The Mercedes-Benz CL-Class is a line of grand tourers produced from 1992 to 2014. The name stands for Coupé Luxusklasse, and the cars were the two-door counterparts of the S-Class.
Mercedes-Benz CL-Class at a glance
| Production | 1992–2014 |
|---|---|
| Name | Coupé Luxusklasse |
| First generation | C140, 1992–1998 |
| Second generation | C215, 1998–2006 |
| Third generation | C216, 2006–2014 |
| Built at | Sindelfingen |
| Platform | shared with the S-Class, on a shorter wheelbase |
| First names | 500 SEC and 600 SEC |
| CL name adopted | June 1996, from the 1998 model year in North America |
| C140 production | 26,022 coupés |
| Replaced by | S-Class Coupé (C217) in 2015 |
This article is based on one source, the English Wikipedia article on the Mercedes-Benz CL-Class.
History of the Mercedes-Benz CL-Class
The CL-Class grew out of the S-Class coupé. The first generation was the C140, the two-door version of the W140 S-Class, designed by Bruno Sacco and sold from 1992. Its V8 and V12 cars were called 500 SEC and 600 SEC in 1992 and 1993, and the 600 SEC was the first V12 coupé Mercedes-Benz had offered. For 1994 the names changed to S500 Coupé and S600 Coupé, and in June 1996 the CL-Class name was adopted, with the cars becoming CL500 and CL600. An entry-level CL420 with a 4.2-litre V8 was sold in some markets. Production ended in 1998 after 26,022 coupés.
The second generation, C215, was sold from 1998 to 2006. It was based on the W220 S-Class but rode on a wheelbase 203 mm shorter, and on its release it was the only pillarless hardtop in production. It introduced Active Body Control, a fully active hydraulic suspension with four rams and three pressure regulators working at 2,960 psi, and bi-xenon headlights. The range ran from the CL 500 with a naturally aspirated V8 to the CL 55 AMG, the CL 600 with a V12, a supercharged CL 55 AMG from 2003, the CL 600 with a 5.5-litre biturbo V12 and the CL 65 AMG with a 6.0-litre biturbo V12, of which 196 were built. Two rare models were the CL 55 AMG F1 Edition of 2000, with 55 examples, and the CL 63 AMG of 2001, with 26.
The CL remained the company’s premier model, built on its own line at Sindelfingen. Because the cars had no central B-pillar, the roof had to be engineered for stiffness, and the last generation was actually heavier than the equivalent S-Class. In 2015 Mercedes-Benz dropped the CL name and returned the car to the S-Class family as the C217 S-Class Coupé.
Design and features
- S-Class basis: the same platform and engines as the saloon, on a shorter wheelbase.
- Pillarless hardtop: no central B-pillar, with engineering to keep the body stiff.
- Active Body Control: introduced on the C215 in 1998.
- V12 engines: from the 600 SEC to the CL 65 AMG.
Mercedes-Benz CL-Class versions
- 500 SEC and 600 SEC (1992): the first C140 cars.
- S500 and S600 Coupé (1994): renamed versions.
- CL500 and CL600 (1996): the CL name arrives.
- CL 55 AMG: naturally aspirated and later supercharged.
- CL 63 AMG (2001): 26 cars.
- CL 65 AMG: 6.0-litre biturbo V12, 196 built.
The CL-Class was the coupé version of the S-Class and sat above the CLK. More in the Mercedes-Benz collection.
Video: Mercedes Benz CL500 acceleration
Video by YouTube on YouTube.
Sources
- Mercedes-Benz CL-Class, English Wikipedia: generations, models, engines, production
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