CL 550

STORY

The CL-Class was the flagship two-door coupe of Mercedes-Benz, a pillarless grand tourer based on the S-Class of its time and placed above every other Mercedes coupe. The name CL has been used since 1996. The C215 generation of 1998 broke with tradition: the body was lighter and more elegant, and it debuted Active Body Control. It was offered with V8, V12 and AMG power, up to the 612 PS CL 65 AMG. The C216 of 2006 was more imposing and carried more technology, including Night View Assist. The AMG versions first used the 6.2-litre naturally aspirated V8 and later the twin-turbo M157. The cars were always hand-finished and very expensive, and the CL was built in small numbers as a statement of engineering prestige rather than a sales leader. In 2014 the name was dropped, and Mercedes put the model back into the range as the S-Class Coupe (C217).