The second generation Mercedes-Benz CL-Class led to one of the world’s most luxurious and powerful two-door luxury cars in the form of the CL65 AMG, which put out an astonishing 603 HP (612 PS).
Not only that, but its massive twin-turbo 6.0-liter V12 also generated 738 lb-ft (1,000 Nm) of torque. Thanks to all this grunt, it could rocket from zero to 100 km/h (62 mph) in just 4.4 seconds before maxing out at an electronically-limited 250 km/h (155 mph).
Of course, the best part about a luxury grand tourer is that when you’re not interested in going really fast, it can also get you to your destination in a very comfortable manner – and the CL65 is no exception, despite its age.
This is a 2006 model, but as you’ll see over the course of this review by Doug DeMuro, he found it to be excellent in terms of both quality as well as refinement. Even the quirks are somewhat elegant in nature, such as the buttons for the electric mirrors, or the unique way in which the doors open by sliding forward, not just outwards.
After taking it out in traffic, DeMuro immediately stated that the CL65 feels very solid and heavy, and that outside noise will definitely struggle to reach your ears – always ideal in a luxury car.
As for performance, he found that this car’s V12 engine provides excellent acceleration, saying that it “builds power like a jet” and that you can find yourself doing 130 mph (210 km/h) without even realizing it.
The best part, though, is its price: when new, you had to be super-rich to get one, while now you can grab this uber-Merc for just $30k. Just make sure that you can afford the maintenance costs that go hand-in-hand with such a high performance vehicle.