2001 Mercedes-Benz CL-Class Review
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By Dan Carney

Overview

Mercedes-Benz has delivered the best, most exclusive luxury coupe available with its new CL600. At the top of the luxurious CL-Class, the CL600 features an incredibly smooth and powerful 5.8-liter V12 in the engine bay of an already fantastic car.

Totally redesigned last year, the CL-Class features an array of innovations that should impress the most jaded technophile. Yet it wraps all that technology in leather and walnut, so as not to offend the most dedicated technophobe. Mercedes says the new CL-Class is designed for people who believe good just isn't good enough.""

Model Lineup

CL600 represents the peak of the CL-Class, with a turbine-like V12 engine and a $117,200 retail price tag.

The V8-powered CL500 lists for $87,500, which is a slight increase over last year's model.

A high-performance model customized by AMG, the CL55, is also available for $99,500. That car features a hand-built 5.5-liter V-8 engine that matches the power of the V-12 with the lighter weight of the V-8. It also has wider, lower-profile high-performance tires for better grip on the road.

As if those three models don't provide sufficient exclusivity, Mercedes is offering the CL in customized Designo versions ($8300-$9800) with striking paint, leather and wood combinations that make these cars truly exclusive. A Sport Package ($4900) is available for CL500 and CL600 that adds AMG monoblock wheels, P245/45 high-performance front tires, and a color-keyed AMG ground effects treatment.