Body Styles, Trim Levels and Options:

The Mercedes-Benz CL-Class is a two-door coupe available in two trim levels: CL500 and CL600. Both feature nearly all the luxury amenities you would expect in a flagship coupe including high-intensity discharge headlamps, a DVD-based navigation system, dual-zone automatic climate control, an eight-speaker Bose sound system, 14-way power-adjustable seats and generous amounts of leather and wood trim. Options include ventilated seats with built-in fans to keep one's backside cool on sultry days and a power lumbar support that also inflates and deflates twice a minute, providing a slow massage to keep fatigue at bay on a long trip. Also available is adaptive cruise control, parking sensors and special designo packages for a more customized interior look.

Powertrains and Performance:

The CL500 is powered by a 5.0-liter V8 rated for 302 horsepower and 339 pound-feet of torque that delivers power through a seven-speed automatic transmission. Not to be outdone, the CL600 has a 5.5-liter V12 fed by twin turbochargers that produces an astounding 493 hp and 590 lb-ft or torque. Mercedes claims that these staggering numbers allow the CL600 to accelerate to 60 mph in just 4.5 seconds. A five-speed automatic is standard on the CL600.

Safety:

Standard safety equipment includes four-wheel antilock disc brakes; electronic traction and stability control; seat- and headliner-mounted side airbags; and emergency braking assist. Seatbelt pre-tensioners and belt-force limiters are used at all four passenger positions.

Interior Design and Special Features:

Virtually every luxury and convenience item, including a navigation system and power door-closing assist, is standard on every Mercedes-Benz CL-Class model. Specific wood trim is fitted as well, with dark interiors having burled walnut, while lighter cabins are graced with chestnut timber. Most of the controls come straight from the S-Class, but the quality of materials is even better in the CL, with a leather-trimmed dash, less plastic and even more beautiful wood highlights. Particularly impressive are the CL's unique stainless steel doorsills and outer-edge door trim.

Driving Impressions:

Step on the throttle, and the Mercedes CL gathers itself up on a wave of torque, seemingly accelerating just as fast from 30 to 90 as it does from zero to 60. No matter which model you drive, the power delivery is the same, seamless and unflustered, the only variable being the rapidity of acceleration. In spite of a weight of over two tons, the Mercedes-Benz CL handles the curves like a much smaller, lighter car, a sensation brought about chiefly by the Active Body Control (ABC) system that quells body roll as well as squat and dive while the car is being driven aggressively. In normal driving, the suspension soaks up the bumps as well as any luxury car, but when you're ready to make time on a twisty road, the CL tightens up, rising to the challenge.