I can’t believe it, my CLS55 is gone. The man who bought it (and the first person to view it) is a lurker on here, and may decide to reveal himself.
I have been dreading this day; I have tried to avoid this day for 3 years; and yet I have let it go. Deep down, in my heart, this is not the right thing to. However, in my head, I know that 3 cars for a man who walks to work is sheer madness; I am not greedy, at least I don’t think I am.
I am distraught, this whole episode has even affected my sleep and my ability to concentrate. Never has a mechanical object affected me this much.
During 6 years and 50,000 miles, it never once let me down. It never threw any tantrums, it was never badly behaved and it never suffered any self-inflicted injury. It behaved impeccably at all times, even when the soles of its shoes were not quite up to dealing with its incredible strength, thrust, power and ability.
This was my second AMG, one which I had coveted for 3 years before I bought it. From the moment I set eyes on it, I was hooked. What sealed it during the winter test drive was its reflection against the night shop windows in Norwich; it screamed “take me with you”.
To my eyes, the “original” CLS is one of the most elegant, stylish and timeless designs from Mercedes in recent decades. I still look at it now and think, what a beautiful car. Even my 12 year old godson, who is half French and has no interest in cars, said “belle voiture” when he first set eyes on it. It has presence, yet it does not shout about it. It looks amazing, but not sexy enough to cause envy. I have no doubt that it will be classic in years to come.
The build quality is superb; vault like, sturdy and completely solid. You can feel the depth of the engineering and the quality of construction just by interacting with it, touching its surfaces, operating its switches and getting comfortable in its fabulous seats.
It could do a very good impression of a limo, yet it could hunt down and hassle sports cars on A and some B roads. Despite its size and weight, its agility was really quite eye opening. Once it is settled into a corner, you can really feel it digging in and pulling through as you apply the power progressively. Its weight and Airmatic was a plus on bumpy and fast roads .. it retained traction and handling ability while the more hard core sports cars were struggling for grip.
I have waxed lyrical about the supercharged V8, one of AMG’s masterpieces – 10 years and 60,000 miles on, it feels as good, if not better, than the beginning. The responsiveness of the throttle is something I have never ever tired of; whatever speed, and whatever the driving condition, it delivers the power you need or want. All without breaking a sweat or a raised eye brow. And accompanied by the most agreeable roar, thunder, burble and grunt. I have never thought “I need more power or torque”, at least not for the kind of driving that I do. I wanted a car with the upgraded Harmon Kardon sound system; I never missed not having it. All the sounds you hear are completely analogue and real, there’s no engine mapping to make it fart, cackle or crackle, and there are no speakers to amplify the sound.
The weight of the steering was mostly spot on; what it lacked in feel, it delivered in sufficient crispness and accuracy – this is a Mercedes after all, not a hyper active Caterham. Very quickly, I adapted to its foibles and character and grew to enjoy steering the car; the “tank”, as my nieces called it.
It has 8 piston front brakes (it tickled me to see the 4 separate brake pads being fitted to each brake caliper) and 4 piston rears. They have been tireless, with decent feel and excellent retardation. They do their job so well you don’t notice them until you put your foot to the floor and it stops much sooner and in much less distance than you expected. It could get a bit too hot when descending mountain passes however
As a place to be, the interior is cosseting, yet spacious. It’s luxurious but not plush. The designo leather is a highlight; it looks spot on, and feels soft, natural and is of very high quality. As the interface to the car for your body, it is peerless. Headroom is fine once you have contorted your body a bit to get under the graceful arch of the roof line.
Surely there must have been irritations, you ask? The only one I can think of is the occasional jerkiness of the gearbox when slowing down. And the sunroof refusing to close fully at high speed (problem solved by slowing down and opening rear windows slightly). I would also have liked steering wheel paddles rather than buttons, and alcantara roof lining.
The CLS55 has been the most capable all round and enjoyable car I have owned. I will miss it so very much, I will think about it often and I will always fondly remember the pleasure and joy it has given me. Above all, I am very lucky to have been its friend for 6 sensational years. May it live on, and live on for a very long time. Good bye, baby.
