My first day in the CL65

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BIRMA

MB Enthusiast
Joined
Jan 21, 2013
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Location
Lovedean
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Lexus RCF
It's been a week now since I test drove the car and I've had a week of thinking as to whether I'd done the right thing.
So yesterday arrived and I went to pick it up, first off I got caught in the M25 traffic from Heathrow to the A3 and the trip computer recorded an alarming 8 MPG something I'm sure me and the car didn't like that much.
Once home I took the car along my favourite piece of road near to me, I've been driving and riding my motorbikes on this bit of road for coming on 40 years now and use it as the benchmark of a cars and bikes road abilities.
It has two sweeping bends left and right that tighten up, there is clear vision of the road ahead. My test has always been to drive on the correct side of the road without cutting corners.
My latest other car is a VX220 Turbo which I have spent a fortune on getting track prepared i.e. sticky tyres, adjustable shocks etc and it is a very fast capable little car. Well the AMG did it only 10 MPH less with little drama so I'm impressed.
Having now drained the £60 worth of Shell's finest petrol at 17 MPG I really like this car, I love the high speed whirr of the starter motor and the abrupt start up sound, I like the easy entry/exit system but most of all after driving for a few hours I said to myself I get it, I think I know what they were trying to achieve with this car.
It has this ability to make you think and know it always has sufficient power and ability in reserve for whatever you want to do.
Lets face it with unmarked police cars and sneaky speed traps you only really get 'moments' in cars like these but it is the fact that these moments take your breath away that for me make it worthwhile.
 
What a warm yet pragmatic review. Thank you for sharing
 
We need photos!

I passed an S65 on the A1 on Friday, I'm very tempted to put that in my list for the next car choice, fantastic value for money second hand.
 
Congrats on the CL65 purchase
I've pondered one for ages but never quite found the right one
What year is yours ?
Enjoy
 
Congrats on the CL65 purchase
I've pondered one for ages but never quite found the right one
What year is yours ?
Enjoy

Thanks, it is a big step considering the potential costs. Also remember there are only 26 in the UK so finding one will be a challenge, there is one in Autotrader now. I wasn't too fussed about night vision or self parking so mine without rear badges is perfect for me.
Mine is a 2007 in Iridium silver which I really like, the one on Autotrader is also the same colour.
 
As a matter of interest did you have a look at the one on Autotrader? - seems ok if a touch bland inside. Being sold by Inchcape Group in Ellesmere Port.
 
As a matter of interest did you have a look at the one on Autotrader? - seems ok if a touch bland inside. Being sold by Inchcape Group in Ellesmere Port.

No I think it has only just come on the market, looks exactly like mine although the photos are a bit off colour in places it has the dark ash wood like mine

How are you finding yours, found out about the ambient lighting and the corner headlights the other evening.
 
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Nice to find someone else who has a big-engined Phaeton and an AMG CL :D
 
Nice to find someone else who has a big-engined Phaeton and an AMG CL :D

Indeed, I was only saying to my neighbour the other day when they were both parked on the drive next to each other 'there's 22 cylinders and 11,000 cc of German oomph there'
 
No I think it has only just come on the market, looks exactly like mine although the photos are a bit off colour in places it has the dark ash wood like mine

How are you finding yours, found out about the ambient lighting and the corner headlights the other evening.

Yes I thought the photos weren't doing it justice really - I would definitely have gone to have a look if the one I bought hadn't come on the market. Haven't really had time to go through mine due to sons playing with it. The manual takes some reading though! Contemplating taking it to Brooklands for the 50th Anniversary bash.
 
Indeed, I was only saying to my neighbour the other day when they were both parked on the drive next to each other 'there's 22 cylinders and 11,000 cc of German oomph there'

20 cylinders, 11,500cc, 950PS and 1,260Nm
22 cylinders, 11,000cc, 925PS and 1,750Nm

Close, very close :D
 
20 cylinders, 11,500cc, 950PS and 1,260Nm
22 cylinders, 11,000cc, 925PS and 1,750Nm

Close, very close :D

I'm probably top trumps on having both the lowest and highest fuel consumption figures though.
 
Yes I thought the photos weren't doing it justice really - I would definitely have gone to have a look if the one I bought hadn't come on the market. Haven't really had time to go through mine due to sons playing with it. The manual takes some reading though! Contemplating taking it to Brooklands for the 50th Anniversary bash.

Where can I find the details of this? I went to the Private Lounge event at Brooklands a while ago which was about the best free car event I've ever attended. As Brooklands is only a short distance from me at warp factor 4 I'd make the effort.
 
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50th bash is on 4th June - details are on Private Lounge forum although its an "official MB club" event. Entries are through the club and I know they are short of 216 exhibitors.
 
50th bash is on 4th June - details are on Private Lounge forum although its an "official MB club" event. Entries are through the club and I know they are short of 216 exhibitors.

Thanks, I've just found it on PL and expressed an interest in coming along.
 
Thanks, it is a big step considering the potential costs. Also remember there are only 26 in the UK so finding one will be a challenge, there is one in Autotrader now. I wasn't too fussed about night vision or self parking so mine without rear badges is perfect for me.
Mine is a 2007 in Iridium silver which I really like, the one on Autotrader is also the same colour.

I saw a 2011 car with 35000 miles on for £52000 a few months ago
Two owners etc. Had no time to view
A dealer bought it and sold it for £60000

Rare cars
The fuel consumption is horrendous but it drives beautifully
A nice CL500 is a more sensible car - with the CL63 a serious option
But the 65 is the daddy
 
I saw a 2011 car with 35000 miles on for £52000 a few months ago
Two owners etc. Had no time to view
A dealer bought it and sold it for £60000

Rare cars
The fuel consumption is horrendous but it drives beautifully
A nice CL500 is a more sensible car - with the CL63 a serious option
But the 65 is the daddy

I'd actually tried a lot of CL's as I was planning to replace my Phaeton with one, first off tried a CL63 with the N/A engine then a very late model CL63 twin turbo then as a complete wildcard a CL600, which I liked, so after enjoying it's performance it got me thinking what must the AMG version be like. After a test drive my mind was made up, but I realised with so few on the market finding one would be a task. As this one was in such lovely condition and had the dark wood with the black leather I decided in a rather rash spur of the moment decision to buy it.
It's not my daily as I'm keeping my Phaeton for that, so with an annual average mileage of around 5000 it will cost me about £2000 on petrol which works out less than what a 20 a day smoker spends in a year. Man maths I know but it convinced me.
 
Cl65

Man maths works !!!
The CLs seem to be the unloved model as most main dealers don't touch them
But in the same way SL55 AMGs are heading north on pricing I think that one day people will realise that a £100/£110k car for not a huge outlay is a good buy

And the CL65 is rare rare as you say
Enjoy
 
I wonder how many CL 65 Facelift Models are out there (2010 - 2014 ) I know there are only 94 registered Facelift 63 Biturbo's registered.
 
I wonder how many CL 65 Facelift Models are out there (2010 - 2014 ) I know there are only 94 registered Facelift 63 Biturbo's registered.

I've used the 'how many left' web-site to get my figures and it looks like 2 were registered after 2010 so very few. According to the same site there are a total of 26 CL65's registered in the UK.
 

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