among the most advanced, powerful
engines in its displacement class. The CL 500 accelerates from zero
to 100 km/h in just 5.4 seconds (previous model: 6.3 seconds).
An ultra-modern biturbo twelve-cylinder engine under the bonnet of
the new CL 600 generates its impressive power. Mercedes engineers
have enhanced numerous details of the power unit and, compared to
the predecessor model, have increased output by 12 kW/17 hp to 380
kW/517 hp. The maximum torque, already on tap from 1900 rpm, has
been improved further by 30 Newton metres to 830 Newton metres and
remains constant up to 3500 rpm. The new CL 600 accelerates from 0
to 100 km/h in just 4.6 seconds (previous model: 4.8 seconds). And
despite the significant performance boost the V12 engine consumes
0.4 litres less fuel than the previous
CL 600 per 100 kilometres.
Mercedes-Benz has combined the standard-fit automatic transmission
with the new DIRECT SELECT gearshift: the driver can select the
transmission settings “P”, “N”, “R” and “D” by nudging a lever on
the steering column. Operating commands are transmitted
electronically by wire.
Tradition: seven generations of the Mercedes-Benz Coupé
The new CL-Class ushers in the seventh generation of the large
Mercedes Coupés. The two-door model replaces the world-beating
outgoing model, which joins the ranks of the best-selling luxury
coupés with around 46,800 units sold.
The history of the large Mercedes Coupés stretches back to 1952 when
Mercedes-Benz launched the legendary 300 S Coupé -- a “car for the
world's elite” was the verdict of the motoring press in its day. In
1956 it was followed by the 220 S Coupé as part of the W 180 model
series, which fired the public’s imagination with its unitised
“Pontoon” body in particular. And in 1961 the 220 SEb Coupé (W 111
model series) took up the baton with its stylish elongated body.
In 1981 the SEC Coupés from the C 126 model series were based on the
then S-Class and remained in the Mercedes-Benz line-up for 10 years
with over 74,000 units produced. In 1992 the Geneva Motor Show was
host to the launch of the successor model (C 140 model series),
powered for the first time by a 290 kW/394 hp twelve-cylinder
engine. The predecessor to the new CL-Class Coupé celebrated its
world premiere in March 1999, setting new standards with
leading-edge Mercedes innovations such as the Active Body Control
(ABC) suspension system and bi-xenon headlamps.
Mercedes-Benz has built over 178,000 luxury coupés since 1952.
